How to Grade Your LinkedIn Hooks (Before Your Audience Does)

You've written a post. You think it's pretty good. But before you hit publish, there's one critical question: Is the hook strong enough?

The hook—your first 1-2 lines—determines whether anyone reads the rest. It's the gatekeeper. A brilliant post with a weak hook reaches almost no one. A mediocre post with a strong hook at least gets a chance.

This guide gives you a framework for evaluating your hooks before you publish. Think of it as a pre-flight checklist for your content.

The Hook's Only Job

Let's be clear about what a hook needs to accomplish:

Make people stop scrolling.

That's it. Not "capture the essence of your post." Not "summarize your argument." Not "show your personality." Just: make them stop.

Everything else—the value, the insight, the call to action—comes after. The hook's only job is to earn the attention required for those things to be seen.

This clarity matters because many weak hooks try to do too much. They explain context. They set up slowly. They introduce the topic carefully. All of that can come later. The first 1-2 lines need only to stop the scroll.

The Hook Grading Criteria

Here's a rubric for evaluating your hooks across five dimensions:

1. Clarity (0-10)

What you're measuring: Can someone understand what the post is about within 3 seconds?

Signs of clarity:

• Topic is immediately apparent
• No jargon requiring explanation
• No ambiguous references
• Complete thought (not cut off mid-idea)

Signs of confusion:

• Reader has to work to understand what you're talking about
• Dependent on context the reader doesn't have
• Too abstract or vague

Example scoring:

Unclear (3/10): "It's interesting how things can change so quickly when you think about what really matters in this context." (What things? What change? What context? Reader has no anchor.)

Clear (8/10): "I've changed my mind about cold email. Here's why." (Topic is immediate: cold email. Direction is clear: the author is going to explain a change in thinking.)

2. Curiosity (0-10)

What you're measuring: Does the hook create an information gap that demands to be filled?

Signs of curiosity:

• Reader feels incomplete without reading more
• A question is raised (implicitly or explicitly)
• Something unexpected or counterintuitive is suggested
• Stakes are implied

Signs of low curiosity:

• Reader could stop here and feel complete
• The conclusion is obvious from the hook
• Nothing unexpected or intriguing

Example scoring:

Low curiosity (3/10): "Communication is important in business." (Yes, obviously. Why would I keep reading?)

High curiosity (9/10): "I got fired for being too honest. Best thing that ever happened to me." (What happened? Why was it good? I need to know.)

3. Specificity (0-10)

What you're measuring: Does the hook contain concrete details rather than abstractions?

Signs of specificity:

• Numbers present
• Specific examples or situations referenced
• Particular language rather than generic

Signs of vagueness:

• Could apply to anything
• No concrete details
• Generic business-speak

Example scoring:

Vague (2/10): "I've learned a lot about productivity over the years." (How much? Over how many years? What specifically?)

Specific (9/10): "I tried 12 productivity systems in 2024. Only one stuck." (Specific number, specific timeframe, specific outcome—and creates curiosity about which one.)

4. Relevance (0-10)

What you're measuring: Will your target audience see themselves in this hook?

Signs of relevance:

• Speaks to a problem your audience actually has
• Uses language your audience uses
• References situations your audience faces

Signs of irrelevance:

• Too niche (excludes most of your audience)
• Too broad (doesn't resonate with anyone specifically)
• Topics your audience doesn't care about

Example scoring:

Irrelevant for most audiences (3/10): "The latest developments in quantum computing middleware are fascinating." (Unless your audience is quantum computing professionals, they'll skip.)

Relevant for broad professional audience (7/10): "Why your 'dream job' might be making you miserable." (Many professionals wonder about this. Broadly relatable while still specific.)

5. Energy (0-10)

What you're measuring: Does the hook have a pulse? Does it feel alive?

This is the most subjective dimension, but it's real. Some hooks feel energetic and compelling. Others feel flat and corporate.

Signs of energy:

• Strong verbs
• Direct language
• Something at stake
• Emotional undercurrent

Signs of flat energy:

• Passive voice
• Hedge words ("somewhat," "kind of," "maybe")
• Bureaucratic phrasing
• Nothing at stake

Example scoring:

Low energy (3/10): "In this post, I'd like to share some thoughts I've had about the current state of marketing." (Academic, passive, nothing at stake.)

High energy (8/10): "Most marketing advice is garbage. Here's what actually works." (Direct, bold, something at stake.)

Calculating Your Hook Score

Score each dimension 0-10. Total = 50 possible points.

40-50: Excellent. This hook will likely perform well. 30-39: Good. Probably works, but could be sharpened. 20-29: Mediocre. Consider revising before publishing. Below 20: Weak. Needs substantial rework.

Shortcut: If any single dimension is below 4, the hook probably needs work regardless of total score. One weak element can sink an otherwise decent hook.

The Quick Gut Check

Don't have time for full rubric scoring? Here are three rapid-fire questions:

1. Would I stop scrolling? Read your hook as if you're a stranger encountering it in a busy feed. Honest answer.

2. Can I explain what the post is about in one sentence from the hook alone? If yes, you have clarity. If no, you're too vague.

3. Is there something here I'd want to know more about? If yes, you have curiosity. If no, there's no pull to continue.

If you can answer yes to all three, the hook is probably fine.

Common Hook Weaknesses

The Slow Build

"When I started my career twenty years ago in a small town in Ohio, I never thought I'd end up where I am today..."

The actual insight is lines away. The hook gives nothing.

Fix: Lead with the insight. Context can come after.

The Obvious Statement

"Customer service is important for business success."

Nobody will argue, but nobody will keep reading either.

Fix: Add specificity or contrarian angle. "Most customer service advice is wrong. Here's what actually retains customers."

The Throat-Clear

"I've been thinking a lot lately about something that happened last week..."

You're using your most valuable real estate to say nothing.

Fix: Delete it. Start with the actual thing that happened.

The Humble Brag

"I was shocked when my post went viral and I gained 50,000 followers in a week..."

Some readers will find this interesting. Many will find it off-putting.

Fix: Lead with insight, not achievement. "What surprised me most about going viral wasn't the followers—it was [specific insight]."

The Emoji Overload

"🚀🔥💡 Ready to LEVEL UP your career?! 💪📈"

This signals low-quality content. It feels like spam.

Fix: Cut the emojis. Say something real.

Improving a Weak Hook

Example transformation:

Original: "I think it's important for all of us to consider how we approach difficult conversations at work."

Score breakdown:

• Clarity: 5/10 (topic clear, but vague)
• Curiosity: 2/10 (nothing to wonder about)
• Specificity: 1/10 (completely generic)
• Relevance: 5/10 (most people have work conversations)
• Energy: 2/10 (passive, nothing at stake)
• Total: 15/50 (weak)

Improved: "I lost a $200K deal because I said 'let me think about it' instead of 'no.' Here's what I learned about hard conversations."

Score breakdown:

• Clarity: 8/10 (concrete situation, clear topic)
• Curiosity: 9/10 (What happened? What did they learn?)
• Specificity: 9/10 ($200K, specific phrase)
• Relevance: 7/10 (professionals have important conversations)
• Energy: 8/10 (direct, stakes clear)
• Total: 41/50 (excellent)

Same topic. Completely different hook. The second earns attention.

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• LinkedIn Hook Formulas: 50+ Opening Lines That Stop the Scroll
• Why Most LinkedIn Hooks Fail (And the Psychology of the Ones That Don't)
• 100 LinkedIn Hook Examples That Stop the Scroll