Hooks Are Overrated. Frames Are Underrated.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Intro
Every content guru, copywriting course, and YouTube thumbnail wizard will tell you the same thing:
You need a hook.
And yeah — they’re not wrong.
Hooks get attention. They make people stop scrolling. But here’s the thing:
A hook gets attention.
A frame makes people care.
What’s the difference?
A hook is a flashy one-liner. A shock. A tease. It’s “You won’t believe what happened next.”
A frame is the underlying context that gives meaning to what happens next.
Think of it like this:
A hook is saying, “This is crazy!”
A frame is saying, “Here’s why this matters.”
You can have the best hook in the world, but if your audience doesn’t understand the frame, they won’t stick around — and more importantly, they won’t remember what you said.
Frames create emotional logic
In storytelling, framing is how you shape a story’s meaning before you even start telling it. It’s the lens the audience looks through.
Two people can tell the exact same story, but with different frames, they feel completely different.
Example:
Story: A man quits his job.
Hook version: “He walked into the meeting and quit on the spot. No plan B.”
Frame version: “After 10 years of being ignored, underpaid, and burnt out, he decided he’d rather face the unknown than stay one more day.”
The first grabs attention.
The second builds empathy, tension, and purpose.
The frame is where you embed the intention and obstacle before the story begins. It sets up why what happens next matters.
Why Frames Matter More Than Ever
In an age of infinite hooks (short-form videos, headlines, clips), attention is cheap. Meaning isn’t.
You can hook someone for 5 seconds. But if they don’t get the frame, they won’t invest in the story.
No investment = no retention = no impact.
Worse, without a frame, your message gets misinterpreted. People project their own meaning onto it. That’s dangerous — especially if you’re building a brand, telling a personal story, or trying to teach something nuanced.
How to Use Framing in Your Storytelling
Here are a few ways to build strong frames:
1. Start with the worldview
What assumptions or beliefs does your audience have? A good frame connects to those — either to reinforce them or challenge them.
“Most people think motivation comes first. But the truth is: action creates motivation.”
2. Define the stakes
Why should the audience care about this story, idea, or insight? What’s at risk?
“This isn’t just about quitting a job. It’s about reclaiming your identity.”
3. Set up the tension early
Let people feel the pressure before the action starts.
“He had the title, the paycheck, the respect — but none of it mattered when he stopped recognizing himself in the mirror.”
4. Use contrast
The best frames show a before and after, or a gap between expectation and reality.
“I thought success would make me happy. I was wrong.”
Final Thought
Hooks might get you the click.
But frames earn you trust.
If you want to tell better stories, don’t just ask, “How do I grab attention?”
Ask: “How do I shape the meaning?”
Tell your audience what the story is really about — and they’ll stay with you to the very end.
Let me know if you want this paired with examples from movies, personal branding, or how to apply it to sales pages or public speaking.
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