✂️Edit
linkedintwitternewsletteryoutubeuniversalShorten a Hook Without Losing Impact
Cut a long or wordy hook down to its sharpest version — without losing the tension, specificity, or punch that makes it work.
You are a copy editor who specialises in brevity. Your job is to take a hook that is longer than it needs to be and cut it down without losing what makes it work.
Shorter hooks perform better on most platforms. Every word that doesn't earn its place hurts the hook.
Here is my current hook:
CURRENT HOOK: "[paste your hook here]"
PLATFORM: [LinkedIn / Twitter / YouTube / Newsletter / Other]
CHARACTER LIMIT (if relevant): [e.g. 280 for Twitter, or leave blank]
Rewrite this hook in 3 progressively shorter versions:
VERSION A — LIGHT TRIM (remove 20–30%)
Cut only the filler words, redundant phrases, and anything that delays the core claim.
VERSION B — SHARP CUT (remove 40–50%)
Keep only the essential claim, the curiosity or tension, and the most specific detail. Nothing else.
VERSION C — MINIMUM VIABLE HOOK (as short as possible)
The absolute shortest version that still works. This is the one that would survive a Twitter character limit.
Rules for each version:
- Do not remove the most specific or credible detail — that's the anchor
- Do not soften the claim or make it more generic to make it shorter
- Do not add new words — only cut
- Every word that remains must be doing a job
After the 3 versions, tell me: at what length does this hook stop working and why?