There are dozens of ways to pique reader interest, all equally valid, but a few formats are particularly effective: Whether they like it or not, their attention has been hooked. It’s hard for the reader to gloss over this introduction because it’s so unexpected (and well-written, not belabored). The article about content marketing opens with two short paragraphs comparing B-movie extraordinaire Snakes on a Plane with the Oscar-winning The Revenant. One example we use during our onboarding process for new writers comes from the article High-Concept Content: the Hollywood Framework for Crafting Popular Content: They break with convention and force the reader to pay attention. Hooks do the opposite: They are unexpected. “Webster’s Dictionary defines 'intro' as the beginning, sometimes used to capture attention.“A Harvard University study found that eight out of 10 professionals.Imagine if your staff could get that time back. “The average employee spends too many hours a week doing something tedious, costing companies billions annually.If you still think that surprising the reader sounds tricky, consider this: Most articles begin with predictable, boring opening lines: But the best hooks simply look and feel different from what the reader expects. The “art” of writing a good hook is often made out to be more complicated than shark fishing.

Writing hooks are much the same, coming in all shapes and sizes, but each serving a primary purpose: subvert a reader’s expectation to snag their attention. Despite noticeable variations, they serve the same core purpose: to hook a fish. Some are designed to mimic insects, while others hold big pieces of bait. Hook: Use Pattern Interrupts to Pique Interestįishing hooks come in all shapes and sizes, from salmon egg bait hooks to swimming nymph fly lures.

Hook line and sinker