Photo by Simon Haslett on Unsplash

What can I tell you about pitch-writing in two seconds that will pique your…

“Here are 5 steps to a compelling pitch.”

“…5 easy steps.”

“…5 surefire steps.”

“…5 blah blah blah.”

Oops! Lost you already. You’ve heard it all before and are scrolling down to find a funny cat video.

Okay, so I add a cat photo to my pitch text.

…a kitten—even better. Cute, big eyes and fuzzy face, like she’s asking you the question out of her cute kitten mouth.

That might work. At least it got you to stop scrolling and glance at my post. Will you read it? Will it be enough to make you click the link and find out more?

Photo by Amy Baugess on Unsplash

I don’t have the recipe for the perfect hook.

It depends on what you’re trying to sell. Books? Products? Ideas? Advocacy? The subjects are different, but sales are the same.

A good pitch should contain the following elements: a question; a promise; a surprise, a piece of your heart. Refine those elements into one or two sentences that also describe what you’re selling, and you are on your way.

To grab someone’s attention in the minimum amount of time, video comes in as the number one draw, followed by compelling photos and graphics, but there are exceptions to every rule. One of the most wildly shared pitches I’ve seen going around the internet reads: “I suck at marketing. Please buy my book.” Plain white text against a black background. Funny because it’s true. Does it sell books? I bet it does.

Now for the big question…

Did you read this post? The whole thing? For those who made it all the way to the end, I thank you. For the rest of you, I hope you enjoyed the cat pictures.