| What's a hook and why does it matter? Here's | | | | story using no more than seven words and your |
| the short answer. The title of your book, | | | | readership will go up by a factor of ten. |
| article, speech or sales ad is a hook and | | | | |
| it's designed to grab the attention of your | | | | How Is That Possible? |
| reader. The longer and more appropriate | | | | |
| answer is that a hook is the single most | | | | In the marketing world this is know as an |
| important piece of text you write to get | | | | unbelievable claim. How can a laser beam |
| people to read your book, article, speech or | | | | brighten your smile in less than five |
| sales ad. Your hook is everything. If your | | | | minutes? How is it possible that doctors can |
| hook does not immediately grab the attention | | | | grow hair on a bald man using chicken |
| of your reader, nothing else matters. Let me | | | | feathers? Don't you want to know? Of course |
| explain. | | | | you do. Your sense of wonder won't let you |
| | | | stop until you find the answer. |
| Joe Sugarman, the author of "Triggers," is | | | | |
| recognized as one of the nation's top | | | | Is there something amazing about your product |
| copywriters. According to Joe, the purpose of | | | | or service that seems impossible? Use it to |
| your hook is to get the reader to read the | | | | write a hook that engages your readers. |
| next line of text. Period. If your hook | | | | |
| causes your reader to open your book or read | | | | Disclose Information |
| your article or listen to your speech, it's a | | | | |
| good hook. If it doesn't, you're wasting your | | | | Mosquito repellants don't actually repel |
| money. | | | | mosquitoes? In every episode of Seinfeld |
| | | | there's a Superman somewhere? Forty percent |
| Up until recently I spent very little time | | | | of all people who come to a party in your |
| thinking about the title of my articles or | | | | home will snoop in your medicine cabinet. I |
| the headlines of my Google ads. But all of | | | | didn't know that and I'd bet you didn't |
| that changed when my son and I started | | | | either. |
| researching how to use social bookmarking | | | | |
| sites to generate traffic to our website. | | | | Disclosing information is a sure way to stir |
| What caused thousands of people to read an | | | | the sense of wonder. Better yet, it will |
| article entitled, "Headless Man Seen Running | | | | cause people to read your article, book or |
| Through Southeast Asia" when only a handful | | | | sales ad. |
| of people took the time to read, "Writing A | | | | |
| Hook?" Here's what we discovered. | | | | The Biggest And The Best |
| | | | |
| As human beings, we have a sense of wonder | | | | Way back in 1996, John Travolta starred in |
| that causes us to act in a certain way. We're | | | | the movie, "Michael." The movie was about |
| told not to open Pandora's box and we open | | | | Michael the Archangel who was sent to Earth |
| it. We have an opportunity to prove the | | | | to mend some wounded hearts. Once his job was |
| status quo wrong and we take it. We're told | | | | completed Michael was expected to go back to |
| about something that is contrary to our | | | | heaven. But before he left he took his entire |
| belief system and we challenge it. For | | | | cast of characters across the country to see |
| example, did you know that it's impossible to | | | | the world's largest everything. That included |
| fold a piece of paper more than eight times | | | | the world's largest frying pan and the |
| and it doesn't matter how big or thin the | | | | world's largest ball of sting in Cawker City, |
| piece of paper is? It's simply impossible. | | | | KS. |
| | | | |
| As a marketing person, I don't need to tell | | | | It's not just archangels who are interested |
| you to try it. You're sense of wonder will | | | | in seeing and reading about the biggest and |
| take over and you'll grab a sheet of paper | | | | the best. Every human being wants to know |
| and fold it seven times. Then you'll grab a | | | | what's the world's oldest or tallest or |
| tissue and fold it seven times. And, if by | | | | fastest. |
| some freak of nature you do fold it eight | | | | |
| times, you're going to make sure I know about | | | | Be Controversial |
| your success. People who write great hooks | | | | |
| understand how to take advantage of a | | | | Do you want the attention of Red Sox or |
| person's sense of wonder. | | | | Yankee fans? If so, here's a hook that will |
| | | | grab them both. "Ten Reasons why the Red Sox |
| Here are five quick ways to grab the | | | | are Better than the Yankees." Or maybe you |
| attention of your reader using their sense of | | | | could entitle your article, "Ten Reasons why |
| wonder. | | | | the Yankees are Better than the Red Sox." |
| | | | Either way you're going to get the attention |
| Start A Story. | | | | of both. One person wants to read your |
| | | | article because they agree with the headline |
| This one gets me every time. What happened to | | | | and the other wants to read your article |
| Hansel and Gretel? Did the Big Bad Wolf catch | | | | because they disagree with it. Controversy |
| Little Red Riding Hood? Who was the headless | | | | sells. |
| man seen running through Southeast Asia? I | | | | |
| just have to know, and so do millions of | | | | So what does a headless man seen running |
| other people. | | | | through Southeast Asia have to do with |
| | | | writing a hook? You read the article didn't |
| Find a way to tell the first part of your | | | | you? |