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Hook library

Social media hooks by type

A social media hook is the first line of a post, written to make people stop and read. The examples below come from the Voxpanda hook bank: 1,200 hooks, 800 in English and 400 in Indonesian, sorted into 11 types. Voxpanda, an AI social media manager, picks from this bank when it writes a post.

477 of the 800 English hooks contain placeholders such as {audience} or {result}, which the AI fills for your brand. The 5 examples per type on this page are the first ones without placeholders.

Question hooks

Open with a question the reader wants to answer. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

What would you post today if nobody you knew could see it?
What has been your favourite post from us this month?
Be honest: how many drafts are sitting in your notes app right now?
Which of these should we make next: A or B?
Who is your content really for, and do they know it?

How-to hooks

Promise a method the reader can follow in the post. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

How to reply to comments without spending all day online
The easiest way to find post ideas: listen to your customers
How to film a talking video when you hate being on camera
How to pick photos that match your brand
Here is how to stop posting randomly and start posting with a plan

List hooks

Promise a set number of points, then deliver them. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

Four habits quietly holding your content back
Three questions that turn a quiet comment section into a chat
The 3 parts every good post has, whatever the platform
Six ways to show behind the scenes without oversharing
5 ways to say "new arrival" without saying "new arrival"

Mistake hooks

Name a common error the reader may be making. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

Please stop opening every post with "Hey guys"
Posting without a goal is costing you more than time
One small error that makes people stop reading
You are probably hiding your best content in the comments
Small mistake, big difference: check your first line

Myth vs fact hooks

State a popular belief, then correct it. The bank has 72 English hooks of this type.

No, the algorithm is not hiding your posts on purpose
Common belief: more hashtags means more reach. Reality is different.
People think social media is free. It costs time.
"Nobody reads captions anymore." Not true, and here is why.
True or false: you should delete posts that flop

Contrarian hooks

Disagree with common advice in the first line. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

Viral posts rarely bring paying customers
Your follower count matters less than you think
Unpopular opinion: hashtag research is mostly wasted time
Consistency is not about frequency
Stop waiting for the perfect post. Publish the useful one.

Curiosity hooks

Point to a result without giving it away in the first line. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

This tiny change got people replying to our posts again
What happens when you post the same idea three different ways
We tested something odd with our captions this week
Wait until you see what this post looked like before editing
Something strange happens when you post at the same time every week

Story hooks

Start with a moment from the brand or its people. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

I posted the wrong photo once. It became our best post.
The day a customer told us what our brand really meant to them
One year ago today, we published our first post
Our first post got two likes. One was my mum.
Behind every post here is a small team and a lot of tea

Lead with what customers or followers said or chose. The bank has 73 English hooks of this type.

A real review we keep on our office wall
You voted, and the results are in
Our most loved post of the year, chosen by you
Our community answered a simple question: what made you follow us?
Some of the kindest messages we received this month

Comparison hooks

Put two options, versions or periods side by side. The bank has 72 English hooks of this type.

Planned post vs last-minute post. Can you tell which is which?
Doing it yourself vs having a system: a week side by side
Reels vs carousels is the wrong debate
Same idea, two captions. Which one would you read?
Our posts last year vs this year. Spot the difference.

Urgency hooks

Give a reason to read or act now. The bank has 72 English hooks of this type.

Before you post anything this week, read this
Your next post goes live tomorrow. Is it ready?
Reminder: your monthly content review is due
Stop scrolling for a second. This one is quick.
Quick reminder before the weekend: we close early on Friday

How Voxpanda picks a hook

When you start a post, Voxpanda proposes 3 hooks from the bank, sorted by performance score. You choose one, or the AI chooses on higher autonomy levels. The hook then goes into the image template through the AI post generator.

Scores per brand

Every post stores the hook it used. After 7 days, reach, engagement, saves and shares are compared with the brand's average for the last 30 days. A Bayesian average stops a hook with 1 post from beating a hook with 10 posts. New brands see a global score until they have their own data. The scoring is explained on the hook bank page.

Hooks in captions

The chosen hook is also the starting point for each platform's caption. Voxpanda writes a separate caption per platform and checks it against that platform's limit, as described for AI captions per platform.

See the hook bank → See pricing

Questions

What is a social media hook?

A social media hook is the first line of a post or video. It tells the reader why the rest is worth their time.

Where do these hooks come from?

Voxpanda wrote them. The bank holds 800 English and 400 Indonesian hooks, and none are copied from paid hook packs.

Does Voxpanda know which hook works best for my brand?

Yes. Each post stores the hook it used, and 7 days later its engagement is compared with your brand's 30-day average. Scores per brand are included from the Pro plan.

Which hook types does the library cover?

Eleven: question, how-to, list, mistake, myth vs fact, contrarian, curiosity, story, social proof, comparison and urgency.