TikTok is arguably the most competitive place on the Internet for attention.
I’ve posted on it daily since November 1 last year. Eight hundred sixty-eight videos total, or 2.84 videos daily for 306 days straight.
Some might say I’m developing a unique perspective on attention and hooks.
Those people would be right.
I probably shouldn’t share this…
I probably shouldn’t share this because everybody will start using it.
But you were generous enough to give me your attention for this article, so I want to reward that.
Here’s a hook I’ve noticed to do consistently well.
(If you don’t know what a hook is, it’s what you use to get people watching/reading/engaging through the rest of your content.)
My best hook 🪝
The hook is a variation of “Nobody knows this about [topic].”
You use it at the beginning of a piece of content.
Here are some examples from my content.
Opening line (hook): Nobody knows this about Instagram – 4.8 million views.
Opening line: Gen Z doesn’t know about this video – 384k views.
Opening line: People don’t realize this about Google – 796k views.
How often should you use this?
This hook is something I noticed only recently.
It’s very reliable for capturing attention right away.
I’m using it sparingly because I don’t want it to get played out within my content.
If I cry wolf too often and don’t back the hook up with something interesting, it will no longer work for me.
So, I only use it with exciting/useful facts.
However, if you don’t post often, you should try this for your next post.
You can use this at the beginning of a LinkedIn post, email subject, Instagram Reels intro, TikTok intro, and more.
Use it at the very beginning of your content.
Some notable runner-ups for hooks
This person did this accomplishment – example: This 21-year-old is on track to make a million dollars this year selling Notion templates without coding – 570k views.
I probably shouldn’t share this – example: I probably shouldn’t share this since people I know watch and know I wear pink all the time, but this is the reason I do it – 156k views.
No podcast has ever done this
Here’s a bonus for this article.
Most podcasts are recorded in a recording studio.
I recorded my podcast on a bike.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jBj9eNlP0oO8x9Ymt26gX?si=aed7337558a941f8
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-recorded-this-on-a-fast-electric-bike-ride-in-brooklyn/id1700357503?i=1000626252326
YouTube:
It’s my best episode yet. I talk about inventing the Fake Celebrity Pranks genre with the current Head of Events at Forbes.
I recorded the entire episode on a blazingly fast electric bike through Brooklyn.
Some people have told me it’s a fun episode.
I’ll let you decide if those people are right.
