Jordan Ogren

June 10, 2021

A great hook is useless without this.

If you've spent any time on LinkedIn, you've seen posts talking about the power of hooks.

I've even talked about it.

Without a strong hook—opening sentence—no one will read your content.

Okay, so let's say you nail your hook; does that mean your content will be effective?

No.

I like to think about it like this:
  • A great hook gets them inside. 
  • Solid content/structure gets them to stay and come back.

Have you ever subscribed to someone's content because their hooks were effective? No. 

Their content was so damn good you had to make sure you got whatever they created next.

If your goal is to get a lot of people inside who then leave very quickly, emphasize hooks.

But if your goal is to get people to stay (subscribe), then focus equally on the meat—the content you create.

Content gets shared because it makes you think differently, entertains you, or confirms something you already believe.

It never gets shared for the opening sentence.

Focus on your hook, but don't forget to create something worth consuming.

That is why I prefer to work backward—nail the content (the meat) and then pull out a killer hook that will get them in the door.

What are your thoughts on the hook vs. content debate?

🧠 // JO