Social Hook Template
Quick Social Hook Generator
tags: hook
created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}
Story Core
Main revelation: [what’s the shocking truth?]
Key players: [who are the main actors?]
Impact: [who gets hurt/helped by this?]
Hook Pattern Tests
Pattern 1: Insider Knowledge
Template: “What [authority figure] doesn’t want you to know about [topic]”
Your version:
Believability test: [can you back this up with evidence?]
Pattern 2: Counter-Intuitive
Template: “Why doing [expected action] actually makes [problem] worse”
Your version:
Proof point: [strongest piece of evidence]
Pattern 3: Open Loop
Template: “[Shocking statement]. Here’s why that should terrify you”
Your version:
Payoff location: [where in article do you resolve the loop?]
Pattern 4: Insider Access
Template: “I spent [time] inside [secretive organization]. Here’s what I learned”
Your version:
Credentials: [what gives you access/authority?]
Pattern 5: Future Prediction
Template: “[Specific prediction] will happen by [date]. Here’s the evidence”
Your version:
Timeline basis: [what suggests this timing?]
Platform Optimization
Twitter Version (280 chars)
Hook:
Thread tease: [what will first tweet reveal?]
LinkedIn Version (professional angle)
Hook:
Industry relevance: [why should professionals care?]
Newsletter Version (subscriber exclusive)
Hook:
Value proposition: [what do subscribers get others don’t?]
Viral Factor Checklist
-
Names a specific powerful entity
-
Challenges conventional wisdom
-
Promises exclusive/hidden information
-
Creates curiosity gap requiring article to close
-
Uses concrete rather than abstract language
-
Triggers emotional response (fear/anger/surprise)
-
Suggests personal relevance to reader
Hook Testing
Version A: [most aggressive/clickbaity]
Version B: [balanced approach]
Version C: [more subtle/credible]
Best performer prediction: [which will get most engagement?]
Most defensible: [which can you most easily back up?]
Hook Strength
-
viral
-
solid
-
needs-work
Research Confidence Match
-
high
-
medium
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low