🪄Can AI write hooks better than me? I tested it...

Yo! Wanna see what I'm about to describe in action? Read all the way to the bottom. I'll show you exactly how these principles work when I use one of our new AI bots to write a hook in real time.

Hey Reader,

I could give you all the principles about what's working in hook writing these days (and I'm about to). But honestly? Knowledge like this is more accessible than ever.

What's more valuable are tools that help you implement these insights without feeling like you're slamming your head into a creative wall.

Rob and I have been building something that turns hook writing from torture into...dare I say...fun experimentation. And I've been playing with it all week.

The results? These bots are getting my hooks 90% of the way there.

I give a demo at the end of this email.

First, what's NOT working anymore

Yesterday, I posted about what doesn't work in 2025 hook writing.

The TLDR: Generic clickbait nonsense is OUT.

AI has taken human clickbait bro marketing hooks, dumped them into a pit, lit them on fire, and created a monster we can't run fast enough from.

And I think that's fantastic.

Because it means the rest of us can write pattern-interrupting, scroll-stopping beauties that make people go: "Holy shit, people with brains and feelings DO still exist" instead of screaming "BARF ME A PIE" at our screens.

So here's what IS working in 2025

✅ Specific, experience-based details that only you could know

AI has made generic claims worthless. Anyone can write "I've helped hundreds of businesses," but only someone who actually organized a gathering can say "I brought 12 elite sales and marketing leaders to the desert."

That's not something you can fake or research. It's a specific action that requires real connections, real effort, and real access. These kinds of details prove you're not just theorizing.

Example: "I brought 12 elite sales and marketing leaders to the desert and asked them: 'What gifting strategies actually drive pipeline and close deals?' The answers were not shocking, but it was telling on where we are going." — Morgan J Ingram

✅ Describing exactly how problems feel, not just naming them

Generic pain points like "LinkedIn is hard" don't work anymore. What stops the scroll is when you capture the exact emotional experience your reader is having. That specific moment of frustration they recognize from their own life.

It's the difference between naming a problem and making someone feel understood at a visceral level.

Example: "😩 Ever feel like pushing a case study across the finish line is harder than closing the deal itself? You chase the customer for weeks... End up with a Word doc graveyard... And a pile of 'Will circle back soon' emails." — Sara Stella Lattanzio

✅ Honest vulnerability with a purpose

Trauma dumping for engagement is sooooo no. Instead of manufactured "rock bottom" stories, you can literally just admit you failed at something and explain what you learned. It doesn't need to be some near-death experience (unless you want to share, then by all means).

All you gotta do is come across as someone who learns and adapts through any-sized struggle, rather than someone who pretends to have all the answers and only learns from big life-changing moments, but is otherwise perfect.

Example: "I was wrong about this. When I first started posting on LinkedIn, I thought the key to success was educational posts. Quick wins. Step by step guides. Value-packed deep dives. Show people you know your stuff, and they'll want to work with you. And that's true. That content builds your authority. It builds your professional reputation. But it's not the whole story." — Sam Browne 🦖

✅ Conversational tone that sounds human

Look, I don't give a shit if AI wrote your content or not — and that em dash isn't a dead giveaway either. But because people are so paranoid about detecting AI, writing like you actually talk works better than ever.

Deliberate imperfection, casual language, and stream-of-consciousness flow immediately signal "real human behind this."

(I mean, really, enough with the AI detectives, but whatever, this is the antidote.)

Example: "ive been hanging out with founders under 22 lately living in sf/nyc and they're built different. my observations of these young founders getting rich with AI:" — Greg Isenberg

✅ Problem validation that feels like mind-reading

The most powerful hooks articulate struggles your audience has felt but couldn't quite put into words.

When you nail this, readers think "Holy shit, this person gets me."

Identifying a problem is fine. Identifying a problem and revealing the deeper psychology behind why people stay stuck is SO fine.

Example: "Someone out there is living the life you want, all because they had the nerve to ask for it. Not because they're more talented than you. Not because they were 'ready.' But because they pitched themselves, took a risk, and gave people the chance to say yes. This might seem a little fluffy, but lately I've talked to so many people (mostly women, let's be real) who are counting themselves out before they even try." — Brianna Doe

But I prefer to learn by doing

Feeling inspired? Ready to go write the best hook of your life?!

My process is to always write it first without AI. See what my 'ole brain can conjure.

But then, I love to play with the bots to see what they think. And no, not just any bot that an AI guru wrote in his 5am espresso window. I mean professional-grade bots that only the top experts can produce.

Yes, I'm talking about my friend and co-creator Rob Lennon, who created all the bots for this product.

ALRIGHT ENOUGH TALKING.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK INSIDE MY BATTLE WITH AI TO SEE WHO WROTE THE BEST HOOK:

WHOA.

The bot understood the nuances and guided me toward some amazing ideas.

Keep an eye out for Tuesday

Hooked on Writing Hooks: 2025 drops on Tuesday. We're selling it for $149.

Anyone who bought the 2023 version gets 50% off (because you're loyal and we love you).

Oh, and did I mention we also have an entire module on email subject lines and preview text? Because email is more important than ever, and your newsletter hooks matter just as much as your social ones.

OH, and...I kinda saved the best for last...

We may have built an entire post writer based on the hook we help you write.

So you put your hook in, and it'll review our super swipe file (500+ posts), match the hook to a post type, and then write the entire post for you.

And of course, we show you how to edit the hell out of whatever the bot creates. Because no one should ever publish 100% AI content. Creative thinking matters at every stage of the process. You gotta put your stank on it.

Yeah, it's kinda epic.

Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Erica

PS. If you watched the video, you know that I don't believe in "shortcutting the thinking" as some die-hard writers argue.

I love using AI because after I've done all the hard thinking, I want to brainstorm with a creative partner. Humans aren't always around to jam with me, but AI is.

So to me, a strong AI tool is like a thought sparring partner. It's not creative laziness, it's creative leverage. Ya know?

Cool. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I'll see you on Monday to remind you about Tuesday, cuz I don't want you to miss this.