# Hook Formulas Reference
Proven hook patterns based on analysis of viral content from top creators.
## Formula Categories
### 1. The Bold Claim
**Pattern:** [Controversial statement] + Here's why:
**Examples:**
- "AI won't take your job. But someone using AI will. Here's why:"
- "The best marketers don't use marketing tactics. Here's why:"
- "College degrees are becoming worthless. Here's why:"
**When to use:** When you have a contrarian take backed by evidence.
### 2. The Surprising Stat
**Pattern:** [Shocking number] + [Context]
**Examples:**
- "OpenAI just hit $10B in revenue. That's 10x growth in 12 months."
- "87% of developers now use AI assistants. A year ago it was 12%."
- "The average newsletter makes $0. The top 1% make $1M+. Here's the difference:"
**When to use:** When you have compelling data that challenges assumptions.
### 3. The Listicle Tease
**Pattern:** [Number] [things/tools/secrets] that [benefit]
**Examples:**
- "7 AI tools that will save you 10+ hours this week:"
- "5 habits that separate $100K creators from $10K creators:"
- "9 free resources worth more than a $5,000 course:"
**When to use:** When you have multiple valuable items to share.
### 4. The Question
**Pattern:** [Provocative question]?
**Examples:**
- "Why are the best developers writing less code than ever?"
- "What do OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google know that you don't?"
- "Why did this simple tweet get 10M views?"
**When to use:** When you can answer a question your audience is already asking.
### 5. The Story Hook
**Pattern:** [Time frame], I [did X]. Here's what happened:
**Examples:**
- "In 3 years, I bootstrapped my newsletter to 2M+ subs. Here's how:"
- "Last month, I tested 50 AI tools. Only 7 were worth keeping:"
- "I spent $10,000 on courses. Here's what actually worked:"
**When to use:** When you have personal experience or case study to share.
### 6. The Contrarian
**Pattern:** Everyone says [common belief]. They're wrong.
**Examples:**
- "Everyone says you need a huge budget for marketing. They're wrong."
- "Everyone says consistency is key. They're missing the point."
- "Everyone says AI will replace writers. Here's what's actually happening:"
**When to use:** When you can challenge conventional wisdom with evidence.
### 7. The "Just Happened"
**Pattern:** [Big company/person] just [did something]. Here's what it means:
**Examples:**
- "Google just released Gemini 3. Here's what it means for you:"
- "Sam Altman just made a major announcement. Here's the breakdown:"
- "Apple just acquired an AI startup. Here's why it matters:"
**When to use:** For breaking news or recent developments.
## Selection Guide
| Your Content | Best Hook Type |
|--------------|----------------|
| Breaking news | Just Happened |
| Data/research | Surprising Stat |
| Tutorial/tools | Listicle Tease |
| Opinion piece | Bold Claim or Contrarian |
| Case study | Story Hook |
| Trend analysis | Question |
