How to STOP the scroll (part two).
Have you ever had just the right bit of content show up at just the right time?
It happened to me when I was thinking about this blog – part two of Stop the Scroll (head over here to read part one).
I was reading an article on fly fishing (long story) featuring an expert who ties fishing flies. The challenge, he says, is that fish are really picky eaters. They might bite on the first morsel that comes along, but a lot of times they hedge their bets and wait for something better.
This important fish intel is what drives his designs and it’s why his flies are super effective. He literally goes beneath the water’s surface, turning over rocks and digging in the mud to see what the fish consider to be the tastiest snacks. And then he makes his flies look like those. Brilliant!
While the fishing article was about hooks that catch fish, creating content that hooks your audience follows the same logic: You need a tasty snack that will grab their attention.
What your prospects want or need to hear from you probably isn’t going to be the first thing that comes to your mind. You’ve got to look under some rocks, muck around, and do some deep thinking to uncover the juicy bits that matter most. Then, craft those craveable bits into targeted hooks with I get you and I’ve got you, the framework I offered up in part one of Stop the Scroll. Here’s a closer look at how it works.
First, “I get you.” I don’t know about you, but those three words make me let out a little sigh of relief. We all want to be known and understood – including your audience – so start there. Bring your most genuine self and be specific as you validate who your prospects are and where they’re coming from.
Let’s say you offer counseling services. Your hook could ask, “Are you looking for a certified therapist?” This cut to the chase approach feels like a pitch because you went right in with a sales-oriented question (and a closed-ended one at that) without establishing any rapport with your audience. Instead, what if you said, “I know it’s hard to ask for help.”? This hook gets to the heart of the matter. It acknowledges a common vulnerability by getting eye to eye with it, which can make it feel less scary. With both examples, the end game is the same, but the approaches couldn’t be more different. When your hook is anchored in authenticity, your audience is way more likely to pay attention.
Just because you got this far, don’t think your audience doesn’t have their index finger poised and ready to keep scrolling. They probably do. “I’ve got you” is where you deliver your proof…quick. Stay in your audience’s head here because you’re proving two points; that you really do get them, and that the thing you have to offer will resolve the thing that keeps them up at night. Sticking with the counseling example, let’s put together a get you/got you hook:
“I know it’s hard to ask for help. Our experienced team is just a call or text away, and we’re ready when you are.”
The second sentence builds on the first while it oh so subtly and personally dangles an offer. It delivers the promise of capable, available counselors and then ends by once again acknowledging a vulnerability. As I said in part one, this can be a long game but it’s such an effective way to build trust over time.
Theodore Roosevelt hit it right on the head when he said, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” When your hook follows the “I get you and I’ve got you” framework, you demonstrate that you truly see your audience because you cared enough to do the deep digging.
Does it take more time than grabbing what’s bobbing on the surface? Definitely.
Will finding and delivering those juicy bits pay off in the long run? Absolutely.
