How do you write a LinkedIn hook?
Write a LinkedIn hook as the first 1-2 lines of your post that creates curiosity, states a bold claim, or highlights tension — since LinkedIn truncates posts after roughly 210 characters, your hook must work as a standalone line that earns the "see more" click, not as a scene-setting introduction.
Most people write hooks backward — they open with context ("Last week I was thinking about...") and save the interesting part for line three. But LinkedIn cuts posts off after about 210 characters on desktop and even less on mobile, hiding everything past that point behind "see more." If your first line is throat-clearing, most scrollers never see the actual point of your post.
A working hook does one of three things: opens a curiosity gap ("The advice everyone gives about X is backwards"), states something specific and slightly surprising ("I turned down a $40K contract last month"), or names a tension your reader already feels ("Nobody tells you this before you quit your job"). Vague hooks ("Let's talk about leadership") fail because they promise nothing specific enough to earn a click.
Specificity beats cleverness. A hook with a real number, a named mistake, or a concrete outcome consistently outperforms a hook that's trying to be witty. Write your post first, then go back and mine the strongest sentence from anywhere in it — often your best hook is buried in paragraph three, not sitting where you originally opened.
One mismatch worth avoiding: a hook that promises more intensity or drama than the rest of the post delivers. A hook framed as a shocking confession followed by a mild, low-stakes observation reads as bait, and readers who feel misled by the gap are less likely to trust your next hook. The hook should set the true ceiling of the post, not exceed it.
Key Points
- Keep your hook inside the first ~210 characters — that's the truncation point before "see more" hides the rest
- Lead with curiosity, a bold claim, or tension, not context-setting or throat-clearing
- Specific details (numbers, named mistakes, concrete outcomes) outperform clever wordplay
- Your strongest line is often buried later in your draft — mine it and move it to the top
- Test multiple hook variations for the same post idea before publishing — it's the highest-leverage line you'll write
Example
Instead of opening with "I've been thinking about how founders approach hiring," a stronger hook would be "I rejected my best engineer's resume for a job at my own company — by accident." The second version names a specific, surprising event and creates an immediate question (how? why?) that only reading further can answer.
Related Questions
What's the character limit for a LinkedIn hook?
LinkedIn truncates posts at roughly 210 characters before showing "see more," though the exact cutoff varies slightly by device. Aim to make your point or create your hook within the first 150 characters to be safe.
Should every LinkedIn post start with a question?
No — questions are one hook style among several, and overusing them makes your hooks predictable. Bold claims, specific numbers, and named tensions work just as well and are easier to keep varied.