The hook is what grabs the reader’s attention, metaphorically dragging them along through the content. But a writing hook shouldn’t feel like the literal hook used to fish bad Vaudeville acts off the stage.

In writing, the hook should be enticing. It’s an idea, question, concept, or mood that invites the audience to continue engaging.

Does Your Home Improvement Marketing Content Need a Hook?

Absolutely. You have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention online—at most around two sentences of content.

Those first few sentences are your hook, and they should work together with the title or headline to create a power jab-cross that knocks interest into the reader. Without the hook, people may click away from your page without ever understanding what services you offer or how you can help.

How Do You Write a Strong Hook?

Once you know how important the hook is, it’s easy to get carried away. Hooks that are over the top or overpromise on what the content can deliver aren’t ideal. They may not align with your brand or can create trust issues with your audience. Instead, follow some of these tips to try out more appropriate hooks in your home improvement marketing content:

• Start with an interesting fact. Make it specific, somewhat relevant, and something people aren’t likely to know—such as the fact that glass was expensive for American pioneers in the 1800s, so windows were often made of greased paper.
• Tell a personal anecdote or story. “Last week, our installer fell from a two-story window…” is certainly an attention-grabber and might be relevant if you’re writing a blog post about safety.
• Gently call out or confront. Use this one sparingly and carefully, but calling out your audience in a caring and gentle way can make for a good hook. You might, for example, start a blog post about window repair with: “How long are you going to pull the curtains over those potentially dangerous window defects?”

The goal of a hook is to grab the reader’s interest. What works for your audience is unique to your audience, so test various hooks to see what drives the best results.