TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- The first 2 lines determine if your post gets read or scrolled past
- Curiosity gaps, contrarian takes, and specific numbers perform best
- Personal stories with universal lessons create emotional connection
- Test different hook styles and track what works for YOUR audience
The Science of Scroll-Stopping
LinkedIn users scroll through hundreds of posts daily. Your hook is the gatekeeper - it either earns the click on "see more" or gets lost in the feed.
The 15 Hook Formulas
1. The Contrarian Statement
"Everyone says you need to post daily on LinkedIn. They're wrong."
2. The Specific Number
"I analyzed 10,847 LinkedIn posts. Here's what actually drives engagement."
3. The Personal Story
"I got fired from my dream job yesterday. Here's what I learned."
4. The Curiosity Gap
"The $50,000 mistake I made that changed everything."
5. The Confession
"I spent 3 years doing LinkedIn completely wrong."
6. The Question
"What if everything you know about personal branding is backwards?"
7. The Bold Claim
"This one strategy generated $2M in pipeline last quarter."
8. The Timestamp
"At 3 AM last night, I had a realization about content creation."
9. The List Preview
"7 things I wish I knew before starting my business:"
10. The Before/After
"6 months ago, I had 500 followers. Today, I have 50,000."
11. The Unpopular Opinion
"Unpopular opinion: Networking events are a waste of time."
12. The Vulnerability
"I failed 17 times before getting my first client."
13. The Prediction
"By 2025, this will be the #1 skill for career growth."
14. The Behind-the-Scenes
"Here's what my calendar actually looks like as a CEO:"
15. The Transformation
"From $50K in debt to $1M revenue. Here's the turning point."
Testing Your Hooks
Save this post and test different hook styles over the next month. Track which ones resonate most with your specific audience.