Free tool · 100 hooks
100 hooks that stop the
scroll
A hook is the first line of a post — the one that decides in under two seconds whether the thumb keeps moving or stops. If the hook doesn't land, nobody reads the rest, however good the post is. Below is the collection I use myself: twelve types of hooks and a hundred templates, sorted by what they trigger in the reader, with two examples from small trades for each type. At the end you'll find platform data on how much time you actually have and how many characters are even visible.
Replace the blanks with your own topic. Don't copy word for word — the best hook sounds like you, not like a template. And one rule comes before all the others: whatever the hook promises, the post must deliver. Otherwise the reach is good the first time — and the second time, the algorithm and your readers stop taking you seriously.
1 · Contradiction
You take a stand against what people believe is true. It works because the brain can't walk past a contradiction — it has to check who's right.
01Everyone tells you to _____. It didn't work for me.
02The most expensive mistake I made with _____.
03More _____ doesn't mean better results. Quite the opposite.
04The problem isn't _____. The problem is something else entirely.
05This will annoy a few people, but: _____.
06If you're still _____, stop. Today.
07Nobody tells you the other side of _____.
08For three years I believed that _____. I was wrong.
In practice
Joiner: “Everyone tells you to take the cheapest kitchen quote. It didn't work for me — or for my clients.”
Beauty salon: “The most expensive mistake I made with skincare: I trusted the packaging instead of the ingredients.”
2 · Curiosity
You open a gap in their knowledge. The reader knows there's something they don't know — and it itches until they read on.
09Why does nobody tell you this about _____?
10There's a reason why _____ — and it's not the one you expect.
11I only noticed this after _____ years.
12One thing wouldn't leave me alone until I understood why.
13Almost nobody does this right — and it's perfectly simple.
14This changes the way you look at _____.
15If I'd known this five years ago, I'd have saved myself _____.
16The question clients never ask — but should.
In practice
Accountancy firm: “The question business owners never ask — even though it would save them a few hundred euros a year.”
Hair salon: “There's a reason your colour fades after three weeks. And it's not the shampoo.”
3 · Recognition
The reader recognises themselves in the situation. It works because nothing is stronger than the feeling of “that's me”.
17If _____ eats your Saturday morning every week, this is for you.
18If you've tried everything and you're still _____.
19If you think you're the only one who _____ — you're not.
20If _____ takes you longer than the actual work.
21If you're stuck on _____, have a look at this.
22This is for anyone who _____ and has no time for theory.
23If _____ drives you up the wall, you're not alone.
24If you work alone and the day runs out before the work does.
In practice
Plumber: “If writing quotes in the evening takes you longer than the actual work on site — have a look at this.”
Cleaning service: “If you think you're the only one who hides things in the wardrobe before a visit — you're not.”
4 · Proof from experience
You speak from numbers and repetition, not opinion. It works because it disarms scepticism.
25After _____ years in this trade, I know one thing for certain.
26After _____ clients, I can say this: _____.
27I've seen this so many times it can't be a coincidence.
28I counted — and the result surprised me.
29If I could give only one piece of advice, it would be this.
30Fifteen projects later, I always do this first.
31The same mistake in nine out of ten _____.
32This always works. Even when nothing else does.
In practice
Estate agent: “The same mistake in nine out of ten flat listings — and it costs thousands.”
Gardener: “After twelve years I know one thing for certain: your lawn doesn't need more water, it needs different watering.”
5 · Promise of a result
You start at the end — with what the reader wants. It works when the result is concrete and measurable.
33How to get _____ in _____ minutes.
34One change saved me _____ hours a week.
35How I saved _____ without cancelling anything.
36This is the reason I now _____.
37The fastest route to _____ — no tools, no purchases.
38A result I didn't expect.
39Ten minutes of work, an effect that lasts the whole season.
40How I doubled _____ without any extra advertising.
In practice
Photographer: “Ten minutes of work, an effect that lasts all season: how to set up a gallery clients share on their own.”
Painter and decorator: “One change saved me four hours a week — I stopped doing site visits without photos.”
6 · Emotion and story
You open with honesty or a scene. It works because people follow people, not companies.
41A year ago I was convinced that _____.
42I'll never forget the day _____.
43I almost gave up because of _____.
44Honestly: for a long time I couldn't work out why _____.
45Something happened yesterday that I have to share.
46Everything changed with one decision.
47I didn't know then that it would be a turning point.
48I wish someone had told me this sooner.
49A client asked me something that stopped me in my tracks.
50For a long time I didn't dare tell this story.
In practice
Florist: “A client asked me something that stopped me in my tracks: ‘Which bouquet would you choose?’ I've worked differently ever since.”
Personal trainer: “A year ago I was convinced stamina was a matter of willpower. It isn't.”
7 · Numbers and specificity
A concrete number acts as a brake for the eye. “Quite a lot” means nothing; “43%” means something. Specificity is the fastest way to make a hook sound true.
51Three things almost everyone overlooks about _____.
52I did this every day for _____ days. Here's what changed.
53Seven out of ten clients make the same mistake with _____.
54One line in my quotes that brought me _____.
55I counted _____. The number bothered me.
56Two minutes a week, _____ hours saved a year.
57From _____ to _____ in one month — without a single new tool.
58Four questions that tell me whether a project will succeed.
In practice
Car mechanic: “Seven out of ten cars come into the garage with the same fault — and it isn't the engine.”
Bookkeeper: “Two minutes a week, fourteen hours saved a year: how to organise your invoice folder.”
8 · Warning and mistake
People are driven more by the wish to avoid a mistake than by the wish to succeed. That's why warning-shaped hooks usually beat promise-shaped ones. Use them honestly — the warning has to be real.
59Stop _____. You're doing damage you won't see straight away.
60Don't do this if _____.
61The mistake that costs you most happens before you even _____.
62Check this before you sign _____.
63If someone promises you _____, be careful.
64It looks like a saving. It isn't.
65The most expensive thing about _____ isn't the price.
66Three signs that _____ won't end well.
67Don't buy _____ until you know this.
In practice
Roofer: “Check this before you sign a roofing quote — one line item decides whether you'll be paying again in five years.”
Photographer: “It looks like a saving. It isn't: why cheap photos cost you most when you're selling a flat.”
9 · Direct address
You name who you're talking to within the first five words. It sounds like you're excluding people — in fact you're winning the right ones. Whoever recognises themselves stays to the end, and that's exactly what the algorithm measures.
68_____, this one's for you.
69If you work alone and have nobody for the admin — keep reading.
70To everyone who _____: stop apologising.
71I'm writing this only for those who _____.
72If you have _____ and you're running out of time, look at this.
73_____ in Slovenia: this applies to you too.
74If the word _____ makes your stomach knot, you're in the right place.
75For everyone who thought _____ was just too complicated for them.
In practice
Joiner: “To everyone planning a made-to-measure kitchen: stop apologising for your questions. Better questions mean a better kitchen.”
Salon owner: “If you run the salon on your own and have nobody to answer the phone — keep reading.”
10 · Behind the scenes and process
You show how something really gets made. It works because the process is seen far less often than the result — and because movement in the frame stops the eye all by itself.
76This is what _____ looks like when nobody's watching.
77What happens between _____ and _____.
78The first ten minutes of every _____ look like this.
79The part clients never see.
80Why this takes _____ and not half an hour.
81Today: _____ from start to finish.
82I always do this first — and I never skip it.
83What's in this box and why it costs so much.
In practice
Bakery: “The first ten minutes of every working day look like this — at 3.40 in the morning.”
Beautician: “Why the treatment takes two hours and not thirty minutes. The part clients never see.”
11 · Comparison and choice
You put two options side by side. It works because the reader is almost always facing the same choice — and because a comparison promises an answer, not just an opinion.
84_____ or _____? The answer isn't what it seems.
85What you get for _____ € and what you get for _____ €.
86Same service, two prices. This is the difference.
87Before and after — no filters.
88When _____ is worth it and when it isn't.
89Doing it yourself or hiring a pro: an honest calculation.
90What I'd choose if I were paying out of my own pocket.
91More expensive isn't always better. This time it is — and here's why.
In practice
Garden centre: “When artificial grass is worth it and when it isn't. An honest ten-year calculation.”
Locksmith: “Same service, two prices. This is the difference — and why the cheaper one is sometimes the right choice.”
12 · Honesty and confession
You admit something your industry doesn't usually say out loud. In a feed increasingly written by AI, an honest human line is a differentiator in itself. Use it rarely and truthfully, or it loses its power.
92I couldn't say this out loud for a long time: _____.
93I turned down a project — and this is why.
94For the first two years I did this wrong.
95Something my industry doesn't like to admit.
96I'm not the cheapest. Here's what you get instead.
97I made a mistake with a client. This is how I put it right.
98I don't like how _____ is sold in our industry.
99If anyone tells you _____ is easy, they haven't done it long enough.
100You might criticise me for this: _____.
In practice
Repair technician: “I turned down a repair — and this is why: with this appliance it's simply not worth it any more.”
Designer: “I'm not the cheapest. Instead, you get a logo you won't need to redo in two years.”
What platform data says about hooks
- 1.7 seconds. According to Meta's data, that's how long a user needs to form an impression of a post. The decision is made before you've read the third word.
- The first three seconds decide. On TikTok, 63% of the best-performing videos deliver the main message in the first three seconds — while up to half of viewers drop off in that same window.
- A statement beats a question. A question demands thought, a statement doesn't — which is why “I found the reason why…” retains better than “Does it ever happen to you that…”.
- A warning beats a promise. People respond more strongly to the risk of loss than to the chance of gain. “Stop doing this” usually beats “How to grow faster”.
- A hook has to work without sound. A large share of people watch with the sound off. If the hook isn't written on screen, it doesn't exist for them.
How many characters are visible before the text gets cut off
- Instagram and Facebook: roughly 125 characters before “more”.
- LinkedIn: around 210 characters on desktop, 140 on a phone.
- TikTok: around 80 visible characters in the feed.
- Email subject line: around 41 characters on a phone, 60 on desktop.
These are upper limits, not targets. If a hook needs all that space, it's probably not a hook — it's an introduction.
Four rules that separate a good hook from clickbait
- Concrete before general. “How to get more clients” stops nobody. “How I got three clients from one post” stops the scroll instantly.
- One thought per hook. If it has to be read twice, you've lost the reader.
- Write five versions, pick one. The first hook is almost always the dullest — it's simply the first one that occurs to everybody.
- Deliver on the promise. A hook is a contract. Break it and you don't get attention a second time.
How I use this myself
When I write a post for a client, I start backwards: first I write down what the reader should do or understand after the post, and only then do I pick the type of hook that leads there most naturally. If the goal is a booking, I use recognition or the promise of a result. If I'm building trust, proof from experience or a story.
Hooks are also the first thing I teach an AI assistant when it writes posts for a business: without them, it produces technically correct but utterly colourless text — the kind everyone scrolls past.
A hundred hooks help you write the first line. They don't help if every post, quote and client reply still eats up your evening.
Who's writing this: Maruša Vrečar. I've written sales copy for more than twenty markets. Today I build AI systems that take over the work small businesses never have time for: writing quotes and service descriptions, replying to customers even at 10pm, taking bookings, organising and filing documents, competitor and price analysis, finding potential clients, and monthly reports from data scattered across five tools.
And those are just a few examples — the list is open-ended. Book a free call, tell me what eats your time, and I'll prepare a solution for you. The quote is non-binding and the call costs you nothing. Your problem = my challenge. 🙂
If you want to go deep straight away: in the process review for €290, within three days I show you what a system can take over — and what isn't worth it. I deduct the review fee from the project if you decide to go ahead.
Book a free 15-min call
Would you rather have someone set this up for you?
Fifteen minutes on a call. You tell me where your time is leaking — you get one concrete idea for your case, even if you decide not to work with me.