From: alexhormozi
In business, an advertising “hook” is a crucial element that can significantly influence a company’s growth, potentially leading to a “boom” or a “business order of magnitude change” [01:01:01].
The Paramount Importance of Hooks
A strong hook is considered more important than any other advertising component because without it, potential customers will not engage with the rest of your message or see your proof [01:35:10]. Advanced advertisers dedicate a significant portion of their time to finding and obsessing over the best hooks [01:42:00].
The initial impression, specifically the first few seconds or even the first frame, can increase the likelihood of a person watching the rest of your content and ultimately making a purchase [02:03:00]. It also fundamentally changes their perception of all information that follows [02:15:18].
Components and Formula
A hook can be both visual and auditory/verbal [02:11:00]. A proven hook formula is Proof, Promise, Plan [02:17:22]. Incorporating these elements into your content, ads, or outbound efforts can almost guarantee better results [02:28:00]. This aligns with the broader marketing law of focusing on “proof over promise,” where showing real results and testimonials is more compelling than simply making grand guarantees [02:23:00].
Impact and Optimization
The effectiveness of a hook can dramatically multiply business growth:
- It can double, triple, or even five times the number of people who open messages, respond, click on ads, or watch content to completion [02:13:00].
- Increasing click-through rates from 1% to 5% or 2% to 10% can lead to a 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x increase in business [02:26:00].
- One real-world example saw a video’s views jump from 40,000 to 780,000 (a 19x improvement) by simply trimming the first three seconds to start directly with the hook [02:31:00].
“If you have written your headline, you’ve spent 80 cents of your advertising dollar.” [02:50:00] — David Ogilvy
Related Marketing Law: Clear, Not Clever
For hooks and all communication, aim for clarity over cleverness [01:21:00]. Advertising research suggests that messages conveyed in simpler language (e.g., third-grade reading level) tend to be more effective because they lower the barrier to comprehension, making the message accessible to a wider audience [01:45:00]. This means both experts and beginners can understand the message more easily [01:48:00].
Reusing What Works
Once an effective hook is found, the best strategy is to continue using it repeatedly. This concept is referred to as “stealing from yourself” [03:39:00]. Businesses should allocate their effort following a specific ratio for their content, ads, and sales scripts:
- 70%: Carbon copying what already works [03:52:00].
- 20%: Developing “adjacent” variations that are one degree removed from the core working element [03:59:00].
- 10%: Experimenting with entirely new concepts [03:59:00].
Entrepreneurs often reverse this ratio, focusing too much on new ideas, which can hinder growth [03:58:00]. Deviating from what works is more likely to lead to negative results because there are unlimited ways for something to go wrong but only one way for it to be right [03:41:00]. Your audience will get bored of a successful message much slower than you will [03:43:00].
Effective ad creation and lead generation are heavily reliant on mastering the hook, as it’s the gateway to capturing audience attention and driving engagement.