LinkedIn Hook Formula Behind My 3M+ Impressions
Apply these 5 prompt templates to boost your LinkedIn reach.
No matter how great your content is, a weak hook will bury your post
just like millions on LinkedIn.
I’ve seen creators pour hours into a story,
yet lose readers in the first sentence.
In the last 60 days,
I hit 3 million+ impressions by following one rule:
Craft an irresistible two-line hook.
Ready for the hack?
In This Guide
Here’s what you’ll learn and apply in this step-by-step breakdown:
The Simple Formula Behind Viral Posts
Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever
Are Third-Party Tools Worth It?
Prompt Templates for Four Real-World Scenarios:
Prompt #1: Idea genrator
Prompt #2: Turn raw resources into a viral post
Prompt #3: Optimize an existing draft for mobile
Prompt #4: Generate viral hooks from any topic
Prompt #5: Write high-engagement pinned comments
#1 The Simple Formula Behind Viral Posts
There’s a very simple rule:
Posts go viral if people spend more time on them. That’s it.
It doesn’t matter if the post is long, short, well-written, or casual. If readers stay longer, LinkedIn shows it to more people.
But here’s the catch: no one stays unless you deliver real value, especially on a platform like LinkedIn where attention is scarce and professional.
That’s why the anatomy of a great post looks like this:
Grab attention → with a sharp, curiosity-driven hook
Deliver value → in the body with specific, useful takeaways
Guide action → with a clean CTA (follow, link, reply, etc.)
Drive comments → by using a smart pinned comment that asks a reflective or engaging question
#2 Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever
LinkedIn shows two lines of text before the “see more” cut. So:
Line 1 = The Hook (grabs attention; ≤ 8 words)
Line 2 = The Preview (teases value; ≤ 12 words)
These two lines are everything. They decide whether someone clicks “see more” or scrolls past.
Examples :
#3 Third-Party Tools are great, But Not Always Necessary
Platforms like MagicPost, Taplio, EasyGen, etc, offer powerful features:
Trend discovery
A/B testing post formats
Hook generators
Content calendars
Performance analytics
These are great especially for high-volume creators or teams.
But if your main goal is crafting a powerful hook and value-packed post, the prompts in this guide will do the job, often better, and with zero cost.
#4. Prompt Templates
ᯓ★ Prompt #1:
Idea Generator (Proven Post Concepts with Real-Time Spark)
Use this when: You have no idea what to post, but want high-performing, LinkedIn-native post ideas tailored to your niche.
This prompt works best in ChatGPT o3, Perplexity, Claude just make sure it is connected to the internet where it can pull current examples + topic inspiration.
Why it matters
You don’t need to chase every trend what works best on LinkedIn are timeless formats tied to what’s relevant. Think:
“How-to” frameworks
Completion-style posts (“X things I learned from...”)
Belief-shifting takes (“Why great writers must be illogical”)
Unexpected lists or micro-lessons (“1-minute copywriting course”)
These work especially well when aligned with what people are already thinking about (emerging trends, industry shifts, recent conversations).
Prompt:
Context → You are a viral LinkedIn strategist with access to real-time web data and LinkedIn trend patterns.
Goal → Suggest 7–10 LinkedIn-ready post ideas that follow proven, high-performing formats—and are relevant right now for the {{NICHE}} space.
Instructions →
1. Do a quick sweep of top-performing content on LinkedIn + the broader internet (forums, Reddit, newsletters, Google Trends, social posts) to understand what people care about *today*.
2. Then generate 7–10 post ideas using **formats that consistently perform on LinkedIn**, including:
• How-to breakdowns
• “Lessons I learned” or completion-style posts
• Polarizing takes or belief flips
• Unexpected micro-lists (e.g. “7 things nobody told you about...”)
• “Why this matters” style explainers
3. For each idea, return:
• A short, high-impact title (as if it were the post’s headline)
• 1 sentence explaining why this would perform well on LinkedIn
• (Optional) A link to any relevant source or inspiration (news, post, study, etc.)
Output format →
• Bullet list with a blank line between items
• Write titles like real post headlines—not just vague topics
• No labels like “Idea:” or “Source:”
Here’s the niche to focus on:
{{NICHE}}
Examples output/ topics
7 Things I Stopped Doing to Get More Work Done
This taps into the “subtraction mindset” + list format that performs incredibly well.Why Most Creators Fail to Monetize (And What I’d Do Differently)
Belief-flipping + personal angle = high comment potential.How I Turned My LinkedIn Profile Into a Sales Page
Highly relatable; teaches without sounding promotional.
ᯓ★ Prompt #2:
Full Post Creation from Raw Resources
Use this when: You have a blog post, transcript, notes, or just a rough idea
but no LinkedIn post yet.
This prompt will take your raw data and turn it into a proper high-quality post
You can add your raw data at the end where it says {{PASTE_RESOURCES_HERE}}.
You can also add a custom CTA like:
“Visit my website”
Asking them to subscribe to your newsletter"
Promoting your services or offer
If no CTA is provided, the post will automatically include a default CTA:
“If this helped, hit Like & Share!”
Prompt:
Context → You are a LinkedIn content strategist.
Goal → Turn the resources I’ll paste at the end into a high-engagement LinkedIn post.
Framework →
1. Write a two-line opening:
• Line 1 = Hook (≤ 8 words) — choose how-to, question, bold claim, numbered promise, or contrarian angle.
• Line 2 = Preview text (≤ 12 words) that teases specific value or outcome.
• After Line 2, insert one blank line, then continue straight into the body (**no labels like “Headline:”, “Hook:”, or “Preview text:” and no dividers**).
2. Write the body:
• Present 3–5 concise points or mini-paragraphs (1–2 sentences each).
• Use short lines, natural breaks, and occasional bullets (•) for skimmability.
• Ensure every point offers a tangible takeaway drawn from the resources.
3. Close with a CTA:
• If {{OPTIONAL_CTA}} is left blank, default to “If this helped, hit Like & Share!”
• Otherwise replace it with whatever text appears in {{OPTIONAL_CTA}}.
Style & Formatting →
• Make sure its skimable and mobile optimized
• Keep language friendly, expert, and jargon-free.
• Optimize for mobile: short sentences, generous line breaks, no bulky paragraphs.
• Avoid emojis; monochrome symbols (→ •) allowed sparingly.
Now create the post using these resources:
{{PASTE_RESOURCES_HERE}}
{{OPTIONAL_CTA}}
Pro Tip: Leave space between each section when pasting in content so formatting stays clean.
ᯓ★ Prompt #3:
Mobile Optimization of Existing Draft
Why it matters:
No one reads a LinkedIn post word-for-word they skim.
If your post looks cluttered, most people will bounce, seriously hurting engagement.
This prompt automatically converts any draft into a mobile-optimized, skimmable version that’s easy to read on any screen.
Prompt:
You are a mobile readability expert.
Given the LinkedIn post I’ll paste at the end, reformat it to make it easy to read on mobile:
- Shorten long paragraphs
- Insert spacing between each idea
- Use short, punchy lines where possible
- Keep the tone the same
- Do not change the meaning or remove any key details
Here’s the post to optimize:
{{PASTE YOUR EXISTING LINKEDIN POST DRAFT HERE}}
Pro Tip: Don’t over-format. Just focus on line spacing, rhythm, and clarity for thumb-scrolling readers.
ᯓ★ Prompt #4:
Viral Hook Generator
Use this when: Sometimes your post is ready, but your hook just isn’t working. This prompt gives you 4 options to test different angles.
You can use this with a topic, a draft, or even just a raw idea.
Prompt:
Context → You are a viral hook generator for LinkedIn.
Goal → Give me 4 strong two-line hooks I can test on the topic I’ll paste at the end.
Guidelines →
• Line 1 = Hook. Aim for ~8 words or fewer—shorter is punchier, but go longer if clarity demands.
• Line 2 = Preview. Aim for ~12 words or fewer that tease a concrete payoff or curiosity gap.
• Add one blank line after the preview so the post body can follow directly (no labels or dividers).
• Mix formats across the 4 options: how-to, question, statistic, bold claim, contrarian, numbered promise.
• Prioritize clarity, benefit, and curiosity over strict word counts.
• Avoid filler buzzwords, clichés, and emojis; use plain language that feels human.
Output → Present each two-line hook exactly as it should appear in a LinkedIn feed. Separate the 4 hook sets with two blank lines for easy copy-paste.
Topic / draft to work with:
{{PASTE_TOPIC_OR_POST_HERE}}
Pro Tip: Pick the one that aligns with your tone, or test all 4 with slight post variations.
ᯓ★ Prompt #5:
High-Engagement Pinned Comment Generator
Why it matters: Pinned comments bring your post back to life in the feed. They also drive conversations.
This prompt will write a short, high-engagement pinned comment that you can paste right after posting.
Prompt:
Context → You are a LinkedIn engagement coach.
Goal → Craft ONE concise pinned comment that sparks replies on the post I’ll paste below.
Guidelines (Not a fixed rule) →
• Keep it ultra-short—aim for ≲ 12 words or ~80 characters.
• Choose one approach:
– Ask a question inviting tips, stories, or opinions
– Drop a surprising stat or fact to prompt reactions
– Offer a quick “Pro tip:” that adds bonus value
• Make sure it reads naturally and stands on its own line.
Output → Return the single pinned comment exactly as it should appear in LinkedIn.
Here’s the post:
{{PASTE_FINAL_POST_HERE}}
Pro Tip: Ending with “What’s your experience with this?” or “Any tips I missed?” increases replies.
That’s it
You now have five plug-and-play prompts from Idea Generation to Pinned Comments that cover every stage of a high-engagement LinkedIn post:
Find the angle
Craft the post
Polish for mobile
Test magnetic hooks
Spark an ongoing conversation
Copy the prompt that fits your scenario, paste in your own input, and watch the model do the heavy lifting, no extra tools, subscriptions, or guesswork required.
See you in a few days,
Aniket Chhetri
🤔💭 What’s your go-to trick for writing a strong LinkedIn hook?
Tell us in the comments below.