The key to any great essay is a snappy introduction that hooks the reader in and brings them on board with the topic that you’re covering. It’s a concept that’s borrowed from fiction writing (i.e. “Call me Ishmael”), song writing and journalism. You need to grab attention at the start if you want people to follow it through to the end.

Without a good hook, your essay is doomed to fall flat before you get out of the gates. There’s an art to it, which is why we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are just a few of our top tips and tricks for writing a hook that will reel in readers.

Writing a Great Hook

Identify Your Audience

Before you start writing, determine who will be reading your essay and what you want them to feel. Should they be happy? Sad? Motivated to research the topic further? Use language that will appeal to both your audience and the emotion so that your hook is specifically designed to engage with the people who matter.

Use Questions

Asking a question encourages people to think about the topic, and they’ll often subconsciously come up with an answer as they’re reading. It doesn’t have to be complicated – in fact, it can even be rhetorical. You can see this in action on social networking sites – posts which include a question receive 162% more interactions than those without.

Try Facts and Quotes

Using facts and quotes will allow you to tap into existing expertise to support your argument, and it’ll naturally make your essay seem more authoritative. In fact, most essays require you to cite facts and quotes to augment your argument, and using them in your hook can help to set the scene before readers dive into the rest of the essay.

Show, Don’t Tell

This technique is popular with writers from all over the world. Instead of simply saying “I was happy”, show it by saying something like, “I skipped down the street with a song on my lips.” It helps you to be more evocative and it encourages readers to actively participate in your essay by visualizing what you’re talking about.

Use a Little Mystery

The very best writers are able to use mystery to hook readers by providing just enough information to whet their appetite. You should aim to make them curious without revealing the full story. After the hook, they’ll continue reading because they’ll want to know what happens next. You can look for the writing services reviews to find writers if you can't think of the original story.

Test It!

The great thing about your hook is that it doesn’t have to be long, which means you can draft up a half dozen different versions and run them past friends and family members to gauge their impact. Ask them to tell you what they liked and what they didn’t like, then use that to improve your hooks before testing them again and again and again. Keep going until you get it just right.

Get Hooked

Remember that hooks are universal and that they’re not just limited to essays. You can use them in grant requests, cover letters, resumes and more if you want to improve your chances of success.

Just remember that it takes time to craft the perfect hook, and you’d be surprised at how long it can take to get it right. Don’t be afraid to invest that time – after all, if your hook doesn’t work, people won’t keep reading and the rest of your essay is effectively worthless.

Don’t give people an excuse to stop reading. Make sure you get the hook right and success – and good grades – will follow.