Hooks are useless without this...

Hooks are useless without this...

We’ve all heard about hooks, right?

That you need a good hook, or else no one will read what you’ve written. But they never tell you what makes a good hook, do they?

Is there a formula, or do you just feel it out?

In this newsletter, I’m going to break down hooks from the perspective of copywriting, psychology, and even fishing.

Once we understand what a hook truly is, we can then explore what must be included so that your hooks don’t fall flat.

Let’s start by looking at some common copywriting formulas:

- DIC 

- PAS 

- SLO/HSO 

- BAB

These are just a few, and for now, we’ll only focus on the first (and sometimes second) letter of each, as they represent the hooks.

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DIC: Disrupt, Intrigue, Click

An example of a disruptive hook:

"Most folks don’t realize how EASY it is to land high-ticket email gigs."

This surprises the reader—most people think landing high-ticket gigs is hard. The disruption opens a loop and makes the reader wonder how they can do it. “What’s in it for me?”

Two factors stand out here:

- Opens a loop

- Sparks curiosity (WIIFM – What's In It For Me?)

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PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution

Here’s an example of Problem + Agitate:

"Everyone says to do cold outreach. 

But no one shows you how."

The first line is relatable—most people have heard of cold outreach. The second line opens a loop: the reader is now expecting to find out how to actually do cold outreach.

In this framework, two factors are key:

- Relatability

- Opens a loop

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SLO: Story, Lesson, Offer

HSO: Hook, Story, Offer

These frameworks are very similar. Here’s an example of a Story hook:

"She was the #1 personal branding expert on Forbes, and she almost quit."

This creates intrigue. Most people can relate to feeling like quitting, but the surprise comes from someone so successful almost quitting.

The SLO formula thrives on two elements:

- Relatability

- Open loops

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BAB: Before, After, Bridge

An example:

"In my first 6 months running an agency, I made $0. 

Next month -> $20,000 

Next month -> $40,000."

The first line is relatable. The next two lines shock the reader, opening a loop and making them think, “How is that even possible?”

This hook includes:

- Open loops

- Relatability

- Shock

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Across all these formulas, you’ll notice two things:

- They all include open loops.

- Most of them include relatability.

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But what exactly is an open loop?

Open Loop Definition:

An open loop is a psychological phenomenon known as the Zeigarnik Effect, discovered by Bluma Zeigarnik. It refers to how people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. These lingering tasks keep our mental capacity engaged, which is why open loops are so effective in writing—they create the need for resolution.

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Now that we’ve covered the copywriting and psychological aspects, let’s address the missing piece: just writing a hook isn’t enough.

For instance, say your audience is fitness enthusiasts, and your hook is:

"My first 8 months reselling sneakers, I made $0. 

The next month -> $5,000. 

The next month -> $15,000."

This hook creates an open loop and shock value, but it doesn’t have the right bait—it targets a sneaker reselling audience, not a fitness one. It’s like trying to catch a marlin with bass bait.

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Before writing your hook, make sure you’re clear on the audience you want to attract.

This ties into relatability: if you’re relatable to the wrong audience, your hook will be useless.

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8 Essential Parts to Crafting a Good Hook:

1. Social proof

2. Open a loop

3. Be relatable

4. Don’t sound too good to be true

5. Make the benefit seem like low perceived effort

6. Target a specific audience (use the right bait)

7. Be relevant to a topic your audience cares about

8. Ensure your audience knows they’ll get a clear benefit by continuing to read (WIIFM)

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Talk soon,

Christian