6 ways to hook your audience so they have to keep reading

Nailing the first and second sentence of an essay is critical. But the hook isn't always obvious.

Here's my cheat sheet for creating intriguing hooks in preparation for #ship30for30

🧵👇
1/6 Drop the reader right into a high-tension moment of a story

The moment when you're about to get eaten by a bear is way more interesting than how you started your camping trip that morning.

You can always circle back to how it all started.
2/6 Pose a BIG question that makes the reader think

Ask "What if...." and let them think through a scenario.
3/6 Paint a vivid picture

Start with "Imagine..." and make a scene come to life.
4/6 State a mind-boggling statistic

Did you know that one hour of new videos is uploaded to YouTube every second?
5/6 Start with a thought-provoking quote

"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality." - Ayn Rand

How does this apply to you?
6/6 Share an unconventional opinion

If you go against people's general beliefs, they'll want to find out how you justify your stance.

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More from @julia_saxena

16 Feb
It's not the person with the best idea or the right answer who wins.

But the one with the most compelling story.

5 takeaways from @morganhousel 's essay "Best Story Wins" 👇
1/5 You don't need to come up with brilliant, original ideas

Take common knowledge and present it in a new way.
Present it better than anyone has done before.

That's enough.
2/5 Stories are like leverage for complex topics

They help people get the full potential out of something complicated.
But with way less effort.
Read 7 tweets
13 Feb
All out of ideas?

13 ways to generate ideas and get the ball rolling again.

I need this list for myself ahead of starting #ship30for30

🧵👇
1/13 Choose a quote

Could be your favorite or a random one.

Write about your interpretation of it.

Use "Yes, and..." "Yes, but..." or "No, actually..." to trigger a flow of ideas.
2/13 Go through your tweets

Especially the ones that got traction.

Pick one and think about how you could expand on the idea.
Read 14 tweets
11 Feb
How do you counter one of the most common objections to your online course?

"Can’t I find this information online for free?”

A story thread 🧵👇
A young girl is desperate to learn and play chess.

She steals a chess magazine because she can't afford it. Hunts for chess books in the local library. And practices with the janitor of her orphanage because no one else is there to play.
That's the story of Elizabeth Harmon in the Netflix show "The Queen's Gambit."

It's easy to forget that just a few decades ago, information was still scarce.

If you wanted to learn, you had to get the right books, be admitted to the right schools, and seek the right mentors.
Read 9 tweets
6 Feb
Always tell a story.

To surprise, entertain, and get your point across in emails or in person.

If you're a little short on ideas...

Here are 6 kinds of stories you can tell 👇🧵
1/6 Mention interesting data you've discovered

For example, according to a study, 75% of people fear public speaking – more than death itself.

Could be the beginning of an interesting narrative.
2/6 Tell a story about a customer

Did someone approach you with a strange problem?
Or ask a question that stumped you at first?
Read 7 tweets
4 Feb
How to turn your customers into raving fans:

Getting your product into people's hands isn't enough. Here's another crucial step that many creators overlook.

👇🧵
Have you ever bought something and then NOT used it?

Maybe you acted upon a book recommendation but only made it through the first five pages.

Or you were convinced that an online course would solve your problems but got sidetracked and never even watched the first lecture.
It happens to all of us.

There must be millions of products out there, abandoned...collecting digital (and real) dust.

If you're a creator, then this a problem. And you would want to know why.
Read 9 tweets
28 Jan
If you had to bet a million bucks on a student achieving the outcome you're promising in your online course…

What criteria would you be looking for in that student to make sure you're not losing your money?

👇🧵
Here's why you should be asking yourself this question:

Fact is, your online course can't generate results for everyone. Pretending it does would be misleading.

Some people just haven't reached the right stage in their life yet to benefit from your course.
Admitting them as students can earn you more $$$ in the short-term but can set them up for failure.

When you draw a clear line on who will benefit most from your program, you'll cut off some people.

But it will also allow you to double down on your ideal students.
Read 7 tweets

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