Academy / Write posts people stop for
Lesson 1 of 4 · 5 min
The first line
On Instagram and Facebook, the first line or two are all anyone sees before "more". Threads and LinkedIn work much the same. If the first line does not earn the second, the rest of the post does not exist.
Five first lines that work
- A number that means something. "We opened 214 Saturdays in a row."
- A result, then how. "Our Tuesday class was empty in March. It is full now. Here is what we changed."
- A question the reader has asked themselves. "Is it worth paying for a personal trainer if you only go twice a week?"
- A small surprise. "The best-selling thing in our bakery is not bread."
- A direct promise. "Here is the exact email we send to every new client. Copy it."
Lines to avoid
- Greetings. "Happy Monday everyone!" says nothing about why to stop.
- The brand's name first. "At Riverside Yoga we believe..." is about you, not the reader.
- Hashtags or a link in the first line. Put them at the end or in the first comment.
- A cliffhanger with no payoff.
Do it
- Pick one thing your business did or learned this week.
- Write three first lines for it, one from each of three kinds above.
- Cover everything but each line and ask: would I tap "more"? Keep the best. Bo can write three more if you paste the post and ask.
Quick check · 3 questions
Check what stuck
Which first line makes people read on?
Show the answer
Our Tuesday class was empty in March. It is full now. A result, then how. A greeting or the brand's name first says nothing about why to stop.
Where do hashtags go?
Show the answer
At the end or in the first comment. The first line is too valuable for hashtags or a link.
What is a quick test for a first line?
Show the answer
Cover everything else and ask: would I tap "more"? If not, write two other versions and pick the best. Bo can suggest three.
In this course
- 1The first lineFive kinds of first line that make people read on, with examples for local businesses and creators, and the ones to avoid. · 5 min
- 2A brief Claude can write fromThe four things a good brief says, a before and after, and how to dictate one in thirty seconds. · 5 min
- 3One clear next stepWhy a post with three asks gets none, which ask fits which goal, and how Check post catches a missing one. · 4 min
- 4Make it fit each channelOne post, four channels: what changes on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and LinkedIn, and how channel variants do it without writing four posts. · 5 min