Writing · 3 min read

The first line is the post. Everything else is optional.

On LinkedIn, buyers decide in about 0.4 seconds whether to read the rest. If your first line doesn't do work, the algorithm never even shows the second one.

Chapter 01

Why the hook is the whole game

inkedIn's feed collapses posts to two lines and a "…see more" link. If those two lines don't earn the click, the algorithm sees low dwell, kills reach, and the post dies quietly by lunchtime.

A good hook does one job: it makes a specific buyer feel like the post was written for them. Not "sales leaders." Not "founders." A specific person, on a specific bad day, holding a specific problem.

Chapter 02

The 4 openers that actually work

You don't need 50 hook templates. You need four openers, rotated, tuned to your buyer. Here they are with real before/after:

The specific pain

What it does: Name the exact moment your buyer feels the problem.

Before

Sales teams need better tooling to hit quota.

After

It's Thursday, forecast is due Friday, and your CRM still says '25% likely.'

The contrarian claim

What it does: Say the thing your buyer suspects but hasn't heard out loud.

Before

Cold calling still works if you do it right.

After

Your SDRs aren't bad at cold calling. Your list is.

The receipt

What it does: A number or micro-story so specific it can't be generic.

Before

We've had great success with outbound this quarter.

After

One rep. 14 calls. 3 meetings. Here's the exact opener.

The one-question hook

What it does: Ask the question your buyer is already whispering to themselves.

Before

Here are some tips for building pipeline.

After

If your top rep left tomorrow, how much pipeline leaves with her?

“Would your top customer stop scrolling for this? If not, it's a headline for nobody.”

The 10-second hook test

Chapter 03

The mistakes that kill 90% of hooks

→Starting with 'I'. Nobody scrolls LinkedIn to hear about you. They scroll to hear about them.
→Announcing the topic. 'Today I want to talk about sales enablement.' You just told them it's a lecture. They left.
→Vague adjectives. 'Powerful,' 'game-changing,' 'incredible.' Cut them all. Numbers and nouns do the work.
→The clickbait cliffhanger. 'What I learned will shock you.' Buyers have been burned by this for a decade. They scroll past.

Chapter 04

Frequently asked questions

How long should a hook be?

One line. Two if the second one lands harder than the first. If the reader has to expand '…see more' to know what the post is about, the hook already failed.

Should I use emojis in the hook?

One, maybe, if it's a visual anchor (📉 for a decline, 🧵 for a thread). Never as decoration. Two or more emojis in the first line reads as 'marketing person,' not 'operator.'

Can I open with a question?

Yes — but only if the answer isn't obvious. 'Do you want more pipeline?' is not a hook. 'Would you rather have 10 warm intros or 100 cold emails this month?' is.

What if I'm bad at writing?

You don't need to be a writer. You need to write the way you'd say it to a peer on a call. Read your hook out loud. If you'd never say it, delete it.

Never stare at a blank first line again.

SelloWise gives you 3 hook options for every post — pulled from your calls, your objections, and your wins. Not generic templates.

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