Tips for Writing Intriguing Social Media Hooks

✨I can’t stress enough that you must inject storytelling into your content.✨ ☕Sitting down with a colleague and friend the other day… 🤖We chatted about the future of content with AI. 🤖He agreed that all writers who want to continue ‘writing’ 🤖Will need to become editors. He agreed that unremarkable content will be replaced by AI writing tools. And he agreed that the content that will be needed, over and again… ✨Will be personal stories.✨ You can’t replace: 🔵Experience 🔵Expertise 🔵Authority And, oh, what a coincidence! 🛑That’s largely how Google determines rankworthiness (making that a word). To that end, I’d like to help you out. ✨✨I’m breaking down how I use storytelling in my posts.✨✨ ⚔️Here’s how I write from a storytelling POV ⚔️ (And have garnered 350k impressions in five months) 1️⃣ Decide on a story. It can be the most obscure story in my life, like 🦋Having a conversation with a friend 🦋Learning about taxes with my mom 🦋Quitting my corporate job 🦋Blowing my first chance to mentor But it has to be something that ONLY I have experienced. 2️⃣ Put the story in the first to second line of your post. The hook has to be STRONG. ⭐Elements of a strong hook:⭐ ✅Tells what post is about IN THE FIRST LINE ✅Prompts the reader to keep reading ✅Concise and direct 🚧Every post will not hook every reader.🚧 Remember, you are writing for a specific audience. Today, my hook/post is geared toward people who want to learn about content AND people who are interested in learning about storytelling in content. ⭐Rules for a strong hook:⭐ ☑️Uses first or second person POV ☑️Introduces a common problem/insight ☑️Features strong, actionable verbs ☑️OR features a strong story element 3️⃣ Make the connection to your lesson in the first 3 lines. Research shows: you have very little time to grab your user’s attention span. Keep it by getting to the point right away, THEN explaining further. 🔽This is called the inverted pyramid format.🔽 🔷Make your point first.  🔷Discuss after. 🔷Summarize last. If your hook is a storytelling hook →Connect it to the overarching topic in the next line or two. If your hook connects your story and lesson right away, →You’re golden! 4️⃣ Infuse your story with your lesson. Get to the story to illustrate. BUT 👏🏽Keep making the connection throughout the post.👏🏽 ✨✨✨The reader should never lose sight of the lesson.✨✨✨ 5️⃣ Tie it all together in the end. Be sure that you circle back to your original point. This should be easy if you’ve done all of the above, 🕯️But so many posts just fizzle out. Finish strong with an actionable verb and an EMOTIVE message. That’s it! Happy Thursday, friends. #contentwritingtips #storytelling #contentslayer ______________________ I’m a content slayer ⚔️ I help founders/established companies Solve content production issues Streamline the content process Facelift old content And much more DM me to learn how I can help you slay your content goals. 🐉

Most of your LinkedIn posts don’t need a better point. They need a better start. Email subject lines, video intros, and speeches - that first 0.25 seconds is everything. And if your first line doesn’t grab attention? No one clicks “see more.” If no one clicks “see more,” LinkedIn assumes no one cares, and your post flops. Here’s an easy way to improve your LinkedIn hooks (the first line of your post): A couple of months ago, I was having brunch in NYC with Calvina Nguyen. She’s been a big video creator in the past and now up + coming on LinkedIn for her branding & messaging expertise (highly recommend giving her a follow!) She gave me the best advice: “When I edit videos, I skip halfway through and start there. The hook is always buried in the middle.” She’s 100% right. When I edit client posts, it’s almost always the same. The most interesting part is rarely the first line. It’s usually 3… 4… 5 sentences down. Why? Because social media writing is counterintuitive. In formal essays, we warm up with an intro paragraph. In conversations, we ease in. But LinkedIn? It’s abrupt. You have to give away the best part immediately, or at least hint at it in a way that makes people curious enough to click “more.” Hook writing is an art form (one I love hacking). So if you want your message seen, learn this skill.... Here’s how to do it: 1. Write your post draft. 2. Come back later with fresh eyes. 3. Scan halfway down. 4. Ask: Could this be the most compelling part? 5. Move it to the top. Chances are, that’s your new hook. You’ll be amazed at how much stronger your posts feel, and how much faster they pull people in. (This works for video editing too.) What about you? What’s one thing you’ve had to unlearn to write better social posts? Or your best tip for writing good LinkedIn hooks?

Viral content isn’t magic. It’s math—and I’ve got the formula. Let’s debunk the myth: viral content isn’t a happy accident. It’s built on strategy, timing, and understanding your audience. Here’s my ultimate checklist for creating content people can’t help but share: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: It all starts here. Understand what excites, entertains, or educates them. Content that feels custom-made gets shared. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: People love sharing things that make them think, “This is SO me.” Dig into universal truths, shared experiences, or niche topics your audience loves. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Ask yourself: what will my audience gain from this? It could be a laugh, an aha moment, or a life hack. If it’s useful, it’ll travel. 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆: Content spreads when it sparks a reaction: surprise, curiosity, nostalgia, or inspiration. Think about what will make someone say, “You HAVE to see this.” 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: The scroll is real, so make your visuals count. A striking image, engaging video, or clean design stops thumbs in their tracks. 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁: You’ve got 3 seconds (if that). Start strong with a bold headline, a juicy stat, or an irresistible question. 𝗧𝗮𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 (𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆): Trending topics can skyrocket your reach; but only if they align with your brand and audience. Be timely without being try-hard. 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Content that invites comments, debates, or even a quick share does better. Ask for feedback, pose questions, or use CTAs that actually work. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲, 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲: Not every post will go viral. And that’s okay. Learn from the ones that resonate, tweak your approach, and keep experimenting. 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰: Virality is fleeting, but trust is lasting. If your audience knows you’re real and consistent, they’ll stick around for the long haul. Remember: going viral isn’t the goal. Building connection, trust, and a loyal community is. Virality is just the cherry on top of great content. --- Follow Jeff Gapinski for more content like this. ♻️ Share this to help someone else out with their content today. --- Follow me for more content like this. ♻️ Share this to help someone else out today.

Everyone tells you to write good hooks but noone tells you where you’re going wrong. First, understand that you as a writer hold great power. You write for an outcome. Those outcomes can be either sales or visibility. So look out for these 3 mistakes the next time you start writing: 1. Abstract terms/sentences What if Apple wrote one of their iconic ads, “1000 songs in your pocket” as “1000 songs in your media player.” It’s unimaginable so no one would remember/talk about it. You want your target audience to remember you. Pro tip: After writing every line, ask yourself, “can I visualize this?” If no, change immediately. 2. Fake data Trust is the prerequisite to sales. Don’t add fake numbers for credibility. Use real data and numbers that can’t be questioned. Pro tip: Ask yourself, “can anyone falsify this?” If yes, change right away. 3. Repetition Don’t sound just like everyone in the market. You want to find angles that creates differentiation. Deep audience research helps build different storytelling narratives. Pro tip: Ask yourself, “can nobody else say this?” If yes, you’re on the right track. To summarize, good copy should be: Unique: Can nobody else say this? Concrete: Can I visualize this? Real: Can I falsify this? Do you find this helpful? Let me know in the comments below. Hi, I am Neha Jaiswal. I talk about founder led marketing, writing, and profitable growth strategies. Follow for more.