💪 A mighty hook trick

In This Email

• 🧪 Hook Science:

  • Click trick of the week — “The One Thing”.

• 💡 A Content Idea To Try:

  • Shift your audience’s perspective with a “simple idea”.

  • Headline template and prompt included 👍️ 

• 🔒️ 2 More Headline Templates:

  • Visible to Pro readers.

Quiz

Marketers use Cialdini's 6 principles of persuasion to influence people's decisions and actions.

^{*Link to more info at the bottom of this email}

Hook Science

Click Trick Of The Week: “The One Thing”

Question:

Which of these pieces of content grabs your attention more?

• "One Mindset Drives The The Most Effective Managers In Tech"

• "Common Mindset Traits Of The Most Effective Managers In Tech"

I try not to make a habit of speaking for others. 

But if I had to guess, I’d say the first one did.

Why Does It Work So Well?

Focusing on one thing in your headlines and hooks taps into the “curiosity gap”. 

A single focus draws our attention more than an undefined load of information would. 

“Common mindsets” just isn’t as enticing as “one mindset”. 

Honing in on one thing leaves a well-defined hole or “gap” in the audience’s knowledge. 

A gap they can’t help but fill by clicking on the content to find out more. 

How You Can Use This:

1. Identify a key point or lesson you want your audience to know.

2. Write your headline to focus entirely on that one major insight or tip.

3. Use bold language to boost the importance of this single piece of information. 

4. Make sure it piques curiosity without revealing too much. Leave a knowledge gap that makes clicking irresistible.

Example:

• Too general: "Common iPhone 15 Mistakes to Avoid"

• Better: "3 Big Mistakes You Should Never Make With Your iPhone 15"

• Best: "The One Big Mistake You Should Never Make With Your iPhone 15"

See what I mean?

Try this out in your own niche and see what you come up with.

💡 Content Template #1

Present A Straightforward Idea That Shifts Perspectives On A Topic

Your Headline Template:

The Inspiration:

"This Simple Japanese Idea Will Change How You Think About Your Entire Life"

Pursuit of Wonder [link]

Why The Headline Works:

• Transformation/Aspiration: The headline implies a significant change in perspective. It taps into our desire for personal growth and transformation.

• Clarity And Simplicity: The phrase "simple idea" signals to the audience that the concept is easy to understand — lowering the barrier to engagement.

How To Adapt It For Your Niche:

1. Pick A Relevant Idea: One within your niche that can be explained simply but has the potential to change perspectives.

2. Define The Broader Concept [X]: Connect the idea to a well-known aspect or frequent activity within your niche.

Speed Things Up With ChatGPT:

Hi ChatGPT,

I'm a content creator in the [insert niche] niche and my target audience is [insert target audience]. I want to create content based on the following headline template:

This Simple [Topic] Idea Will Change How You Think About [X]

This template is modeled on the following headline:

"This Simple Composting Method Will Change How You Think About Soil Health"

Generate 10 headline ideas for my niche that follow this headline template closely, replacing just the bracketed words. The content should cover specific topics relevant to the niche and should not be generic or broad.

Each headline should:

Replace [Topic] with a concept or method relevant to my niche.

Replace [X] with an important aspect of my niche that is directly related to the [topic].

Examples Using The Template:

For Creators:

• Fitness: "This Simple Stretching Idea Will Change How You Think About Post-Workout Recovery"

• Cooking: "This Simple Meal Prep Idea Will Change How You Think About Weekday Dinners"

For Businesses Creating Content (B2C):

• Travel: "This Simple Packing Tip Will Change How You Think About Travel Prep"

• Realtor: "This Simple Inspection Idea Will Change How You Think About Evaluating Homes"

For Businesses Creating Content (B2B):

• Digital Marketing: "This Simple Content Idea Will Change How You Think About Social Media Strategy"

• HR Consulting: "This Simple Interviewing Idea Will Change How You Think About Talent Acquisition"

💡 Content Template #2 (PRO)

This template uses empathy to build trust and generate engagement.

Use the AI prompt to turn it into headline/content ideas for your niche and audience.

Your Headline Template:

🔒️ 

Join Pen Pivot Pro to view Content Template #2 and Content Template #3 — both with breakdowns and custom AI prompts.

Creator Picks

• If you have any of these 7 things on your website — consider removing them.

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