Hooks, Headlines, Threads, and Carousels

The first line of your post determines whether anyone reads the rest. Social media rewards strong openings, and AI is exceptionally good at generating them. This lesson covers hooks, headlines, thread writing, and carousel scripting—the formats that drive the most engagement.

Writing Hooks That Stop the Scroll

A hook is the first one to two sentences of your post. It must create curiosity, challenge an assumption, or promise a specific benefit.

The Six Hook Formulas

Ask AI to use these proven formulas:

Formula	Example
Bold claim	"Most productivity advice is making you less productive."
Specific number	"I grew my LinkedIn from 500 to 10,000 followers using 3 tactics."
Question	"What if everything you know about hashtags is wrong?"
Story opener	"Last Tuesday, I almost deleted my Instagram account."
Contrarian take	"Stop posting every day. Here's why."
Before/after	"6 months ago I had 12 email subscribers. Today I have 4,000."

Generating Hooks with AI

Prompt:

Write 10 different hooks for a social media post about email list building for small business owners. Use a mix of: bold claims, specific numbers, questions, story openers, and contrarian takes. Each hook should be 1-2 sentences max.

Then pick the strongest two or three and build your post around them.

Testing Hooks

Ask AI to rank your options:

Here are 5 hooks I'm considering for a LinkedIn post. Rank them from most to least attention-grabbing and explain why:

[hook 1]

[hook 2]

[hook 3]

[hook 4]

[hook 5]

Writing Headlines for Carousels

Carousel headlines appear on each slide and need to be scannable. The cover slide headline determines whether someone swipes.

Cover Slide Headlines

Prompt:

Write 5 carousel cover slide headlines for a post about common pricing mistakes freelancers make. Keep each under 8 words. Make them bold and direct.

Example output:

"5 Pricing Mistakes Killing Your Freelance Income"
"Stop Undercharging. Here's What to Fix."
"Why Clients Think You're Too Cheap"
"The Pricing Guide No One Taught You"
"Freelancers: Your Rates Are Wrong"

Inner Slide Headlines

Each carousel slide needs a headline that works on its own:

Prompt:

I'm creating a 7-slide Instagram carousel about pricing mistakes freelancers make. Write a headline for each slide:

Slide 1: Cover (title and hook)

Slides 2-6: One mistake per slide

Slide 7: Summary and call to action

Keep headlines under 10 words each. Make them actionable.

Writing Threads

Threads (on X or LinkedIn) break a long idea into connected posts. Each post in the thread must stand alone enough to be interesting but connected enough to keep people reading.

Thread Structure

A strong thread follows this pattern:

Hook post: Bold claim or promise that makes people want to read more
Context post: Brief background on why this matters
Body posts (3-7): One point per post, each with a clear takeaway
Summary post: Recap the key points
Closing post: Call to action (follow, repost, comment)

Thread Prompt

Write a 7-post X thread about how to land your first freelance client. Structure:

Post 1: Hook with a bold claim

Post 2: Why most beginners struggle

Posts 3-6: One actionable step per post

Post 7: Summary with a call to action

Keep each post under 280 characters. Number each post. Make every post valuable on its own.

Example output:

1/ I landed my first freelance client in 9 days with zero portfolio and zero connections. Here's exactly how (steal this):

2/ Most new freelancers wait until they feel "ready." They build a perfect website, design a logo, and write a bio. Meanwhile, clients are hiring people who just showed up and offered help.

3/ Step 1: Pick ONE service. Not "I do everything." One clear offer. "I write email sequences for e-commerce brands." Specificity wins clients.

4/ Step 2: Find 10 businesses that need your service. Look at their website, socials, or emails. Spot what's missing or broken. That's your opening.

5/ Step 3: Send a short message. Not a pitch deck. "Hey, I noticed [specific thing]. I had an idea to fix it. Want me to share it?" That's it.

6/ Step 4: Deliver a free sample. Fix one email, redesign one page, or write one post. Show, don't tell. Make it easy for them to say yes.

7/ Recap: Pick one service → Find 10 prospects → Send short messages → Deliver free value. Your first client isn't hiding. They're waiting for someone to reach out. Start today.

LinkedIn Threads

LinkedIn does not have a native thread format, but long posts with clear sections achieve the same effect:

Write a LinkedIn post structured as a thread (use numbered sections) about 5 lessons I learned in my first year of remote work. Use short paragraphs and line breaks. Start with a hook.

Scripting Carousels

Carousels are the highest-reach format on Instagram and LinkedIn. AI can script the entire slide deck.

Full Carousel Script Prompt

Write an Instagram carousel script about 6 habits of successful content creators. Format as:

SLIDE 1 (Cover): Headline and subtitle SLIDES 2-7: One habit per slide with a headline and 2-3 bullet points of explanation SLIDE 8 (CTA): Call to action slide

Keep text minimal—each slide should have no more than 30 words. Use plain language.

Carousel from Existing Content

Turn a blog post, article, or long caption into a carousel:

Here is a blog post I wrote: [paste content]

Turn this into an 8-slide Instagram carousel. Extract the key points and simplify the language. Add a compelling cover slide headline and a CTA slide at the end.

Combining Hooks with Format

Format	Best Hook Style
Single post	Story opener or bold claim
Carousel	Specific number ("7 ways to...") or before/after
Thread	Bold claim with a promise ("Here's how:")
Story/Reel	Question or contrarian take

Key Takeaway

Your opening line is your most important piece of content. Use AI to generate multiple hooks, pick the strongest one, and build your post around it. For threads and carousels, give AI a clear structure to follow—number of posts or slides, one point per section, and always end with a call to action. In the next lesson, you will learn to research hashtags and repurpose content across platforms.

Hooks, Headlines, Threads, and Carousels

Writing Hooks That Stop the Scroll

A hook is the first one to two sentences of your post. It must create curiosity, challenge an assumption, or promise a specific benefit.

The Six Hook Formulas

Ask AI to use these proven formulas:

Formula	Example
Bold claim	"Most productivity advice is making you less productive."
Specific number	"I grew my LinkedIn from 500 to 10,000 followers using 3 tactics."
Question	"What if everything you know about hashtags is wrong?"
Story opener	"Last Tuesday, I almost deleted my Instagram account."
Contrarian take	"Stop posting every day. Here's why."
Before/after	"6 months ago I had 12 email subscribers. Today I have 4,000."

Generating Hooks with AI

Prompt:

Write 10 different hooks for a social media post about email list building for small business owners. Use a mix of: bold claims, specific numbers, questions, story openers, and contrarian takes. Each hook should be 1-2 sentences max.

Then pick the strongest two or three and build your post around them.

Testing Hooks

Ask AI to rank your options:

Here are 5 hooks I'm considering for a LinkedIn post. Rank them from most to least attention-grabbing and explain why:

[hook 1]

[hook 2]

[hook 3]

[hook 4]

[hook 5]

Writing Headlines for Carousels

Carousel headlines appear on each slide and need to be scannable. The cover slide headline determines whether someone swipes.

Cover Slide Headlines

Prompt:

Write 5 carousel cover slide headlines for a post about common pricing mistakes freelancers make. Keep each under 8 words. Make them bold and direct.

Example output:

"5 Pricing Mistakes Killing Your Freelance Income"
"Stop Undercharging. Here's What to Fix."
"Why Clients Think You're Too Cheap"
"The Pricing Guide No One Taught You"
"Freelancers: Your Rates Are Wrong"

Inner Slide Headlines

Each carousel slide needs a headline that works on its own:

Prompt:

I'm creating a 7-slide Instagram carousel about pricing mistakes freelancers make. Write a headline for each slide:

Slide 1: Cover (title and hook)

Slides 2-6: One mistake per slide

Slide 7: Summary and call to action

Keep headlines under 10 words each. Make them actionable.

Writing Threads

Threads (on X or LinkedIn) break a long idea into connected posts. Each post in the thread must stand alone enough to be interesting but connected enough to keep people reading.

Thread Structure

A strong thread follows this pattern:

Hook post: Bold claim or promise that makes people want to read more
Context post: Brief background on why this matters
Body posts (3-7): One point per post, each with a clear takeaway
Summary post: Recap the key points
Closing post: Call to action (follow, repost, comment)

Thread Prompt

Write a 7-post X thread about how to land your first freelance client. Structure:

Post 1: Hook with a bold claim

Post 2: Why most beginners struggle

Posts 3-6: One actionable step per post

Post 7: Summary with a call to action

Keep each post under 280 characters. Number each post. Make every post valuable on its own.

Example output:

1/ I landed my first freelance client in 9 days with zero portfolio and zero connections. Here's exactly how (steal this):

2/ Most new freelancers wait until they feel "ready." They build a perfect website, design a logo, and write a bio. Meanwhile, clients are hiring people who just showed up and offered help.

3/ Step 1: Pick ONE service. Not "I do everything." One clear offer. "I write email sequences for e-commerce brands." Specificity wins clients.

4/ Step 2: Find 10 businesses that need your service. Look at their website, socials, or emails. Spot what's missing or broken. That's your opening.

5/ Step 3: Send a short message. Not a pitch deck. "Hey, I noticed [specific thing]. I had an idea to fix it. Want me to share it?" That's it.

6/ Step 4: Deliver a free sample. Fix one email, redesign one page, or write one post. Show, don't tell. Make it easy for them to say yes.

7/ Recap: Pick one service → Find 10 prospects → Send short messages → Deliver free value. Your first client isn't hiding. They're waiting for someone to reach out. Start today.

LinkedIn Threads

LinkedIn does not have a native thread format, but long posts with clear sections achieve the same effect:

Write a LinkedIn post structured as a thread (use numbered sections) about 5 lessons I learned in my first year of remote work. Use short paragraphs and line breaks. Start with a hook.

Scripting Carousels

Carousels are the highest-reach format on Instagram and LinkedIn. AI can script the entire slide deck.

Full Carousel Script Prompt

Write an Instagram carousel script about 6 habits of successful content creators. Format as:

SLIDE 1 (Cover): Headline and subtitle SLIDES 2-7: One habit per slide with a headline and 2-3 bullet points of explanation SLIDE 8 (CTA): Call to action slide

Keep text minimal—each slide should have no more than 30 words. Use plain language.

Carousel from Existing Content

Turn a blog post, article, or long caption into a carousel:

Here is a blog post I wrote: [paste content]

Turn this into an 8-slide Instagram carousel. Extract the key points and simplify the language. Add a compelling cover slide headline and a CTA slide at the end.

Combining Hooks with Format

Format	Best Hook Style
Single post	Story opener or bold claim
Carousel	Specific number ("7 ways to...") or before/after
Thread	Bold claim with a promise ("Here's how:")
Story/Reel	Question or contrarian take