You have 0.4 seconds to convince someone to stop scrolling.
That is the biological reality of social media. Your audience isn't "reading" your feed; they are scanning for dopamine triggers or threats. If your first sentence doesn't trigger one of those mechanisms, you are invisible.
This isn't about clickbait. It's about respecting the medium. Here is the psychology behind hooks that work.
The "Information Gap" Theory
The most powerful psychological driver in a feed is the Information Gap. This is the mental itch you get when you know something interesting exists, but you don't know what it is yet.
Weak Hook: "Here are 5 tips for better meetings." (Brain: I already know meetings are bad. I can guess the tips. Scroll.)
Strong Hook: "The 'Silent Meeting' rule saved us 10 hours a week." (Brain: What is a silent meeting? How did it save time? I need to close the gap. Click.)
The 3 Proven Hook Structures
Stop guessing and use these frameworks.
1. The "Counter-Narrative" Hook
Challenge a commonly held belief. This stops the scroll because it creates immediate friction.
- Template: "Everyone thinks [X] is good, but it's actually killing your [Y]."
- Example: "Posting every day is actually hurting your reach. Here is why."
2. The "Specific Outcome" Hook
Vague promises get ignored. Specific numbers imply credibility.
- Template: "How I [Outcome] in [Timeframe] without [Pain Point]."
- Example: "How we grew our B2B pipeline by 40% in Q3 without spending a dollar on ads."
3. The "Curiosity List" Hook
Our brains love categorizing information. A list promises structured, digestible value.
- Template: "[Number] things I wish I knew before [Event]."
- Example: "7 expensive mistakes I made raising my Seed round."
The "First 3 Lines" Rule (LinkedIn & X)
On LinkedIn and X, knowing where the "See More" truncation happens is critical.
The Golden Rule: Line 1: The Hook (Stops the scroll) Line 2: The Context (Adds stakes) Line 3: The Tease (Demands a click)
Example: Line 1: Leadership isn't about having answers. Line 2: It's about asking better questions. Line 3: Here are the 5 questions I ask my team every Monday...
If you put the payoff in Line 1, they won't click "See More." If you put fluff in Line 1, they won't stop scrolling.
Tools Can Help, But You Must Drive
AI tools (like Broadr's assistant) are great at generating variations of hooks, but you must understand the psychology first. Use AI to brainstorm 10 angles, then pick the one that triggers the strongest curiosity gap.
Summary
- You are fighting biology, not just algorithms.
- Open an "information gap" immediately.
- Be specific, counter-intuitive, or structured.
Stop writing for readers. Start writing for scanners.