Get a Hook - Then Real Them In!

Read me!

If those two words were your entire subject line, many recipients would probably delete it, thinking it is spam. But how else do you motivate someone to read your entire e-mail?

Think about the newspaper style – the first short paragraph should answer all the relevant questions about an event: who, what, when, where, why and how. If the reader is interested in more detail, he or she will read on. Alternatively, when you consider books and articles, it is likely that the first line, or paragraph, will rouse interest, but will raise questions instead of answering them, leaving you wanting more.

For a PR message, the answer is right in between – provide some context, but leave them wanting more.

What you need is a “hook,” a memorable, attention-grabbing phrase or sentence, one that is relevant to the reader. The purpose of a hook is to entice the reader to read your entire message. With all the social media messages that bombard us daily, readers have a shorter attention span, so they need to be immediately enticed by your subject or first line – they need to be hooked!

There are a few examples of hooks that have worked for me in the past.

• Help Wanted for the Fall Conference - Get Paid in Leadership Experience!
  This e-mail, sent in August for a November conference, was followed by this first paragraph: “While this request may sound a bit like "Christmas in July," the planning for the District 4 conference - to be held November 20-21 - is starting now. And we need you!” This e-mail resulted in over 70 volunteers to help organize the conference.
• New Year's Resolution #1: Register for the TLI in Santa Clara
  The e-mail resulted in an attendance of over 130 members at the TLI, or Toastmasters Leadership Institute - more than double the attendance of the TLI before it.
• You’ve always wanted to be on TV, right?
  This catchy subject line helped bring in the talent (the speakers) for our monthly District’s cable access show, Bay to Bay.
• Wasn’t under the tree? Get it now from the Apple Store.
  Ok, I can’t take credit for the last one, other than that I found it in my Inbox, and thought it was a great way to get the post-Christmas shoppers out. Of course, the cult status of the latest Apple products certainly helps!

In terms of a formula to create a hook – there is no formula. If one existed, everyone would already be using it. The trick is to find that combination of creativity, relevance to your audience, and just enough information that leaves them wanting more.