Hook

On LinkedIn, the hook is the first line a reader sees in their feed. The first 200 characters or so are visible before LinkedIn truncates the post with a See more link. If the hook does not earn a click, the rest of the post might as well not exist. Strong hooks tend to do one of three things: state a number or fact that earns attention ("I lost my biggest client last week"), frame an unusual opinion the reader wants to interrogate, or open a story mid-action so the reader has to continue to find out what happened. Weak hooks announce that a post is coming, restate the headline, or lean on templated phrases like "now more than ever". Edgar's voice sessions surface real moments from the conversation that work as hooks because they came from something the speaker actually said, not a templated opener.

Examples

• I fired my best salesperson today.
• We did $2M in ARR with 4 people. Here is what we cut.
• Three years ago I almost shut down the company.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a LinkedIn hook be?

One sentence, fewer than 200 characters, ideally under 120. The hook sits above the See more fold; anything LinkedIn truncates is wasted.

Should a hook include a question?

Sometimes. Genuine questions can work if they are specific to the reader's life. Generic engagement-bait questions ("Anyone else feel this way?") tend to read as AI or as cheap engagement plays.

Can the hook be the same as the headline?

It can, but it usually should not. A headline summarizes what a post is about; a hook earns attention to read it. The two have different jobs.