Short-form video hook formulas that work on TikTok, Reels and Shorts
A hook is the first one to three seconds of your video, and its job is to make the right person stop scrolling. The formulas below work because each one makes a specific promise: a result, a mistake to avoid, a view that goes against the usual advice, or a story already in motion. Pick the one that fits your idea, then make sure what you say, what the viewer sees and the words on screen all make the same promise.
The three layers of a hook
Most hook lists only give you the words. On a phone screen, a hook has three layers, and the first frame often matters more than the first word:
- What they see. The first frame and what moves in it. A face mid-reaction, the finished result, something going wrong.
- What they read. The text on screen. It has to work with the sound off.
- What they hear. Your first line, starting within about half a second.
You don't need all three. A silent visual with text can hook as well as a spoken line. But the layers you use must agree. If the text says "3 things nobody tells you" while you are still saying "hi guys", the viewer gets two weaker hooks instead of one strong one.
The platforms back up the timing. TikTok's guidance for advertisers is to "introduce your content proposition in the first 3 seconds" and to prioritise the hook in the first 6 (TikTok creative best practices). Organic videos are judged by the same people with the same thumbs.
Eight hook formulas, with examples
Each example below uses one everyday topic, meal prep, so you can see how the same idea changes with each formula.
1. Result first
Formula: [The result]. Here's exactly how.
Example: "I cut my food bill by £40 a week. Here's exactly how."
Show: the result in shot before you speak: the fridge full of boxes, the receipt. Works best when the result is specific and believable. "I saved money" is weak; "£40 a week" is a promise.
2. Call out the viewer
Formula: If you're [who], you need to hear this about [topic].
Example: "If you work nights, you need to hear this about meal prep."
Show: a close-up, looking straight down the lens. Narrowing who it is for feels risky, but the people it describes stop harder. Everyone else was never going to watch to the end anyway.
3. The mistake
Formula: The biggest mistake people make with [topic]? [Mistake].
Example: "The biggest mistake people make with meal prep? Cooking every single night."
Show: the mistake happening, then stopping it. A mistake the viewer might be making right now feels more urgent than a general tip, because it is about them.
4. Against the usual advice
Formula: Everyone says "[usual advice]". I think that's wrong, and here's why.
Example: "Everyone says 'just eat clean'. I think that's useless advice, and here's why."
Show: a shake of the head or a hand crossing the advice out on screen. This only works if you really believe it and can back it up in the video. A fake fight reads as clickbait.
5. Numbered list
Formula: [Number] things I wish I'd known about [topic] before I started.
Example: "Three things I wish I'd known about meal prep before I started."
Show: three fingers up, or the three things lined up on the counter. Numbers tell the viewer how long they are signing up for. Keep it to three for a 30-second video: at a steady pace that gives each point about 17 words.
6. The question they already ask
Formula: Why does nobody tell you [this] about [topic]?
Example: "Why does nobody tell you that meal prep goes soggy by Wednesday?"
Show: the problem in close-up. The best questions are ones your viewer has already asked themselves. Look in your comments and your own search history for them.
7. Start mid-story
Formula: The first time I tried [topic], [it went wrong]. This is what I changed.
Example: "The first time I meal prepped, I threw half of it away by Thursday. This is what I changed."
Show: start already moving, in the middle of the action. Skipping the beginning of a story creates a gap the viewer wants filled.
8. Point of view (no words)
Formula: On screen: "POV: you're [who] trying [topic]". Then act it out.
Example: "POV: you work nights and it's 3am and the only food is a Babybel."
Show: the moment the viewer knows too well. This one works with sound off by design, and it is the easiest to film alone: no lines to learn.
Want these filled in for your own topic? Our free hook and shot list generator writes all eight from a few words and builds a timed shot list around the one you pick.
Which formula for which idea
| Your idea is… | Try | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| A before and after, or a number you achieved | Result first | Mid-story, which hides the best bit |
| A how-to or a tip | The mistake, numbered list | Point of view, which leaves no room for the steps |
| An opinion | Against the usual advice | Result first, unless you have proof |
| Something that happened to you | Start mid-story | Numbered list |
| A relatable feeling or situation | Point of view, call out the viewer | The mistake, which can feel preachy |
How to write the line
- Cut the warm-up. No "hey guys", no name, no "so today". If an introduction matters, it goes after the hook.
- Keep it short. Three seconds at a steady 150 words per minute is about 7 words. Our script timer shows the exact budget at your pace.
- Be specific. Numbers, places and names beat adjectives. "£40 a week" beats "loads of money".
- Make it true. The rest of the video has to pay off the hook. A hook that overpromises gets the stop but loses the viewer, and the comments will say so.
- Say it out loud before you film. If you trip over it, rewrite it. Spoken hooks are written for the mouth, not the eye.
Change the delivery for each platform
The same hook can feel native on one app and out of place on another. These are working rules of thumb from general practice, not platform rules:
| Platform | What the first second should do | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Something happens in the first frame; first word inside half a second | Raw, personal, quick. Polish can feel like an ad. |
| Instagram Reels | A striking first frame that reads with the sound off | Confident and clean, no fumbles |
| YouTube Shorts | Promise a payoff the viewer gets by the end | Clear and deliberate |
| Facebook Reels | Say plainly what this is about | Warm and a touch slower |
| The lesson or result comes first | Calm and credible |
If you post the same video in several places, film a separate hook for each platform straight after the main take, in the same set-up. It takes a minute or two and the rest of the video stays the same.
How to tell if your hook is working
Every platform shows how many people kept watching. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube all give a retention view in their analytics: look at how many viewers are still there after the first few seconds, compared with your other videos. Judge hooks against your own past videos, not against someone else's numbers, and change one thing at a time. If the drop is steep in the first second, the first frame is the problem. If people stay for the hook but leave soon after, the hook may be promising something the video doesn't deliver quickly enough.
Questions
How long should a hook be?
Aim for the first one to three seconds. TikTok advises introducing what your video is about in the first 3 seconds and prioritising the hook in the first 6. At 150 words per minute, 3 seconds is about 7 spoken words.
Do I have to speak in the hook?
No. A hook can be a striking first frame with words on screen and no speech at all. Many people scroll with the sound off, so the visual and the text should work on their own.
Should I use the same hook on every platform?
The idea can stay the same, but the delivery often should not. A fast, raw open suits TikTok; a calmer line that states the lesson first suits LinkedIn. Filming a separate hook for each platform takes a minute or two in the same set-up.
What is the most common hook mistake?
Warming up. Saying hello, your name or 'so today I want to talk about' before the point. Start with the point, and put any introduction after it.
Related
- Hook and shot list generator for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
Type your topic and get eight hook options and a timed shot list with framing, word budgets and a CSV download.
- How many words in a 60-second video script (and 15, 30, 90)?
Word counts for 15, 30, 60 and 90-second scripts at real speaking paces, and how to split them into beats.
- Content ideas when you don't have a niche: make yourself the niche
Five places to mine ideas from your own life, 30 prompts that work for TikTok and Reels, and a test for which to film.