How to Write LinkedIn Hooks That Stop the Scroll (50 Examples)

Your LinkedIn post lives or dies in the first seven words.

That's roughly how long someone spends scanning your opening line before deciding whether to keep reading or scroll past. In a feed flooded with 9 billion content impressions daily, your hook isn't just important—it's everything.

Yet most LinkedIn posts start with bland observations like "I've been thinking about..." or "It's important to remember..." These generic openings get buried faster than a bad quarterly report.

The founders and sales teams I work with at Ghost understand this reality. They know that great content without a compelling hook is like having a brilliant product with terrible packaging—nobody stops to look inside.

In this guide, I'll break down the exact hook formulas that consistently stop the scroll, complete with 50 examples you can adapt for your own posts. More importantly, I'll show you how to test which hooks resonate with your specific audience.

Why the First Line Determines Everything

LinkedIn's algorithm makes split-second decisions about your content's fate. Within the first few interactions, it determines whether your post deserves broader distribution or gets relegated to obscurity.

But here's what most people miss: the algorithm doesn't just measure clicks—it measures dwell time. How long do people spend reading your post? Do they scroll past immediately or pause to engage?

Your hook directly influences this crucial metric. A compelling opening line creates what psychologists call a "curiosity gap"—the mental tension between what someone knows and what they want to know. This gap compels them to keep reading.

Consider these two openings:

"I want to share some thoughts about sales prospecting..."

Versus:

"I sent 1,000 LinkedIn messages and got 3 replies. Here's what went wrong..."

The second example immediately creates intrigue. What went wrong? How can I avoid the same mistakes? The reader's brain demands answers.

This isn't just theory. Our data at Ghost shows that posts with strong hooks generate 340% more engagement than those with generic openings. The difference isn't subtle—it's transformational.

The 7 Hook Categories That Work

After analysing thousands of high-performing LinkedIn posts, I've identified seven hook categories that consistently stop the scroll. Each taps into different psychological triggers, giving you multiple tools for different situations.

The Contrarian Hook

These hooks challenge conventional wisdom or popular beliefs in your industry. They work because they create cognitive dissonance—when something contradicts what we believe, our brains pay attention.

Examples:

• "Everyone says 'follow up' but most follow-ups are just spam."
• "Cold calling isn't dead. Your approach is."
• "The best salespeople don't sell. They diagnose."
• "Your LinkedIn profile isn't a CV. It's a conversation starter."
• "Stop trying to go viral. Start trying to go valuable."

The key with contrarian hooks is backing up your bold statement with evidence. Don't just be different—be right.

The Data Hook

Numbers grab attention because they promise concrete, actionable insights. Our brains are wired to notice specific data over vague generalisations.

Examples:

• "I analysed 10,000 LinkedIn posts. Only 2% got meaningful engagement."
• "47% of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before talking to sales."
• "We increased response rates by 89% with this one email change."
• "Only 23% of salespeople exceed quota. Here's what the top performers do differently."
• "I tracked 500 cold outreach attempts. The results shocked me."

Always cite your sources when possible, and ensure your data is recent and relevant to your audience.

The Story Hook

Stories activate multiple areas of the brain simultaneously. They're memorable, relatable, and create emotional connections with your audience.

Examples:

• "Three years ago, I was sending 100 LinkedIn messages a day. Getting nowhere."
• "My biggest client almost fired me yesterday. Here's what I learned."
• "I just watched a junior salesperson close a £50k deal. With a 5-minute conversation."
• "The CEO looked me in the eye and said, 'Your proposal is terrible.'"
• "Last week, I made the worst presentation of my career. And it taught me everything."

The best story hooks hint at transformation or learning. They promise that by the end of the post, the reader will understand something valuable.

The Question Hook

Questions engage the reader's brain by forcing them to think. They work particularly well when they address common pain points or curiosities.

Examples:

• "What if I told you most LinkedIn advice is keeping you invisible?"
• "Why do 73% of B2B buyers ignore your outreach?"
• "What's the difference between a £10k and £100k salesperson?"
• "Ever wonder why your best prospects never respond?"
• "What would happen if you stopped pitching and started listening?"

Avoid yes/no questions—they're too easy to answer mentally and move on. Instead, use questions that require deeper consideration.

The Confession Hook

Vulnerability builds trust and relatability. These hooks work because they show you're human, not just another sales-focused LinkedIn profile.

Examples:

• "I've been doing content marketing wrong for 3 years."
• "Confession: I used to be terrible at prospecting."
• "I almost quit sales last month. Here's what changed my mind."
• "My LinkedIn strategy was a disaster. Until I discovered this."
• "I wasted £10k on marketing tools that didn't work."

The key is following up your confession with the lesson learned or solution discovered. Vulnerability without value is just complaining.

The List Hook

Lists promise organised, digestible information. They work because they set clear expectations about what the reader will learn.

Examples:

• "5 LinkedIn mistakes that kill your credibility:"
• "The 3 words that doubled my response rates:"
• "7 signs your prospect is ready to buy (most salespeople miss #4):"
• "4 email templates that generated £2M in pipeline:"
• "The 10 questions every B2B buyer asks (and how to answer them):"

Odd numbers often perform better than even numbers, and including a teaser about one specific item increases curiosity.

The Challenge Hook

These hooks call out common behaviours or challenge the reader to think differently. They work by creating a sense of urgency or importance.

Examples:

• "Stop posting content nobody reads."
• "Your prospects don't care about your product. They care about their problems."
• "If you're not tracking these metrics, you're flying blind."
• "Most LinkedIn profiles scream 'amateur.' Does yours?"
• "You're not following up enough. (And here's proof.)"

Challenge hooks work best when followed immediately by helpful, actionable advice. The goal is to provoke thought, not alienate your audience.

50 LinkedIn Hook Examples You Can Steal

Here's a comprehensive list of proven LinkedIn hooks organised by category. Feel free to adapt these for your industry and audience:

Contrarian Hooks (1-10):

1. "Everyone says content is king. Engagement is the kingdom."
2. "The best time to post on LinkedIn? When your audience is online."
3. "Networking events are overrated. LinkedIn DMs are underrated."
4. "Your competition isn't other companies. It's customer indecision."
5. "Stop trying to be professional. Start being human."
6. "The hardest part of sales isn't closing. It's opening."
7. "Your biggest competitor isn't who you think it is."
8. "Most LinkedIn advice is written by people who don't use LinkedIn."
9. "The best salespeople are the worst at selling themselves."
10. "Your product isn't your differentiator. Your process is."

Data Hooks (11-20):

11. "92% of B2B buyers start their journey online. Are you there?"
12. "I tested 50 subject lines. One outperformed the rest by 400%."
13. "Companies with strong sales processes are 33% more likely to be high performers."
14. "It takes 8 touchpoints to generate a qualified lead. Most stop at 2."
15. "68% of B2B customers won't return after a bad experience."
16. "I analysed 1,000 LinkedIn profiles. 87% made the same mistake."
17. "Sales teams using CRM see 41% higher revenue per salesperson."
18. "Only 13% of customers believe salespeople understand their needs."
19. "Companies that blog get 67% more leads than those that don't."
20. "I tracked 200 sales calls. The top performers did this differently."

Story Hooks (21-30):

21. "Yesterday, I lost a £100k deal because of one email."
22. "Five years ago, I couldn't get a meeting. Now I book 20+ per month."
23. "The prospect said yes before I finished my pitch. Here's why."
24. "I just hired someone who failed every interview question. Best decision ever."
25. "My worst client became my biggest advocate. Here's the story."
26. "I was 30 seconds away from hanging up when everything changed."
27. "The day I realised I was the problem, not the process."
28. "She said no 47 times. Then she said yes to a £2M deal."
29. "I watched a 22-year-old outsell our entire team. Here's how."
30. "The meeting that changed how I think about sales forever."

Question Hooks (31-40):

31. "What if your biggest weakness became your biggest strength?"
32. "Why do smart people make dumb purchasing decisions?"
33. "What's the real cost of losing a customer?"
34. "How long should you wait before following up?"
35. "What separates good salespeople from great ones?"
36. "Why do 50% of sales go to the vendor who responds first?"
37. "What would you do with 10 extra qualified leads per month?"
38. "How much revenue are you losing to poor follow-up?"
39. "What's your prospect thinking during your pitch?"
40. "Why do customers buy from competitors with higher prices?"

Confession/Challenge/List Hooks (41-50):

41. "I'm terrible at networking. Here's how I compensate."
42. "Stop sending connection requests without messages."
43. "3 words that kill every sales conversation:"
44. "I used to think price was everything. I was wrong."
45. "Your LinkedIn headline is boring. Fix it with this formula:"
46. "I made every prospecting mistake in the book. Learn from my failures."
47. "5 signs you're talking to the wrong person:"
48. "Your follow-up emails are too long. Try this instead:"
49. "I ignored this advice for years. It cost me millions."
50. "The 7-word phrase that ends every objection:"

Remember, these hooks are starting points. The most effective approach is adapting them to your voice, industry, and specific message.

How to Test Which Hooks Work for Your Audience

Not every hook will resonate with your specific audience. The key is systematic testing to discover what works for your industry, company size, and buyer personas.

Start with A/B testing your hook categories. Over the next month, try posting similar content with different hook styles. For example, take the same core message and present it as:

• A data hook: "73% of buyers prefer..."
• A story hook: "Last week, I watched a buyer..."
• A question hook: "Why do buyers prefer..."

Track engagement metrics for each approach. Look beyond likes—comments and shares indicate deeper engagement and are weighted more heavily by LinkedIn's algorithm.

Use Ghost's analytics to identify patterns. Our content creation platform tracks which hooks generate the most engagement, comments, and profile views. This data helps you double down on what works for your specific audience.

Pay attention to the quality of engagement, not just quantity. A hook that generates 50 thoughtful comments from your target buyers is more valuable than one that gets 200 likes from random connections.

Test timing alongside your hooks. The same hook might perform differently at 9 AM versus 2 PM. Our data shows that contrarian hooks often perform better during peak business hours when people are more mentally engaged, while story hooks can work well during lunch breaks when people have more time to read.

Monitor your audience's response over time. What works today might not work in six months. Industries evolve, audiences get saturated with certain approaches, and new hook styles emerge. Successful LinkedIn content creators continuously experiment and adapt.

The most sophisticated approach combines content performance with outbound results. Ghost's unique integration lets you see which content hooks not only generate engagement but also attract prospects who are more likely to respond to your outreach. This connection between content and outbound gives you a complete picture of what truly drives business results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a LinkedIn hook be?

The most effective LinkedIn hooks are typically 5-15 words. This length is long enough to create intrigue but short enough to be consumed quickly in a mobile feed. Remember, people scroll fast—your hook needs to stop them immediately.

However, don't sacrifice clarity for brevity. A 12-word hook that clearly communicates value will outperform a 6-word hook that's confusing or vague.

Should I use the same hook style for every post?

No, variety is crucial for maintaining audience engagement. If you only use data hooks, your audience will start to expect and potentially ignore that format. Mix different hook categories throughout your content calendar.

That said, if testing reveals that one hook category significantly outperforms others for your audience, weight your content strategy toward that style while still incorporating variety.

Can I reuse hooks for different topics?

Absolutely, but adapt them to your specific content. The hook "I analysed 1,000 [X] and found..." can work for sales calls, LinkedIn profiles, email campaigns, or any other topic where you have data to share.

The key is ensuring the hook genuinely relates to your content. Don't force a contrarian hook onto content that doesn't challenge conventional thinking.

How do I know if my hook is working?

Look at your engagement rate within the first hour of posting. High-performing hooks typically generate comments and shares quickly, signaling to LinkedIn's algorithm that your content is worth distributing more broadly.

Also monitor your profile views and connection requests. Great hooks don't just generate post engagement—they drive people to learn more about you and your business.

What's the biggest mistake people make with LinkedIn hooks?

The biggest mistake is being too generic or promotional. Hooks like "I'm excited to share..." or "Check out our new product..." immediately signal that you're broadcasting rather than conversing.

Another common error is creating curiosity gaps that your content can't fill. Don't promise insights you can't deliver—it damages your credibility and engagement.

How often should I post with strong hooks?

Consistency matters more than frequency. It's better to post twice per week with compelling hooks than daily with weak ones. Each post with a strong hook builds your reputation as someone worth following.

If you're struggling to create compelling hooks regularly, consider using Ghost's AI-powered content creation. Our platform generates hook ideas based on your industry and content themes, helping you maintain consistency without sacrificing quality. Try our free 7-day trial to see how AI can accelerate your content creation while maintaining the personal touch that makes great hooks work.