One of the harshest truths that I learned very quickly, I'm starting my coaching course business. Is that you could be the best coach in the world. You could be amazing at what you do. You could be, the best resume writer, the best meal planner, the best baby sleep consultant, the best relationship coach.
You could be doing all the things right. But if no one knows about you, if you don't have that traffic and that visibility, it's going to be very hard. A, for you to be constantly booked out. B, charge premium prices. Because of the demand and see scale, part of scaling is being able to go from one to one services to groups, to courses, but to get to group coaching, you need a big enough audience size.
And if you want to sell digital products like courses or cheaper offers, oh, you best have tens of thousands. Of people consuming your content every month. Otherwise hundreds of thousands, probably. Otherwise it's very difficult if you've got ambitions to get into the, million dollar club with cheap products, whoo, you're going to need a lot of traffic.
Okay. One of the harshest truths is that it's not enough to be a great coach if you've got that kind of ambition that sees you wanting to, make 500k a year, make a million, scale up to that point over time, if you see yourself running a small, lean, profitable, purposeful, but like big deal business in that way.
You need the visibility, you need the audience, you need the community. And you need to show people what you got and create content. You need to educate them, you need to give value, you need to be generous and create content. And then, the next layer to that is, you could also have the best content in the world, but no one will be able to discover it if it isn't packaged well.
Mastering the Hook in Content Marketing
If you don't understand marketing psychology, so I want to talk to you about one of the most important parts of your content, which is the hook today and the psychology behind even just this one aspect. Because once you start to understand the psychology of why things work, how they do when it comes to content marketing, you'll be able to apply it to any platform and you'll also be able to get better and better on your journey to content mastery so that more people see your content and then more people are in your world and your audience and you have more people to be able to design a business model that suits you and you can scale to the moon.
I've struggled. With this concept, which was around like wanting to make exceptional content, great content, detailed content, nuanced content, complex content, like other people's Oh my gosh, your content. So basic, or that's not even right. I can do it better. And then being like, why doesn't my content.
And I'm going to be talking about how to get good views. Why do they have so many more followers than me? And it's because I wasn't focused on the marketing side of things. You've got to package it up. You've got to package your message up. So there could be two videos on resume tips and my tips could be better and more detailed and more visual.
Like it's just. Objectively a more useful and better piece of content, but because I didn't use the right hook or I didn't, build in a certain way or I didn't use the right call to action or whatever, it would flop compared to a very average equivalent doing much better. Let's talk about it.
The hook. The hook is probably the most important factor when it comes to content, especially content going viral. And we both know that's not always our goal, of course. The hook is so key because it stops the scroll or it earns the click, right? The hook is your YouTube video title and what's on your thumbnail.
The hook in short form video is many things. That's what you say. It's movement. We'll get into it, but there's, there are, the hook is that initial impression of it's worth my time. And if no one feels like it's worth my time to watch this, to give this a go, then you're not going to get the views.
You have to, like for people to be able to see your content, you have to be able to do the marketing packaging. Okay. So we're going to go into the psychology behind scroll stopping content and why hooks work and why other hooks don't work so well and how you can apply these timeless marketing principles to your content.
Understanding Social Media Algorithms
Now let's have a talk about the algorithm. So social media algorithms are complex. Sure. In fact, there's not just one algorithm. Like you're kidding yourself if you think Instagram has one algorithm or YouTube has one algorithm or LinkedIn has one algorithm. They have hundreds of algorithms working in unison like we cannot understand them, right?
We cannot Beat the algorithm that is working smarter, faster than us and using millions of bits of data per second to become more and more refined. Okay? So social media algorithms are complex, but the principles that drive them are not complex at all. Because at the end of the day, what do these platforms want?
They want people to feel seen by the platform and stay on the platform because the longer, the more traffic they have and the longer people stay on the platform, the more they can charge for ads. Okay, and if they have happy customers staying on their platform, they're going to be able to make more money.
With their partners and with their ad providers. Okay. So they make lots of money. Like when, as I say, like if the product is free, then you're the product, like when they have a free platform, they're making money off us and off our behavior. And that's staying on the platform and being exposed to ads and that kind of thing.
Okay. You as a content creator will be rewarded if you create content that A, makes people feel seen, and B, they like to consume, and C, they can actually find. Okay, it's optimized to be found and consumed, okay, which is what we're talking about. Clocking the algorithm on any platform. Working with the algorithm, collaborating with the algorithm, essentially boils down to two key principles.
You've got relevancy and dwell time. Relevancy is you knowing your people so well that you can make content you know that they want. You've done the research, you've listened, you've done, your research in terms of market research, in terms of keyword research what people are asking for what they want to learn about, what language you can use and the words that you use that they use.
So it makes them feel seen and heard, what would make them laugh, how to create relatable content because you know who this person is. You know that person feels a certain type of way right now. Okay. So you firstly make relevant content and within relevancy, here comes our conversation around earning the clip, stopping the scroll.
You're also able to earn the honor of them stopping by your content because of the hook because of the packaging. And that's because you can make it relevant to them and you can draw them in because you know who you're speaking to. So relevancy is principle number one Success on any social media platform for any algorithm.
Principle number two is dwell time. You keep them watching. So it's not just enough to have a good hook, but the content actually has to be honest. Like it has to actually, if the hook is I'm going to give you five ways to X, Y, Z. Do you have to deliver on that? You want to keep them watching either your content, like binging your content or watching the full video.
Ideally both, right? And that means that your video is valuable. It's useful. It's an enjoyable let you keep them watching and you drive traffic to your page, to other content. So quality content, it's bingeable content, might do a series. Like there are lots of things you can do, but long story short dwell time.
Okay. So if you can create hyper relevant content to a specific kind of person that they enjoy and it makes them feel seen and. You can have them consume a content and enjoy it. You're good. Okay. It's it's that simple relevancy and dwell time. So earning the click is in relevancy because I know that you have done the work of understanding like who your person is and what they need and what they're going through and their challenges and their pain points and their frustrations and how they're feeling right now and how they want to feel instead and what they know and what they don't know and what they're confused about.
You know that, right? Your person. Okay. That groundwork is essential, obviously, to make great content, but also to get strategic about the hooks that you use to, to stop the scroll and make them say, Hey, this video is for me, it was made for me, right? So let's talk about the hook, because if they're not stopping the scroll, they're not going to watch and increase your dwell time.
It all starts here. You have to hook people in. And, as I said, a hook can be on a video, it could be the first line of a LinkedIn post, it could be your email subject line hooks are everywhere, they're just a fundamental marketing feature across every platform you can imagine. Even on old school marketing billboards, magazines everywhere, absolutely everywhere.
And when I have studied thousands and thousands of hooks. I've been able to distill three key buckets or categories of hook that work. And they work because of human psychology. Because marketing is simply applied human psychology. And this is why I could totally give you I could give you a list of 50 hooks you can use to plan your socials right now.
Okay, cool. But that's just like a list of fill in the blank hooks, right? So the reason I. Don't love that as an idea is that you won't understand why those hooks work the mix of what kind of hooks to put in which doses like you don't always want to do a storytelling hook. You don't always want to do a curious like you want to be able to mix them up like.
There are lots of different kinds of hooks, and I want you to understand what they are, why they work, when you might use them, and what kind of dose. It's a much broader conversation than just giving you a list of hooks and telling you that it's gonna improve your content, because it won't.
It might help, for sure. But again, could you do it again? Could you Come up with your own, could you figure out what worked or what didn't work about it? And why no, right? So we want to understand the marketing psychology so that you are a better marketer and you're more in the know. Okay. So after analyzing thousands and thousands of hooks of viral videos and just high performing videos and videos that sell and videos that connect and videos that do all the right things.
The Three C's of Effective Hooks
Essentially, it boils down to these three categories. We've got, and I call it the three C's. So we've got connection, then clued in meaning in the know, and curiosity. Three C's, connection, clued in, curiosity.
Connection Hooks: Making It About Them
So let's talk about the hooks that generate a feeling of connection. So a couple of examples here.
The first are hooks that. Make it about the person. Use the word you. Y O U. It's all about you. Okay? And this is really important because people want to feel like you're speaking directly to them. They know that this video is being seen by thousands of people but they want to feel like you're in their head and that this was made for them.
Also, they don't care about who you are, or what you do, or what you have to say. They care about whether or not you can solve their problems. They've got a busy life, they've got problems, they've got things on their minds. They want to know whether or not this is going to be useful to them. So when you can use the word you in your hooks, this principle, this marketing principle, making it, using the word you is going to be really important.
Because if you're watering yourself down to be more widely appealing it's gonna keep your content vanilla, right? So you need to speak to that one person you so deeply care about and you so deeply want to help. And you need to be able to say, you need to be able to say who they are, you need to be able to label them.
You need to be able to speak to who they are, what they're up to, where they're at. So if you're creating content saying, I don't know who needs to hear this, or hey everyone, or hi friends, or y'all need to learn about this if you're using this plural language, it feels less intimate, it's less connection.
So instead of creating a content piece, which is like, how I look for red flags in dating, If you're a relationship coach, I would highly encourage you to say red flags you need to be aware of on your next date. It's about them. It's about improving their life and they will pick that up very quickly. So maybe they don't care about how you look for your red flags and dating okay, but maybe they do care about maybe they're dating right now.
And if they're your ideal person, you should know what they're up to right now, right? So maybe they're a relationship coach and they're dating right now. So saying something like red flags, you need to be aware of on your next date is timely, it's relevant and it's like right now for them. So it will stop the scroll.
Another example, instead of saying, just say you're a dog trainer saying like a great leash training drill for puppies, like here's a great leash training drill for puppies to just transform it. Try this leash training drill with your puppy for a happier pup. It's about your puppy. You want your pup to be happier, don't you?
Try this. Okay, so making it about them. Cute. Another element or example from the connection bucket is asking questions. It involves them, even if they don't actually Reply, even if they don't actually, it's even just in their head, getting them to reply, it makes them feel like there's more of a conversation.
It makes them feel like you care what they have, what they think, what they have to say, where they're at. And so you can use questions in your hooks, like an example could be if you could speak French quickly, but imperfectly or perfectly, but have it take you years, which would you choose?
Let me tell you about my journey to becoming fluent in French in three months. Okay, so see how that works Would you rather X or Y? What would you say if I told you like asking a question? It feels more like a Conversation. So those are just two examples to elicit more connection and your hooks And the psychology behind this is, again, people don't care about your content or what you're up to or how you look or how you sound as much as you do.
Definitely not. They care about whether or not your content can help them and makes them feel seen, heard, relevant, like they're being Like they count, like they matter like you're creating this content for them. It also helps to be able to say things in the connection bucket around, I know, as a Latina small business owner, you are, did it, like, when you can show them that you know them as well, this is a bonus tip.
Use the language, use the labels, use the call it out because it will help your content be so much more powerful and resonates so much more strongly.
Clued-In Hooks: Keeping Your Audience Informed
Another category of hooks, which is a massive one is about being clued in. Okay. So psychologically. Humans cannot stand the thought of everyone being in on a secret or like everyone knowing about something and you don't know about it.
Like you feel left out, that feeling, like I'm sure you can think about an example from childhood. Like everyone was like telling a secret or something like you feel so embarrassed and so scared and so angry and so much shame when people know something that you don't like, it feels, you feel so rejected, right?
There's this innate. Human driver to be in the know, because I suppose from an evolutionary standpoint, like what if people were talking about the best way to survive right now like whatever, like being up to play, being clued in, being in the know, being abreast of the most current information.
Okay, so what you can use to trigger this in terms of cool, I want to be clued in, I'm going to stop the scroll, I'm going to earn the click, I'm going to give this a go. There are many different techniques, but I'm going to give you three when it comes to your hooks. So the first are warnings, okay?
Don't invest in this, commit to this, take action on this before reading this. Beware of these X tips from gurus. Don't ever buy this, trust me, be careful who you talk to, you shouldn't waste another second doing, don't write this email, just don't warnings, because people tend to gravitate towards messaging around risk, around loss, around mistakes, much more than they will around pleasure, joy.
Okay, because the brain is hardwired to avoid pain or the loss of something. There's this thing called prospect theory, like people will work harder to avoid losing something than they will to gain something of joy, of pleasure, of value. Okay, it's how we're wired. So we don't want to let go of. Lose things and experience pain.
We're very much wired to focus on the loss and the negative and the threat and all of that kind of thing. Versus imagine how good life could be. It's it's harder for us to get there. Like it's more potent for our brains to be like mistakes you're making and your investment journey, it will almost always do better.
Like red flags in a job interview will do better than green flags, for example. And so this is why calling out the pain of the current situation, their frustrations, the cost of inaction and how their problem is making them feel like so shit right now is really critical sometimes to move people into action.
And I know it can feel like, Oh, I don't want to hurt their feelings by saying, Hey, it feels like this to be stuck where you are. That must be. You can use empathy, of course, but. You need to go there. You need to say, Hey, if you don't stop, if you don't, if you won't, if XYZ is hurting your chances, if you don't call that out, sometimes it won't be enough to snap people out of their trance of the hamster wheel, the daily hamster wheel and actually be like, you know what?
I do want this to change. Okay. So I know it can feel more negative, but it will typically outperform equivalent content pieces with a more positive frame. Okay. So warnings. are a big one. Another big one under the clued in category are secret lessons. Secrets. Okay. So this could sound like hooks like the truth about building muscle after 40 or the real reason why keto diets fail, or is this better than common solution or the one topic everyone's too quiet about or like the niche top, the niche secret that they all kept from you.
Or like secrets villain doesn't want you to know, right? Like secrets recruiters don't want you to know. Secrets real estate agents don't want you to know. It could even be things like why 19 percent of Harvard graduates can't find work. Like a stat like that is interesting because it's wow, even Harvard graduates are struggling to find work.
And this person knows why I want to know why. What's the secret? What's the secret? It could even just be explicit like 12 secrets to content creation. So secrets do well as well. Okay, and Part of being clued in as well. It doesn't really live in warnings or secrets It's between the two, but there's also something this is like a bonus tip.
I want to give you There's something around telling people what to do from time to time as well instead of saying this is the best banana bread I've ever eaten, saying, you have to try this banana bread. Again, it's still clued in, it's in the know, it's oh, I'm going to know about a better like banana bread than like anyone else, and then within clued in, another category I wanted to flag here, cause you're probably wondering where is it? I would put how to content here, how to become famous, how to become disgustingly productive, how to Sell your first screenplay 60 minutes to overhaul your LinkedIn and get recruiters coming to you.
What's your love language, take the test, like whatever. So like how to is being clued in because it's upskilling, it's growth, it's having more information, more knowledge, which is an intellectual competitive advantage. And it's, for me, it belongs in the clued in category. Okay.
Curiosity Hooks: Creating a Curiosity Gap
The third big category, I would say, when it comes to hooks and why they work is that hook that triggers curiosity.
So we want to facilitate a curiosity gap that can work really well for hooks. So a couple of subsections here that I want to flag. Confessions. Confessions can trigger a curiosity gap. So for example, I have a dark past. I thought I was shitty at selling, but then this happened. I've been lying to you.
I made 1. 4 million last year, but I consider myself to be very lazy. I messed up. Humans, it's it comes back to those principles of storytelling as well. Like they want to know what's the rest of the What happens next? Tell me more. So those can help a lot. Speaking of stories. Starting with storytime style hooks can be really helpful.
What we can learn from the waiter who hit on my mother. Awkward! Let me tell you about my end of year interview oopsie moment. That event went well. Just joking. It really didn't. Why I turned down, hugely desirable thing. Remind me not to, very specific thing, ever again. Oh my gosh, this compliment made my week.
This is why I quit my secure fancy 9 5. I'm still regretting this. So story, something's happening, okay? So same sort of thing. Vibe is the confessions bucket, but it can be about anything. It doesn't have to be like a self confession. It can be like, Whoa, this just happened. Or Oh, this embarrassing moment.
Or let me tell you about what I learned from this exact specific situation. So let me tell you, take you on a journey from, how I went from zero to a hundred K my first year story time. So it's like story time works really well as well. Okay. When you understand, because humans are wired for story, we literally have chemicals released in our brain like oxytocin when stories are told, when you can understand why hooks work, then it doesn't matter if trends change or hook styles change, you can keep these things in mind.
Will your hook connect to them? Will it help them feel clued in? Will it bridge or open a curiosity gap that you're about to bridge, that you're about to fill? Okay. And sometimes you can strike all three with one hook. Okay. So it's really important in your content that you understand that When you're like, I'm trying these hooks over and over again, and they're not working.
It's but are you trying the same old style? Are you trying just one type? Make sure you've got a nice mix.
Practical Tips for Crafting Hooks
And there are many more where this comes from, but at least starting with making more hooks about them, trying some questions, giving some warnings, doing the secrets thing, doing the how to thing, doing the confessions thing, doing the story time thing.
That's already heaps of things that you can start trying in your content. And seeing how they go, and I've given you loads of examples, and you can come up with your own now that will be more relevant for your person, but just that alone will help you to generate a nice mix of different hooks, and keep it fresh, and see what's working, okay?
And just one bonus tip I wanted to give you, is that Use power words, use modifiers, okay, to help them sound different and help them be in your brand voice as well. Okay, so you can swap out like the best for something like unmatched or one of a kind. Instead of learn, could you say master? Instead of cheap, could you say budget friendly?
Instead of easy, could you say without the hassle? Instead of great, could you say drool worthy? Remember to power up the language because that can also help with the psychology of hooking people in. It sounds different. Okay. And it also allows that brand voice and your personality as well to come through.
A lot of people say I don't like saying hooks because it sounds like marketing language. Make it your language then. But I'm sure you can find hooks of this style that you would feel really happy saying. Because it's just like opening your video, or opening your email, or opening your LinkedIn post.
Okay? So play with that as well. And that's when you can, as I said, infuse more personality. Instead of tips? What about unforgettable tips? Instead of seven ways, what about seven small but powerful ways? Instead of mistakes, what about painful mistakes? What would feel good for you to say? What would feel right?
What would feel accurate? What would feel compelling for you to say? You get to supercharge these and make them yours as well. So don't just take these generic hooks that like social media gurus, quote unquote, are like spinning out there, understand human psychology, marketing psychology, what works and why, and keep adapting and making it relatable to your person and keep going until you see what your audience really loves and resonates with when it comes to your content and sharing your stories and your experiences and your tips, there might be something that they can't get enough of.
I have a coach, peer content creator I'm thinking of, and her audience went nuts for her Toxic Boss series. And when that happened, she doubled down on it for a while and did heaps, and she created that into a whole series, and became really known for it and stuff like that. So Keep the mix high, try new things, play to marketing psychology, but then keep listening.
Look at the data, listen, see what works, and the more you do it, the more naturally you'll be able to come up with hooks just from your own mind. I just write my hooks now. Because I've done these so often I just innately come up with a storytime hook, or a confession hook, just without even thinking twice.
It just flows out of me. And the more you do it, the more you practice it, the more your hooks will just become your own, and work super well for your audience as well.
I hope that this was a very useful Supercharger to your content, and we've learnt something important about hooks and about the psychology of why hooks work.
Now these are written hooks, spoken hooks. Remember you've also got other kind of hooks. You have visual hooks, like when people step into the camera frame, when they're doing something and activity with their hands, like there are different kinds of hooks. You've got the text on the screen that can be a hook as well, okay?
Experiment with your hooks. It really is a critical part of your content and can really determine how long people are going to stick around and if they even stick around in the first place, okay? So focus on these, the number one focus, and keep improving the rest of course, but really try to get better and better at these because you'll see a massive increase in your results and your views and your reach, which is always good when you're making good content.
So for now, I will love and leave you, have a great day, have a great week, keep building that empire of yours. I want to hear all about it. Come and message me over on Instagram, otherwise, rain on my badass and I will see you in the next episode. Bye!
