How do you get your followers interested in what you have to say? It’s all about the hook – the statement or question that makes them want to invest their time into reading more!

Hook marketing can be applied to loads of different channels, not just social media and I’ll be looking at just a couple – on social media and in email marketing, so you get the idea how it works.

Social Media

I’m starting with social media as that is where most of my followers will find this article and read it, so it’s something I’m very invested in. All the social media platforms are growing at a great rate, with more and more people posting, especially for business, every day. This makes it harder for small businesses to be seen and heard as there is a huge amount of competition. But using a good hook can be the difference between someone clicking to read more or scrolling on by.

It all starts with the image as nine times out of ten, that’s what people will see first, so if you can put a catchy or enticing headline on your images – you’re halfway there. It could be simply that you have new products, so you could just write ‘NEW PRODUCTS’ in bold, which will grab the attention of your regular followers or customers, but what about people that don’t know your business? Instead, you could write:

• Are you curious about the impact our product can have in your life?
• Looking for an exclusive opportunity to XXXX (whatever your product does)
• Then a storytelling one – Interested in REAL examples of how our products make a difference? The image could show someone using your product. Then in the caption, tell the story of HOW your product made a difference to that customer. It could be something simple, like it was the perfect gift for a first-time grandmother, or that the gift helps remember a certain snapshot in time (memories).

When people are scrolling on social media, you have one second (yes 1) for them to decide whether to look further or scroll on by.

Posts with good hooks, videos or reels all help pull those customers in – then it’s down to the caption to make it sound exciting and useful – or whatever your product or service does.

Email marketing

Email marketing is becoming increasingly popular with small businesses and it’s an opportunity not to be missed if you sell products or services. Why?

• Because your email belongs to you, so it can’t be taken down overnight.
• People subscribe to your email because they WANT to hear from you on a regular basis.

It really is as simple as that. But once you have them signed up, you need to keep their attention, so they don’t unsubscribe, and this is the strategic part and where hooks become a vital component.

Give your subscribers useful information, tell them about your products or services in an entertaining way that arouses their curiosity or gives a sense of urgency.

You can use email to tell your subscribers about new products or services, give them a sneaky peek – and maybe even offer a discount just for your subscribers for a limited time.

This is where hooks come in. And the hook you use will depend on the type of business you run. You’re all used to seeing my blog posts and I use title hooks that tell a little about the blog post and hopefully convey how you need to read it. I find that questions work well, so here are some of mine and some that you could use for products:

• Should I publish my prices online?
• What makes your customers buy from you?
• Do you want a gift that will wow your child’s teacher?
• How would you like the perfect memory gift?

These pique that curiosity and people want to know more. Or you could try statements:

• Using emojis to boost your engagement.
• Creative ways to solve low ranking on social media.
• The perfect outfit for this summer.
• You really need this (bag, glasses case, book cover, passport cover etc) for your holiday this year.

As with any kind of marketing, hook marketing is only a small part of your overall marketing strategy. The hook is the start of that journey with your audience – once you have captured their attention you need to keep them interested with a variety of engaging, relevant and valuable content.

A hook captures their attention and turns it into an opportunity for longer and more meaningful interaction.

As always, if you’d like help with marketing for your business, I offer several different coaching packages, where I teach you the skills to enable you to market your particular business through one-to-one sessions. Feel free to message me to have a free consultation.