Do you know who the most ripped-off copywriter on the internet is?
His name is John Carlton.
A BIG reason why “internet gurus” swipe his copy like Swiper the Fox is because he is a master at creating copywriting hooks.
For example, check this headline out:
One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yards
To Your Drives Eliminates Hooks
and Slices… And Can Slash Up To
10 Strokes From You’re Game
Almost Overnight!
Can you spot the hook?
I’ll give you a clue.
Let’s remove the first line…
Adds 50 Yards
To Your Drives Eliminates Hooks
and Slices… And Can Slash Up To
10 Strokes From You’re Game
Almost Overnight!
Pretty generic, huh?
However, by adding the first part “Amazing secret discovered by one-legged golfer”, this ad is completely different from the sea of “me-too” advertisements.
It stands out like a green thumb.
Why?
Because it is unique, snatches your full attention and forces you to read on to complete the unusual story.
This is the electric power of copywriting hooks.
However, for some reason, it’s a rare skill amongst copywriters.
But if you git gud at writing copywriting hooks, you can transform your writing skills (and career).
In this post…
You’ll discover what a copywriting hook is, how to write powerful copywriting hooks in minutes, 5 copywriting hook examples from real ads and 7 bonus tips for maximizing your copywriting hooks effectiveness.
What is a Hook in Copywriting?
As a copywriter, 80%+ of your job is to write attention-grabbing headlines that flag down your ideal reader and get them reading your copy.
Writing attention-grabbing headlines is HARD.
But...
It doesn’t have to be…
Copywriting hooks are one of your most powerful weapons for writing “killer” headlines.
A copywriting hook is a unique “twist” to a story that grabs you by the throat and pushes you to read what follows.
You’ll find these hooks in the most successful ads, online articles (think clickbait) and popular magazine covers – Cosmo, Men’s Health, National Enquirer, etc.
Why Should YOU Use Copywriting Hooks?
I make a habit of writing hooks in just about every headline, subject line & title I write.
Why?
Because hooks are amongst the easiest and most effective ways to grab your reader’s undivided attention and suck them into your copy.
Not only do they command attention, but they can make your entire sales message a huge success.
For example:
A ton of super successful ads base their entire ad & theme around copywriting hooks. I.E. They tell an interesting story that expands throughout their copy, into their offer.
When you pick up the rare skill of crafting killer hooks, you can bang out rockstar ads, draw attention in your industry and sell products like hotcakes.
How to Write a Powerful Copywriting Hook That Commands Attention
The best way to learn how to write copywriting hooks is to understand how John came up with his “one-legged golfer” ad.
John wrote this ad for a client in the golfing niche (he sold products teaching golfers how to improve their swing).
John interviewed his client before writing this ad. About 2 hours into this interview, his client revealed the inspiration behind his product.
Inspiration:
He was playing golf with some buddies. Then, all of a sudden, he saw a man cranking drives off the fairway like Barry Bonds.
But there was something unusual about this guy.
He only had one leg!
Aha!
As soon as John heard this, he stopped his client.
He focused on this unique story and displayed it in his headline.
The rest is history.
One of the most successful ads of all time.
Did you catch the lesson?
Great hooks come from RESEARCH.
As John Carlton says…
“Your job is to be a sales detective.”
Slap on your detective hat and do some digging.
Look for unique stories, personal info, and facts about the product you’re writing for.
For example:
Was there a unique process that went into creating this product? Does it have a backstory or any history to it? Is there an unusual feature?
Also…
A hook can be about your client.
Examples:
Why they got into business, why they created this particular product, their unique story, personal challenges they’ve faced, incredible odds they’ve overcome, and so on.
Here’s the golden key:
Find unique stories that have a “twist” to them.
And put this almost unbelieve story in your headline and make it achingly incomplete (so your reader has to keep reading).
Let’s look at some classic examples to better understand how to write powerful hooks…
5 Copywriting Hook Examples from Million-Dollar Ads
#1. One-Legged Golfer Ad by John Carlton
Now, the hook is clear.
If John left out this first line about the one-legged golfer, it would look like a clone of thousands of other ads in the golfing industry over the last few decades.
However, with this simple hook, he created an irresistible itch on his reader’s brains that needed to be scratched.
#2. “Boy eats own head” – The National Enquirer
How can you NOT read this?
This unique story wrenches on our kid-like curiosity.
It tells a unique story that is achingly incomplete.
IMPORTANT:
I want to clear the air before we move forward.
You never want to “clickbait” your readers.
This will piss them off.
The key is to make your headline & hook relevant to what you’re writing about. Pay it off quickly. If you don’t, you will make your readers angry. If you do it right, you can write kickass copy.
#3. "Now! Read 300 Business Magazines in 30 Minutes!" – By Eugene Schwartz
Eugene had a similar story behind creating this miraculous hook.
He discovered it while interviewing his client – Marty Edelstein.
This ad launched one of the most successful publishing newsletter companies in the world (Boardroom).
Its success hinges on its unique hook.
The hook:
“Read 300 business magazines in 30 minutes”.
How the heck is that possible?
If you are in this market (investing) and are reading business magazines to get the latest insider info on which stocks to invest in, you NEED this information.
#4. The Amazing Money-Making Secret Of A Desperate Nerd From Ohio! – Gary Halbert
This is a perfect example of how to write an irresistible hook.
This ad is locked around an unusual story with a twist that is targeted to the right audience.
The audience = people who want to get rich quick.
The twist = “Money-making secret of a desperate nerd from Ohio!
This story is frustratingly incomplete and almost forces you to keep reading to get closure.
#5. They Laughed When I Sat Down at The Piano by John Caples
If John Carlton’s one-legged golfer ad isn’t the most ripped-off, this one is.
This is one of the most successful ads of all time. Can you guess why?
The HOOK.
It grabs your attention and sucks you into the body copy by telling a fascinating, incomplete story.
Use these copywriting hook examples to craft attention-grabbing headlines.
Where to Find Inspiration for Creating Killer Copywriting Hooks
Here are 5 honeypots filled with potential million-dollar hooks waiting for you to discover:
- Swipe file – create a swipe file filled with headlines that grab your attention. To start, go to swiped.co and type in some successful copywriters, like: Gary Halbert, John Carlton, Eugene Schwartz, John Caples, Gary Bencivenga, Joseph Sugarman and so on. Click on their ads and study the headlines. Find the hooks. Figure out why they worked so well. Don’t have a swipe file? This post will show you how to create one Asap Rocky.
- Magazine covers – another treasure chest filled with million-dollar hooks are the covers of popular magazines. Like Cosmopolitan, World Wide News and The National Inquirer. You can search online or browse your local grocery store (checkout aisle). Understand this: the writers of these popular magazine’s headlines are some of the best and most paid copywriters in the game. These magazines rely on their headlines to sell millions of copies. Study the unusual hooks and stories within them.
- Online articles - Same concept as magazine covers. Look at the titles of online articles as you scroll on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, etc. Pay special attention to articles that got you to click on them. Again, most of these are clickbait, but you can learn a lot from them.
- Book titles – lots of bestsellers have great hooks embedded within their titles. Like with all headlines, titles are what make or break the success of a book. Browse the best sellers and you’ll find tons of great hooks to swipe inspiration from.
- Interview client – This last one is mandatory. The only real way you can write great hooks is to do great research. Find out what already existing stories are just waiting to be brought front and center in your headline. The best way to do this is to interview your client. Find out their unique information. This is where you will find your hooks. The above 4 resources will inspire you to write hooks in the most attention-grabbing and persuasive way.
7 Little-Known Tips to Help You Write Better Hooks (In Seconds)
Remember, your copywriting hooks already exist.
You just have to dig deep enough to find them.
When you do, use these 8 tips to boost your hook’s effectiveness…
1. Contrast
Contrast is what makes these hooks so effective. The more contrast you can pile on, the more successful your hooks will be. Contrast is one of my favorite “techniques” to add to my headlines and subject lines. Why? Because contrasting ideas, words and statements stand out and grab attention.
2. Curiosity
Hooks won’t be effective if you don’t stir up curiosity inside your reader’s soul. Add curiosity by making your story So incomplete that your readers MUST read your body copy to finish the story.
3. Ask questions
Questions act like giant red stop signs on our brains. They tap into our psyche. They get us to stop scrolling and grab our undivided attention.
4. Call out your readers
Make every copywriting hook laser-focused on your target audience. An easy way to do this is to call your readers out in the headline. For example, “for real estate agents who hate cold prospecting… discover how this introvert sold $5,000,000+ in homes without calling a single prospect.”
5. Make it incomplete
The more incomplete your hook is, the more effective it will be at grabbing your reader’s attention and forcing them to keep reading. Do NOT give away the ending (or any key details) in the headline.
6. Passionate sweet spot
John Carlton coined this term. It refers to talking about what your readers are interested Load up your headline with the key benefit and tie it in with your hook. Look at John’s one-legged golfer ad for inspiration.
7. Use image words
Good ads paint clear mental movies in their reader’s minds. They get them to envision themselves using the product and experiencing the benefits. Paint bright imagery by using image words – words that touch on our five senses – touch, taste, smell, hear, see. Example: “smash”, “bumpy”, “Razor-sharp”
Conclusion
My friend, you now possess one of the rarest powers known to copywriters.
Use your newfound powers for good and make yourself & your clients a boatload of money with attention-grabbing ads.
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