Description
Seven hooks by cognitive bias: gap, contrast, authority, FOMO, loss aversion, identification, pattern interrupt.
The first line determines whether the rest is read. Readers decide within 1.5 seconds. Each hook targets a different cognitive mechanism. Write 7 hooks (max 2 sentences each) for the topic, then rank them: 1. GAP (Curiosity Gap): State something known but incomplete. The brain hates open patterns. 'There is a reason most startups fail in year 2, and it is not what you think.' 2. CONTRAST (Before/After): Show the delta. 'In 2023 we spent $40K/month on cloud. In 2024, $12K. Here is what we changed.' Specific numbers = credible. 3. AUTHORITY (Rare Knowledge): Signal information the reader lacks but could have. 'I spent 6 months reverse-engineering the LinkedIn algorithm. Here are 3 undocumented patterns.' Generic authority ('experts agree') triggers skepticism. 4. SOCIAL PROOF (FOMO): Establish the behavior is widespread among peers. '78% of Fortune 500 engineering teams use trunk-based development. Your team still uses GitFlow.' 5. LOSS AVERSION (Cost of Inaction): Twice as powerful as gain seeking. 'Every month you delay HTTP/3 migration, users experience 200ms extra latency—costing an estimated 3% conversion.' 6. IDENTIFICATION (This Is You): Describe the reader's exact situation. 'You maintain 12 microservices, deploy weekly, and have never slept through on-call without an alert.' Second person throughout. 7. PATTERN INTERRUPT: Break the expected format. One-word sentence. Question without answer. Mid-scene start. Then immediately deliver value so the break feels intentional. RANKING: Best for platform (LinkedIn: authority/social proof; blog: gap/identification; newsletter: loss aversion/contrast). Worst for this topic. Recommend 2 to A/B test.
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