How to Write LinkedIn Hooks That Stop the Scroll

LinkedIn shows only the first two lines of your post before cutting off with "see more." If those lines do not compel people to click, nothing else matters.

Why Hooks Matter More on LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, people scroll fast. They are between meetings, checking notifications, half-paying attention. Your hook needs to interrupt that pattern.

A weak hook means your carefully crafted post never gets read.

Hook Patterns That Work

The Contrarian Opening "Most LinkedIn advice is wrong. Here's why." Challenge conventional wisdom to create curiosity.

The Specific Claim "I grew my consulting business to $500K using one strategy." Specificity signals real experience, not theory.

The Unexpected Confession "I got fired last month. It was the best thing that happened to me." Vulnerability stands out in a sea of humble brags.

The Direct Question "Why do 90% of sales emails get ignored?" Questions engage the reader's brain directly.

The Bold Statement "Cold calling is dead. Here's what replaced it." Provoke enough to demand attention.

What Makes Hooks Fail

Vague openings: "I've been thinking about leadership lately..." Nobody cares what you have been thinking about.

Obvious statements: "Networking is important." If everyone already knows it, why should they read more?

Self-focused openings: "I'm excited to announce..." Lead with value, not your excitement.

The Line Break Trick

The first two lines are all that shows. Use line breaks strategically to control exactly what appears above the fold.

Short first line + intriguing second line = more clicks.

Testing Your Hooks

Write 5 different hooks for the same post. Pick the one that would make you click if someone else wrote it.

Or post variations and see which performs best.