How to Write Hooks That Get 100k Views (With Templates)

The hook is 90% of a post. If the first line doesn't earn the second, nothing else matters.

Here are 20 hook templates we've seen consistently outperform across X, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram. Each comes with the psychology behind it and a fill-in-the-blank version.

Curiosity gap

1. "Most people get [X] wrong. Here's what actually works."
2. "I spent [N hours] on [X]. Here's what I'd do differently."
3. "Nobody talks about [X]. They should."

The trigger: tension between what the reader knows and what's just out of reach.

Specific outcome

1. "How I went from [bad state] to [good state] in [N days]."
2. "[Specific number] [unit] of [thing] without [common pain]."
3. "This [tactic] got me [specific outcome]. Here's the exact playbook."

The trigger: proof + curiosity about the method.

Contrarian

1. "[Common advice] is wrong. Do this instead."
2. "Stop doing [X]. It's actively hurting your [Y]."
3. "Everyone says [popular take]. Here's why they're wrong."

The trigger: pattern-interrupt against received wisdom.

Question hooks (use sparingly)

1. "What if [X] was the wrong question all along?"
2. "Why does [counter-intuitive thing] keep happening?"

The trigger: forcing the reader to think before they scroll.

Story openers

1. "Three years ago I [embarrassing situation]. Today [outcome]."
2. "My biggest mistake was [X]. Don't repeat it."

The trigger: humans are wired for narrative; vulnerability earns trust.

Stat-based

1. "[N]% of [audience] do [X]. Only [small N]% see results. Here's the difference."
2. "[Eye-catching number] [unit] in [timeframe]. Here's how."

The trigger: numbers feel like proof before you read further.

Warning / mistake

1. "If you're [common situation], you're probably making this mistake."
2. "Avoid [X] at all costs. Here's why."

The trigger: loss aversion is twice as motivating as gain.

Numbered list

1. "[N] things I wish I knew before [X]."
2. "[N] frameworks that quietly run [industry]."

The trigger: implicit promise of organized, scannable value.

Pattern interrupt

1. "This is going to sound crazy, but [X]."

The trigger: signals you're about to break a convention they're tired of.

Rules to follow with all 20

• Specificity beats cleverness. Real numbers, real outcomes.
• Never start with "I" on X — algorithmic suppression is real in 2026.
• Under 70 chars for LinkedIn (truncation), under 9 words for vertical video, under 140 chars on standalone tweets.
• Match the platform's culture — TikTok tolerates chaos, LinkedIn rewards composure.

Generating 20 at once

Manually writing 20 hooks per topic takes 30+ minutes. PostSpark Hook Lab generates 20 scored, ranked hooks in 15 seconds — Pro feature. Free version available without signup at /tools/hook-generator.