The Only 3 Hook Frameworks You'll Ever Need

If you've ever sat down to write a hook and not known where to start, you're not alone. Hooks can feel like a voodoo science. And when one does well, you're often not even sure why.

But there are simple copywriting frameworks the greatest marketers have used for decades. Since learning them, my hooks have performed considerably better. (Credit to Kieran Drew for sharpening these for me.)

Here are the three I reach for most.

P-A-S: Problem, Agitate, Solution

• Problem: Call out a problem, challenge or pain.
• Agitate: Poke the pain. Twist the knife.
• Solution: Present a solution.

This is a copywriting classic, and for good reason. Pain is one of the strongest motivators. If you can identify a pain, really make it hurt, and then present a solution, it's hard for your reader to ignore. The stronger the pain, the stronger the hook.

For example:

• Problem: Calling out the fear of becoming a manager.
• Agitate: Increasing that fear with a scary statistic.
• Solution: 15 principles that resolve the fear AND put you in the top 1%.

A-I-D-A: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

• Attention: Grab attention with a strong statement.
• Interest: Create curiosity.
• Desire: Target a specific desire.
• Action: Call to action.

This is one of my favourites. It's simple, and very versatile. Now that you know it, you'll start to see it everywhere.

A variation I love is AIDA with a story twist, where you use an achievement to grab attention:

• Attention: State a clear achievement.
• Interest: Increase curiosity and make it relatable to the reader.
• Desire: The outcome they want.
• Action: "Read these 9 simple steps."

For example:

"I just quit my job and bought a ticket to Thailand. In the last 30 days I've made over $30,000 (with under 7000 followers). Here's exactly how I did it in under 5 months:"

Curiosity dialled up, and relatable to a larger audience.

B-A-B: Before, After, Bridge

• Before: Share the pain, struggle or problem.
• After: Show what life is like now you've solved it.
• Bridge: What allowed you to go from hell to heaven.

This hook is great because it's essentially a mini story transformation. The bigger the transformation, and the more relatable the struggle, the better the hook.

For example:

• Before: Relatable struggle of low engagement.
• After: Better engagement than much bigger accounts.
• Bridge: The exact blueprint that made it happen.

To recap:

• Problem, Agitate, Solution.
• Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
• Before, After, Bridge.

Learn these three and you'll never stare at a blank page wondering how to start a hook again.

Tatsuki