The 5-Second Rule

Hey my friend!

My twin daughters are little tricksters.

The other day, they teamed up to prank me. One distracted me with hugs while the other swiped my phone and bolted. At the time they were only 2 years old!

Chaos. Screaming. Nonstop laughter.

I had about five seconds to react before they disappeared into their hiding spot.

And in those five seconds, everything happened.

If I had hesitated? Paused? Thought too much? Game over.

That same five-second rule applies to writing.

Because when someone sees your post, email, or sales page, they decide in five seconds whether to keep reading or scroll away.

Most people waste that window with weak openers like:

"In today's fast-paced world, content is key..."
"Have you ever wondered how to improve your business?"
"Writing great copy is essential for success..."

Yawn. Gone. Next.

So here’s how to stop the scroll and hook your reader instantly.

Make a bold statement.
"Your content is failing. Here’s why."
"Most people write copy wrong. Let’s fix it."
"You don’t need more followers. You need this."

Create curiosity.
"I thought this was a scam… until it wasn’t."
"I was dead wrong about marketing. Here’s what changed."
"This one tweak doubled my sales overnight."

Trigger emotion.
"Your audience doesn’t trust you. Here’s why."
"I made this mistake for years. Don’t do it."
"You’re closer to success than you think."

A great hook makes people stop.
A weak hook makes them leave.

So before you hit post, do this:

Read your first sentence.
If it wouldn’t make you stop scrolling, rewrite it.
Then let the rest of your message do the work.

Because if you don’t grab them in five seconds…

You’ve already lost them.

What are you struggling with the most?

Reply and let me know!! I respond to every single one.

Talk soon,

Stephen

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