The hook is the only line you can guarantee anyone reads. Everything after the hook is conditional on the hook earning the next line. These 17 prompts are built to write hooks people can't scroll past.

52. The contrarian hook

What it does: Writes a hook that takes a position against common advice in your niche. The strongest format on LinkedIn for stopping the scroll because the reader's brain has to verify whether they agree.

The prompt:

`You're a LinkedIn hook writer. I want a contrarian hook that opens a post about [topic].

The setup:

• The standard advice everyone gives in [my niche]: [what most people say]
• My actual position: [what I think, in one line]
• Why I think this: [your real reason]

Constraints:

• The hook is one line. Max 12 words.
• State the position, don't soften it. "Daily posting is bad advice for B2B" beats "Sometimes daily posting might not work."
• Don't start with "Unpopular opinion:" or "Hot take:" or any flag that signals you're about to be contrarian. Just be contrarian.
• Sentence case. No emojis. No em dashes.

Output:

1. Five contrarian hook options at different intensity levels (1 = mild, 5 = aggressive)
2. The recommended one for my audience and why`

Drop this in when: You can defend the take. Contrarian-without-proof flops in the comments.

53. The numbers/stat hook

What it does: Opens with a specific, surprising number. Stats are screenshot-able and the specificity itself signals you've actually done the work.

The prompt:

`You're writing a LinkedIn hook built around a specific number.

The number:

• The stat: [exact number with context]
• Why it's surprising: [in one line]
• The take that follows: [what the rest of the post argues]

Constraints:

• The hook is one line. Lead with the number.
• Round to surprising specificity. "47" beats "almost 50." "$8,400" beats "around $8K."
• Don't add filler around the stat. Let it land.
• Sentence case. No emojis. No em dashes.

Output:

1. Five different hook framings of the same stat
2. The strongest one for my audience and why
3. A one-line second sentence to use right after the hook`

Drop this in when: You have a real number. Don't make up stats. Specificity dies the moment a reader sniffs invention.

54. The in-medias-res story hook

What it does: Drops the reader into the middle of a moment. The most-read hook format on LinkedIn because it triggers the brain's "what happens next" reflex.

The prompt:

`You're writing a LinkedIn hook that starts a post in the middle of a moment. No setup, no context, just the moment.

The moment:

• What was happening: [the scene, in plain language]
• Where you were: [physical location, time, situation]
• Who was involved: [people, including yourself]
• What was about to happen (or just happened): [the tension or stakes]

What the post is actually about: [the lesson or point that the moment leads to]

Constraints:

• The hook is 1-2 lines max.
• Lead with sensory or specific detail. "I was on the call when she said it" is weak. "She said it 12 minutes into the call. I muted myself and stared at the wall." is better.
• Don't explain the context in the hook. The reader should be slightly disoriented and want to read on.
• Sentence case. No emojis. No em dashes.

Output:

1. Three different ways to drop into this moment
2. The strongest one and why
3. A one-line bridge sentence to the rest of the post`

Drop this in when: You have a real moment. Made-up moments read as fiction within two lines.