What makes a good hook
A good hook is specific, speaks directly to the audience and opens a question people want answered. “Our new magnesium is here” is an announcement. “It's 3:12 a.m., you're exhausted, and your brain is still running through your entire to-do list?” is a hook, because someone recognizes themselves in it.
Keep in mind that a hook isn't just the line. The first image, the first movement and the on-screen text are part of it too. A hand slamming a tub down on the table can do more than the best sentence.
30 hook templates by type
Replace the placeholders with your customers' situation. The examples show how it sounds for a fictional brand.
Recognition
- “If you hit a wall every afternoon at three, listen up for a second.”
- “You know that feeling when [situation], even though you're doing everything right?”
- “This is for everyone who [problem] and has already tried everything.”
- “It's [time], and you're [typical moment of the problem]?”
- “For years I thought [problem] was just normal.”
Curiosity
- “One single question completely changed my morning routine.”
- “Nobody talks about why [common solution] doesn't work for so many people.”
- “I tested [solution] for [time period], and the result surprised me.”
- “The reason your [product category] isn't working is printed on the back.”
- “This is the one thing I wish I'd known before [event].”
Addressing an objection
- “Isn't this just expensive [comparison]?”
- “I was sure this was just another hype.”
- “Why I pay more for [product] than for the drugstore version.”
- “[Price] a day, and yes, I did the math.”
- “The three questions I get asked most about [product].”
Comparison and contrast
- “On the left, my old routine. On the right, my new one.”
- “This is what my morning looks like without [product], and this is what it looks like with it.”
- “What the difference between [common solution] and [product] really is.”
- “Not every [product category] is the same, and here's why.”
- “I tested three [products] side by side.”
Story
- “A year ago, I never would have recorded this video.”
- “My partner asked me what's going on with me, in a good way.”
- “I'm going to show you what I do on a completely normal Tuesday.”
- “My sister sent me this, and I was skeptical.”
- “I dealt with [problem] for three years, so I started doing research.”
Direct and visual
- The product lands audibly on the table, text: “This replaced three things in my bathroom.”
- Close-up of the texture, text: “This is what it looks like when there's nothing unnecessary inside.”
- The person holds the phone very close and whispers: “Okay, I have to show you something.”
- Split screen of a routine before and after, without health promises.
- On-screen text: “If you're reading this, this is your sign to [action].”
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Hooks to avoid
- A greeting instead of a hook: “Hi, I'm Lisa, and today I'm going to show you …” wastes the most important seconds.
- Logo first: Nobody stops scrolling for a logo.
- Health promises: “This supplement heals your gut” breaks advertising rules. See Health claims in supplement ads.
- Clickbait without a payoff: If the rest of the video doesn't deliver what the hook promises, drop-off goes up, and so do your costs.
- Choppy fragment sentences: Three clipped phrases in a row sound like an ad. Full sentences sound like a person.
How to test hooks properly
- Take a video body that works or that you expect to work.
- Write three hooks of different types, such as recognition, objection and story.
- Test them against each other with equal budgets.
- Compare the hook rate first (how many people watch the first few seconds), then the cost per purchase.
- Build new variations from the winner instead of running it until it burns out. More in How to spot creative fatigue.
At AVVEN, every video comes with three hooks, and you approve the script and hooks before production starts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hook?
The opening of an ad, usually the first one to three seconds. It's made up of the first line, the first image and often on-screen text. Its only job is to get someone to keep watching.
How many hooks should I test per video?
At least three. The same video body with three different openings gives you three ads, and often the hook alone decides whether a video wins.
Can a hook exaggerate?
It can sharpen the point, but it shouldn't promise anything the product doesn't deliver. Exaggerated hooks get clicks but not purchases, and for health products they quickly run into health claims rules.