Meta Ads Copywriting Hooks: Primary Text Frameworks

"See More." This little button is the goal of all copywriting on Facebook. Your Primary Text is truncated after 2-3 lines. If those lines are "We are the best solution for X," the user keeps scrolling. If those lines are "Stop buying X until you read this," the user stops. The Hook is not about selling. It is about buying 3 seconds of attention.

In this guide, we break down the AIDA Framework, the "See More" Trigger, and 3 formulas you can copy-paste.

The Financial Logic of Copy

• Weak Hook: CTR 0.5%. CPC $4.00.
• Strong Hook: CTR 1.5%. CPC $1.33.
• Impact: Tripling your CTR cuts your traffic cost by 66%. You can literally double your ROAS just by rewriting the first sentence.

Theory: The "Pattern Interrupt"

The Facebook Feed is a dopamine machine. Users are in a trance. To get their attention, you must break the pattern.

• Pattern: Corporate Speak ("Introducing our new collection").
• Interrupt: Direct Address ("Hey Seattle Homeowners").
• Pattern: Polished Photos.
• Interrupt: Ugly Text on a Notes App screen.

Framework: The 3 Hook Types

1. The Call Out (Targeting)

Directly calls out the identifying trait of the user.

• Example: "If you have a SaaS company doing >$10k MRR..."
• Why it works: It confirms relevance immediately. The user thinks, "That's me."

2. The Contrarian (Shock)

States something that goes against common knowledge.

• Example: "Why 8 glasses of water a day is killing your energy."
• Why it works: Curiosity. The user needs to know why they were wrong.

3. The Comparison (Us vs Them)

Directly attacks the incumbent solution.

• Example: "Stop using Spreadsheets for CRM. It's 2026."
• Why it works: It taps into the pain of the current solution.

Execution: Writing the "See More" Bait

You have roughly 125 characters before the text is cut off. You must tease the "Value" just below the fold.

• Bad: "Here are 5 tips for better sleep. [See More]"
• Good: "I tried 50 sleep hacks. 49 failed. The one that worked was... [See More]"
• Tactic: Leave the sentence unfinished. Force the click.

Advanced Strategy: The "Review" Hook

Instead of you talking, let a customer talk. Quotes always outperform corporate copy.

• Headline: "⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I cancelled my Salesforce subscription'"
• Body: "I was paying $500/mo for features I didn't use..."
• Impact: Social proof is the strongest psychological trigger in buying.

Case Study: The B2B Supplement

Client: Nootropic Brand. Before (Weak): "Boost your focus with our natural mushroom blend." (CTR 0.7%). After (Strong): "Adderall makes you jittery. Coffee makes you crash. This doesn't." (CTR 2.1%). Why: The new hook attacked the competitors (Coffee/Meds) immediately.

Pitfalls to Avoid

1. The "Welcome" Hook

"Welcome to Brand X." Nobody cares about your brand. They care about their problem. Rule: Delete the first sentence of your current draft. It's usually fluff.

2. The Wall of Text

No line breaks. Key info buried in paragraph 3. Fix: Use "Bro-Poetry" formatting. One sentence per line. Lots of white space. Emoji bullets. ✅

3. Being "Clever"

"Don't let the cat out of the bag!" User: "What cat? What bag?" Rule: Clarity → Cleverness. "Get 50% Off" is better than a pun.

Summary

The image stops the scroll. The copy gets the click. A beautiful image with boring copy is a Ferrari with no engine. It looks good, but it doesn't go anywhere.

Your Copy Checklist:

1. Check your First 125 Characters.
2. Use a Call Out ("Hey [Avatar]").
3. Add line breaks for Readability.
4. End with a clear CTA.

Write like you speak.