How To Write A Hook That Stops Prospects In Their Tracks
You can never beat the power of a good first impression. The very first thing that comes out of your mouth during a date or a job interview makes or breaks the rest of the interaction. Go to the job interview in foot-flops and a sweaty T-shirt instead of a nice dress shirt… doesn’t matter if you’re the best person for the job does it? You’re dead.
Marketing is the exact same way. And a lot of business owners make this huge mistake when advertising their company online.
Often customers read their ad, roll their eyes then continue watching their cat videos.
So, in this article I’ll show you 4 simple steps into making a good first impression without sounding cliche, contrived or worse… aggressively boring.
Let’s begin,
The very first thing a potential prospect sees from your company is of course, your headline.
Most headlines are complicated, confusing or just downright corny and those are not good qualities when trying to make a real ‘scroll stopper.’
2 examples of lame headlines:
“Why Focusing On The Positive Makes Your Advertising Perform Better”
“A Proven Way To Improve The Readability And Appeal Of Your Written Communication”
Blah blah, I’m falling asleep just typing this!
2 examples of non-lame headlines:
“How To Get A Tsunami Of Leads Using A Carrot Instead Of A Stick”
“How To Dramatically Improve Your Writing With One Easy Trick”
You can write the world’s greatest ad but if your headline doesn’t hook the reader. It won’t perform.
But let’s say you write the world’s greatest hook but your ad is aggressively mediocre. It’ll perform like Lebron James crying in pain each time he’s touched.
With that said, let’s get into the meat and potatoes.
Is your headline boring?
You can do a lot of things to a headline, but being boring is the kiss of death for your ad.
“How To Write An Ad That Grabs Attention” , “How Using Pain Points Gets Customers To Read Your Ad” …boooring!
Vs.
“How To Write A Hook That Stops People In Their Tracks” , “How To Get Into Their Heads And Force Them To Read Your Ad”
Is what you’re saying believable?
Don’t inject your headline with steroids. “Wear These Shorts And Run Like Usain Bolt” , “How To Lose 30Ibs Fat In Just 1 Week!” , “This NEW skincare product makes you look 25 years younger!”
Remember, “The customer is Not an idiot, she’s your wife.” - David Ogilvy
Is your headline complicated?
Your prospects aren’t dumb, but simple IS better.
“How To Increase Conversions and KPI In Your Meta Ads” , “How To Increase Muscle Mass Using Mechanical Hypertrophy Effectively”
Vs.
“3 Proven Ways To Drastically Boost The Effectiveness Of Your Facebook Ads” , “How To Pack On Muscle Without "‘Lifting Burn.’”
Does your headline solve a problem?
“Meet Miguel, Our Lead Carpenter” Who cares?
“In For A Dollar” I don’t get it…
“Is Your Mom Special?” …Yes?
None of these examples moves the needle. Make sure your headline has an outcome your prospects want.
“Finally, A Definitive Solution To The Crippling Effects Of Burnout” , “How To Easily Get More Clients Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget” , “4 Little Known Tricks To Get A Higher Mortgage”
Make sure your headlines pass these 4 filters, then you’re on your way to converting prospects into paying customers. You don’t have to be a genius or even a good writer, just think of what your prospect would want to read by putting yourself in their shoes and keeping it simple.
So, there you have it.
Happy hunting.
-Jason Anderson
