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Hooks Playbook | Story99

Feelings<>Action

Story99.com is a Branding & Storytelling Consultancy for B2B, Tech & Deeptech

Basics that Apply to All Kinds of Writing

• Have a great opening hook (tight, punchy, non-gimmicky) - if you can’t catch attention, the rest of the copy / content hardly matters

  • come up with 4 to 5 options before finalizing one

• Don’t bury the lead - write it for those who may read just the hook or the first few lines - they should still be able to get away with something and not left hanging (so get to the point right away, offer value, and then for those who will have the time to read the whole thing, create a new gap and then write more to fill that gap; you can keep doing it endlessly).

• And → but → therefore pattern is always better than and, and, and. When a ‘but’ (or ‘however’ or something like that) shows up, it creates a gap. We want to know how it got resolved. We read more (or if it’s a video, we watch more).

• Write visually → maximize the use of words and phrases that are more visual (eg: ”concrete”, “under the sun” - than abstract like “service delivery”) // using visual metaphors to illustrate something makes it easier to follow the writing (or spoken words)

• Your writing should clearly speak to a real person (just read what you have written and tell yourself how it makes you feel / connected when you read it as a reader; now go back and fix the way you wrote)

• Write - rewrite - iterate a few times (automatically improves the writing; this applies even if there is AI in your workflow, just make sure AI is early on in the iteration step, not later)

• Be original, fresh, cheeky, opinionated - the copy shouldn’t read clinical / AI

  • avoid ‘it’s not just X, it’s Y’ framing

  • avoid common AI phrases / language constructions

• 5 Hacks for Pleasurable Reading: Focus on the rhythm, pace, musicality, imagery, and surprise of your writing

Text as Music | Jera Value - cool website which visually shows you if you the variety in sentence length.

• Apply “moderate syntactic surprise” (unexpected word arrangements) to capture attention effectively.

• For brand-content

  • use brand-phrases, keywords & messaging pillars (know what they are, make a list and bookmark it somewhere) - so that ultimately consistent brand-meaning is getting reinforced (association by vicinity)

  • know the brand-affect (feelings) you are going for

  • if mentioned brand-expectation, make sure brand-name comes before the expectation line / phrase

  • ensure the the tone and angle of the message is aligned with the brand-personality and the brand-DNA

Writing Scripts for Engaging Video

• Beyond just a great opening hook, you also need to have multiple re-hooks after every couple of sentences.

• Loop Openers & Contrast Words: Insert phrases like “most people stop here, but actually…” to reset the reader’s attention clock. Use contrast words like “but,” “instead,” and “except” to pivot expectations and sustain curiosity.

• Term-Branding: Instead of just explaining a new concept, you can try giving it a specific, memorable name (like “Story Locks” or “The Value Equation”). This utilizes the “labeling effect“ to make the idea feel highly important.

• Embedded Truths: Speak in absolute certainties. Replace wishy-washy words like “if” or “maybe” with authoritative phrases like “when you try this” or “the reason this works,” which removes the reader’s subconscious doubt.

• Thought Narration: Break the fourth wall by predicting and stating exactly what the reader is thinking (e.g., “Now the question you’re probably thinking is this…”). This builds instant trust.

Thought Leadership Writing

• Have a clear point of view, use data (when available), and lean heavily on storytelling (open a gap → highlight the conflict → resolution)

• Be authentic, engaging, and concise, but avoid being overly technical, boring, or self-promotional

Writing to Sell

First some basics for sales-copy:

• Pick One of the 4 Headline Voices: A Loving parent (reiterates the problem), a Leader (makes a promise), a Reporter (giving proof), or a Deal-maker (talking about the offer)

• The 5 P’s of Style: Keep your style Personal (using “you and I” when possible), Pleasant (“thanks for being our customer”), Professional (“our satisfaction guarantee”), Plain (“I’m sorry we let you down”), and Persuasive (“Here’s how much you save”)

Typical Sales Focus Copywriting Structures

Explore more narrative structures here.

Using these structure makes it easier for the audience to understand the point that you are trying to make.

AIDA (Attention→Interest→Desire→Action)

Get the reader’s attention, provide interesting information, build desire by showing benefits and proof, and finally, ask for a response.

Story99.com is a Branding & Storytelling Consultancy for B2B, Tech & Deeptech

PAS (Pain→Agitate→Solve)

Identify a problem your audience faces (and point out how it makes them feel), agitate that problem to make it feel urgent or important, and then present your product or service as the solution (and remind them about the new feeling).

BAB (Before→After→Bridge)

Describe the reader’s current world with a problem (and current feeling), paint a picture of a world where the problem is solved (and they will feel in this new world), and provide the bridge (your product) to get them there.

Advanced Persuasion Techniques

Once you have your audience’s attention, you can try some of these psychological tactics to maintain engagement and drive conversions.

• Negative Framing: Position your advice as a warning against a mistake rather than a tip for a positive outcome (e.g., “This posting mistake is killing your growth”). This triggers “loss aversion,” as people are twice as motivated to avoid pain.

• Instant Gratification & De-risking: Frame the purchase or action itself as an immediate win or relief, so skeptical prospects feel an instant reward. Furthermore, de-risk your pitches by removing pressure, such as asking for feedback instead of pushing a hard sales demo.

• Future Pacing: Encourage readers to visualize the positive results your product will help them achieve (e.g., earning a 6-figure salary). Note that this may backfire on highly skeptical buyers.

Traps to Avoid

1. Focusing on what a product does instead of why it matters

2. Being lazy and using quick, bad ideas (do NOT act upon the first few ideas that come to you - think more, keep adding to the list)

3. Confusing the reader

4. Trying to be an entertainer instead of selling

5. Not checking for mistakes (just ask ChatGPT to check for typos / grammar errors? do it manually so you learn what typically mistakes you make all the time)

6. Showing off (just don’t)

7. Writing for the wrong reader (or worse, not knowing who are you writing for)

Website Copy

Also check out Website Design Checklist | Story99

• Ensure your “Above the Fold” (ATF) section creates an “Aha! Moment” that clearly communicates your offering

• Focus heavily on what the customer can do (“you can do XXX”) rather than what the company does (“we do XXX”)

• Make your titles specific and action-focused, and proactively address the top 3 objections a viewer might have

Annexure: AI Language to avoid

Some very common “AI-sounding” sentence constructions and rhetorical tics (to be avoided at all costs):

• __ sits inside a __

• That distinction matters

• It’s ‘quietly shaping’ something… or “quietly changing the game” (just be quiet if you think of using quietly)

• “It’s not X, it’s Y.” or “X isn’t just about Y — it’s about Z.”

  • “Storytelling isn’t just about marketing — it’s about human connection.”

  • “It’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter.”

  • “Not only that, but…”

  • X is no longer optional but Y

  • X doesn’t replace humans — it augments them”

• This flips the script - cliché

• Now that’s a million dollar question - cliché

• bunch of questions in a queue

• X changes Y

• X is rarely the hardest part

• Doing Y is harder

• this reveals X

• X hiding behind Y

• _ may be buried on page Y of a Z

• When X arrives

• Strip away X and the pattern becomes familiar

• X can do Y. Z still does A

• The X changes. Y survives

• There is a broader lessor here

• X either happens or it doesn’t

In short, avoid:

• excessive symmetry,

• over-clean transitions,

• balanced contrast structures,

• universalized claims,

• and “high signal, low specificity” writing

• Avoid excessive single line sentences (prefer regular paragraph)

Story99.com is a Branding & Storytelling Consultancy for B2B, Tech & Deeptech