Thinking · Newsletter
A working taxonomy of hooks
Five families, what each one is actually doing, and the failure mode of each.
This piece is now part of a longer guide: Hooks and creative briefs: the complete guide.
"Make the hook stronger" is useless as a note. It is only actionable once you agree what kind of hook you are making.
Visual
Something on screen is wrong, surprising or beautiful enough to stop a thumb. No words needed. Fails when it is impressive but unrelated to the product, so it buys attention it cannot spend.
Verbal
A line that opens a loop. "Nobody tells you this about..." Fails when the loop is never closed, which trains people to scroll past your next one.
Situational
A recognisable moment the viewer has lived. Fails when the situation is generic enough to belong to any brand.
Demonstrative
The product doing the thing, immediately. Fails when the thing is not visually interesting, which is most products.
Contrarian
A claim that argues with what the viewer believes. Fails when it is contrarian without being true, which the comments will tell you about.
How to use this
Classify your existing library against these five. Almost every account is heavily concentrated in one or two, and the cheapest new test is the family you have never tried.