Do you know what the single
most important part of any copy is?
Whether you're writing an 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 this week we're going to talk
about the single most important part of copywriting,
the art of crafting the perfect hook.
In copywriting and marketing a hook is exactly
what it sounds like, a concept or an idea
that gets people interested in what you have to say
and what you have to offer.
So a good hook has the job of reeling in a prospect
by getting their attention enough to take the next step.
Because let's face it, it doesn't matter if your sales copy
is the most interesting, engaging,
well-written masterpiece on the planet,
if you can't get your prospects' attention,
does it even matter?
We are in the attention and retention business first,
which is why using a powerful hook in your headlines,
subject lines or at the beginning 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 or not they'll open that email,
read the next section or click an ad.
So arguably, writing killer hooks
is the most important skill you can develop in copywriting.
It's what determines whether your copy converts or flops.
When comparing copywriting to screenwriting,
your hook is essentially the log line.
That one big idea that determines whether
or not you're watching that movie or that docu-series
on Netflix this Friday night.
Why do you think 34 million people
watched Tiger King the weekend it came out on Netflix?
I mean, sure, you could argue that they were stuck at home
and they had nothing better to do.
But the show is about a gay gun-toting operator
of a tiger park who was charged 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 I really want to make clear.
This is not an invitation to use clickbait,
which is something very, very different from a great hook.
There's a lot of debate out there right now
about what's considered clickbait
and everyone seems to have a different definition.
To me, it's simple, clickbait is an intentionally
misleading hook or headline that 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 several times and I'll say it again,
always lead with value and use empathy and connection
in your copywriting - and if you want more tips,
techniques and tutorials that are working today,
go ahead and hit that subscribe button below
to join the global Copy Posse.
Now in this video, I'm going to share five
of my favorite Copy Posse-Approved hooks 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 sneak peek at my full list of proven
and effective hooks that I teach in my copywriter
coaching program at the Copy Posse Launch Pad.
By the way, if you're interested and ready to ignite
your freelance copywriting business,
you can now get the recordings of this program
which includes access to all the training modules,
Q&A sessions, workbooks, guides, formulas
and lots and lots of juicy bonus content.
You can find out more about how to get your hands on
that in the description below.
Alright, now here they are, five powerful hooks
that you can use to capture and keep attention.
Now please bear in mind that 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 numero uno - Threat, Warning and Pain.
Now guys, I don't mean to start things off super intense
but the heart of this first hook is primal.
It's an old-school approach that still works today.
Illustrating a threatening situation or an urgent warning
or an unwanted pain that resonates with your prospects
will likely get their attention.
Science has proven that all decisions 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 that you would likely act faster
if you were say about to be attacked by a bear
than if someone offered you a suitcase full of cash.
Not that you have to get that intense in your copy
but really think about the problems your audience is facing.
Don't unnecessarily fear-monger or use clickbait,
of course, make sure that it's relevant to your product
and that it would lead your prospect to something
that can actually help them solve their problem.
And it goes without saying that this hook works well
for a Problem Aware audience
and you're hooking attention by speaking to that pain.
So as an example, in this ad, Pacific Blue Cross
used a stern warning to remind travelers
of the high medical cost should anything happen
to you during your vacation if you don't have
the right travel insurance.
And here's another one from ADT that shares
that 26% of burglaries happen when someone is at home,
urging you to take action to feel safe.
And this ad also plays up a second type of hook
and that is education and FYI.
A great way to hook attention is to provide useful
and relevant information that opens the loop
and encourages your prospect to want to learn more.
Besides, no one can resist a good little-known fact
or a shocking, did you know?
Using education or what I call the "FYI Hook"
is a great way to appeal to prospects
that have little awareness of your product or solution.
Education is a great way to indoctrinate unaware leads.
A great example of this hook is a series of posts
by Acorns, a brilliant investing app
that helps people invest their change.
They use eye-opening findings and stats in their hooks
to speak to their target audience, millennials.
Now this ad may not be as shocking but serves as
a great reminder of how our current education system
really fails to teach us how to manage our finances.
This ad however, sheds some light on a daily routine
that far too many of us are guilty of,
the amount of money we spend on coffee (chuckles).
And that brings me to hook number three Confirm Beliefs.
It's no surprise that people tend to respond
or gravitate towards evidence or information
that supports their existing beliefs.
This gives your prospect a sense of validation
and acknowledgement, that moment where you go, aha,
I knew it or "oh my god, same!"
This hook is also great for a Problem Aware audience.
Those people that might not be 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 that confirms an existing belief
but then pivot to present some new information
that will get them to go, hmm, interesting.
So here's a great example from Organixx.
They spoke to women who were struggling with moodiness
and irritability by validating what most of us already know
that the cause could be hormonal imbalances.
But then it goes on to share that this could also be
the cause of insomnia, weight fluctuations or even dry skin.
They confirm a well-known belief
but then present new information based on this belief
that makes their audience want to know more.
Now be careful that the new information
doesn't completely violate the 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 on to hook number four,
Fear of Missing Out.
Yes, I am talking about that anxiety-inducing feeling
of being left out in a social situation.
In the context of marketing, FOMO is really an opportunity
to merge scarcity with social proof by showcasing
the number of people who are already experiencing
the benefits you offer, and therefore 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 the prospect 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, very well with their headline.
Millions of tech savvy intellectuals are using Blinkist
to stay ahead of their peers and on top of their fields.
And Live Recover, an abandoned cart recovery service,
creates double FOMO by letting businesses know
that they're missing out on recovering 21% of people
who abandon their cart and also use the famous
"who else" headline implying 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, relevant to ensure the success
of a marketing campaign.
What is relevant to your market today?
With the abundance of brands and solutions
that are available and visible to your customers,
especially in the digital world,
relevancy is perhaps the best way to create a stronger
and more meaningful connection between brand and customer.
A hook that uses relevancy is one
that takes into account current events, cultures or issues
that your target audience can relate to,
and of course connecting it to your product or offer.
The goal here is not only get attention 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 piggyback on these conversations
and relate it to your product?
This is where empathy can go a long, long way.
In fact, it lies at the core of this hook.
For example, during the 2016 presidential elections
in the USA, Aspirin brand Excedrin was clever to poke fun
at the political environment with the headline,
73% of Americans will have an election headache this year
And hey, they can reuse it every four years.
Alright and there you have it,
five of the most effective hooks
that we here at the Copy Posse love to use.
Give me a thumbs up below if you found this video helpful.
I hope it gives you some inspiration the next time
you need to turn out some killer headlines 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 of Customer Awareness right here.
Thank you so much for watching and subscribing.
I will see you again next week.
Until then, I'm Alex! Ciao for now.