Do you know what the single most important part of any copy is? Whether you're writingan ad, a landing page, a sales page or an email, if you can nail this, your copy practically writes itself.
Any guesses? Keep watching.
Hey guys, it's Alex and thisweek we're going to talk about the single mostimportant part of copywriting, the art of crafting the perfect hook.
In copywriting andmarketing a hook is exactly what it sounds like, a concept or an idea that gets people interestedin what you have to say and what you have to offer.
So a good hook has the jobof reeling in a prospect by getting their attentionenough to take the next step.
Because let's face it, itdoesn't matter if your sales copy is the most interesting, engaging, well-written masterpiece on the planet, if you can't get yourprospects' attention, does it even matter? We are in the attention andretention business first, which is why using a powerfulhook in your headlines, subject lines or at thebeginning of a sales or landing page is absolutely critical, no matter your niche, product or market.
It's what the reader sees first and determines whether ornot they'll open that email, read the next section or click an ad.
So arguably, writing killer hooks is the most important skillyou can develop in copywriting.
It's what determines whetheryour copy converts or flops.
When comparing copywritingto screenwriting, your hook is essentially the log line.
That one big idea that determines whether or not you're watching thatmovie or that docu-series on Netflix this Friday night.
Why do you think 34 million people watched Tiger King the weekendit came out on Netflix? I mean, sure, you could arguethat they were stuck at home and they had nothing better to do.
But the show is about agay gun-toting operator of a tiger park who wascharged with murder-for-hire.
Yeah, that is a pretty good hook.
A great hook makes people go wait, what? Oh, I gotta see what this is all about! But there's something Ireally want to make clear.
This is not an invitationto use clickbait, which is something very, verydifferent from a great hook.
There's a lot of debateout there right now about what's considered clickbait and everyone seems to havea different definition.
To me, it's simple, clickbait is an intentionally misleading hook or headlinethat leads to content that's irrelevant, provides no value or just straight out lies.
Great hooks are still majorly click-worthy but they are relevant, lead to value, whether it be educational, entertainment or inspirational value and they do not mislead your prospects.
I've said this severaltimes and I'll say it again, always lead with value anduse empathy and connection in your copywriting – andif you want more tips, techniques and tutorialsthat are working today, go ahead and hit thatsubscribe button below to join the global Copy Posse.
Now in this video, I'm going to share five of my favorite Copy Posse-Approvedhooks to grab and hold your customers' attention with nothing but powerful and precise wording.
As I like to say, the right phrase pays.
These five hooks are a sneakpeek at my full list of proven and effective hooks thatI teach in my copywriter coaching program at theCopy Posse Launch Pad.
By the way, if you'reinterested and ready to ignite your freelance copywriting business, you can now get therecordings of this program which includes access toall the training modules, Q&A sessions, workbooks, guides, formulas and lots and lots of juicy bonus content.
You can find out more abouthow to get your hands on that in the description below.
Alright, now here theyare, five powerful hooks that you can use tocapture and keep attention.
Now please bear in mindthat these five hooks are not mutually exclusive.
Often a great hook can utilize more than one of these concepts or angles.
Let's start with hook numerouno – Threat, Warning and Pain.
Now guys, I don't mean tostart things off super intense but the heart of thisfirst hook is primal.
It's an old-school approachthat still works today.
Illustrating a threateningsituation or an urgent warning or an unwanted pain thatresonates with your prospects will likely get their attention.
Science has proven that alldecisions made by us humans are either to avoid pain or gain pleasure but here's the plot twist, people will actually do much more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure.
The notion here is thatyou would likely act faster if you were say aboutto be attacked by a bear than if someone offered youa suitcase full of cash.
Not that you have to getthat intense in your copy but really think about theproblems your audience is facing.
Don't unnecessarilyfear-monger or use clickbait, of course, make sure thatit's relevant to your product and that it would leadyour prospect to something that can actually helpthem solve their problem.
And it goes without sayingthat this hook works well for a Problem Aware audience and you're hooking attentionby speaking to that pain.
So as an example, in thisad, Pacific Blue Cross used a stern warning to remind travelers of the high medical costshould anything happen to you during yourvacation if you don't have the right travel insurance.
And here's another onefrom ADT that shares that 26% of burglaries happenwhen someone is at home, urging you to take action to feel safe.
And this ad also playsup a second type of hook and that is education and FYI.
A great way to hook attentionis to provide useful and relevant informationthat opens the loop and encourages your prospectto want to learn more.
Besides, no one can resista good little-known fact or a shocking, did you know? Using education or whatI call the “FYI Hook” is a great way to appeal to prospects that have little awarenessof your product or solution.
Education is a great way toindoctrinate unaware leads.
A great example of thishook is a series of posts by Acorns, a brilliant investing app that helps people invest their change.
They use eye-opening findingsand stats in their hooks to speak to their targetaudience, millennials.
Now this ad may not beas shocking but serves as a great reminder of how ourcurrent education system really fails to teach ushow to manage our finances.
This ad however, sheds somelight on a daily routine that far too many of us are guilty of, the amount of money wespend on coffee (chuckles).
And that brings me to hooknumber three Confirm Beliefs.
It's no surprise thatpeople tend to respond or gravitate towardsevidence or information that supports their existing beliefs.
This gives your prospecta sense of validation and acknowledgement, thatmoment where you go, aha, I knew it or “oh my god, same!” This hook is also great fora Problem Aware audience.
Those people that might notbe aware of your product yet but they're experiencing the pain that your product is offering to solve.
The best way to use this hook is to open with a powerful statement thatconfirms an existing belief but then pivot to presentsome new information that will get them togo, hmm, interesting.
So here's a great example from Organixx.
They spoke to women who werestruggling with moodiness and irritability by validatingwhat most of us already know that the cause couldbe hormonal imbalances.
But then it goes on to sharethat this could also be the cause of insomnia, weightfluctuations or even dry skin.
They confirm a well-known belief but then present newinformation based on this belief that makes their audiencewant to know more.
Now be careful that the new information doesn't completely violatethe existing belief or jump to a completely new paradigm that just doesn't make sense.
There needs to be a believable connection.
If it's too hard to swallow, you will have a hard time selling.
Alright, now moving onto hook number four, Fear of Missing Out.
Yes, I am talking about thatanxiety-inducing feeling of being left out in a social situation.
In the context of marketing, FOMO is really an opportunity to merge scarcity withsocial proof by showcasing the number of people whoare already experiencing the benefits you offer, andtherefore making your prospects feel like they are missing out.
It's a good old fashioned”Everyone is doing it, so why aren't you?” The point here is to leverage social proof in an authentic and relatable way that resonates with theprospect and creates the desire for them to take action.
For example, Blinkist, the app that summarizes bestselling books into 15-minute reports, does this very, verywell with their headline.
Millions of tech savvyintellectuals are using Blinkist to stay ahead of their peersand on top of their fields.
And Live Recover, an abandonedcart recovery service, creates double FOMO byletting businesses know that they're missing outon recovering 21% of people who abandon their cartand also use the famous “who else” headlineimplying that other people are already using this service.
Alright, now hook number five, Relevancy.
There has never been a time when relevancy is more well, relevantto ensure the success of a marketing campaign.
What is relevant to your market today? With the abundance of brands and solutions that are available andvisible to your customers, especially in the digital world, relevancy is perhaps thebest way to create a stronger and more meaningful connectionbetween brand and customer.
A hook that uses relevancy is one that takes into account currentevents, cultures or issues that your target audience can relate to, and of course connecting itto your product or offer.
The goal here is not only getattention but do it in a way that makes your prospect go, “Oh, wow, you really get where I'm at.
” So think current events, pop culture, or trending topics on social media.
How can you piggybackon these conversations and relate it to your product? This is where empathycan go a long, long way.
In fact, it lies at the core of this hook.
For example, during the2016 presidential elections in the USA, Aspirin brandExcedrin was clever to poke fun at the political environmentwith the headline, 73% of Americans will have anelection headache this year And hey, they can reuseit every four years.
Alright and there you have it, five of the most effective hooks that we here at theCopy Posse love to use.
Give me a thumbs up below ifyou found this video helpful.
I hope it gives you someinspiration the next time you need to turn out some killerheadlines or subject lines.
Speaking of which, you can watch my video on How to Write Hot Headlines right here.
Or you can check out my video on the Five Levels ofCustomer Awareness right here.
Thank you so much forwatching and subscribing.
I will see you again next week.
Until then, I'm Alex! Ciao for now.
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