30 social media hook templates that stop the scroll
Thirty fill-in-the-blank hooks for video, carousels and posts, grouped into six types, with examples, the platform guidance behind them and a simple way to test which ones work for you.
A hook is the first one to three seconds of a video, or the first line of a post, that gives someone a reason to keep going. The hooks that work fall into six types: curiosity gap, calling out the audience, naming a problem, showing a result, taking a contrarian position, and promising a how-to. Below are 30 templates, five of each type. Pick one that matches what the content delivers, say it in the first three seconds, and test two or three versions of the same video.
- TikTok’s own guidance is to state your proposition in the first three seconds and prioritise the hook in the first six.
- Meta’s own guidance for Reels is to land the hook within the first few seconds, and it names three types: a value promise, a statement of intent, and a question.
- Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, named watch time, likes and sends as the three signals that matter most for ranking. A hook earns the watch time the rest depends on.
- On YouTube, the intro metric shows what share of viewers are still watching after 30 seconds. It rises when the opening matches the title and thumbnail.
- A hook is a promise. If the content does not deliver it, people leave, and the platforms measure that.
Key terms explained (8)
- CRM
- Customer relationship management software: one place that stores your contacts, conversations, appointments and deals. GoHighLevel and HubSpot are examples.
- Preview text
- The short line shown after the subject line in the inbox, before someone opens the email.
- Hook
- The opening of a video or post, usually the first one to three seconds or first line, written to make people keep watching or reading.
- Reels and Shorts
- Short vertical videos on Instagram and Facebook (Reels) and YouTube (Shorts).
- Watch time and retention
- Watch time is how long people keep watching a video; retention is the share still watching at a given point. Platforms use both to decide what to show more widely.
- Sends
- On Instagram, the number of times people shared your post with someone by direct message.
- Carousel
- A post made of several images or slides that people swipe through.
- GTA
- The Greater Toronto Area.
What is a hook?
A hook is the opening of a piece of content: the first one to three seconds of a video, the first line of a caption or LinkedIn post, the first slide of a carousel, the subject line of an email. Its only job is to earn the next few seconds of attention.
It matters because every feed works the same way. Someone is scrolling, your content appears, and they decide almost at once whether to stay. If they leave, nothing after the opening is seen, however good it is.
Why do the first three seconds matter?
The platforms say so themselves.
- TikTok tells advertisers in its creative best practices to introduce the proposition in the first three seconds and to prioritise the hook in the first six, using suspense, surprise or emotion. Its guide to top-performing ads cites its own analysis that 90% of ad recall impact is captured within the first six seconds.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram). In The science of the hook, Meta says great Reels nail the hook within the first few seconds, because that is when viewers decide whether to keep watching. It names three hook types: a value promise, a statement of intent, and a question or invitation. It also recommends testing hooks, since small changes can make a large difference, as Social Media Today reported.
- Instagram. In January 2025, Adam Mosseri said the top three signals for ranking are watch time, likes and sends, with sends mattering slightly more for reaching people who do not follow you. Instagram’s own ranking explainer lists a viewer’s activity and the reel’s popularity among its Reels signals.
- YouTube reports an intro metric: the percentage of viewers still watching after the first 30 seconds. It says a high figure can mean the opening matched what the title and thumbnail promised.
The largest creators work the same way. The production handbook used by MrBeast’s team, summarised by Simon Willison, says the first minute has to hold attention and show the viewer that what the thumbnail promised will be delivered.
Why do hooks work?
Most good hooks open a gap between what someone knows and what they want to know. The psychologist George Loewenstein described this in his 1994 paper The Psychology of Curiosity: curiosity arises when attention is drawn to a gap in our knowledge, and we feel a pull to close it. A hook points at the gap. The content closes it.
The other reliable driver is relevance. When the first line names the viewer’s job, problem or situation, they recognise themselves and stay.
How to use these templates
Replace the words in square brackets with your own. Three rules:
- Use real numbers and real results. The examples below are illustrations to show the pattern. Do not copy a figure you cannot back up.
- Match the hook to the content. If the hook promises three mistakes, show three mistakes.
- Be specific. “Plumbers in Brampton” stops a plumber in Brampton. “Business owners” stops nobody.
I chose these 30 because the patterns repeat across high-performing content from creators and brands, and they match the platform guidance above. No template guarantees a result. Your topic, delivery and audience still decide that, which is why the testing section at the end matters.
Type 1: Curiosity gap
Point at something the viewer does not know yet.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The real reason your [thing] isn’t [desired result]. | The real reason your Google profile isn’t getting calls. |
| 2 | I didn’t expect [outcome] when I [action]. | I didn’t expect this when I replied to every review for 30 days. |
| 3 | There’s one [setting or step] in [tool] almost nobody uses. | There’s one setting in Meta Ads Manager almost nobody uses. |
| 4 | This is why [common tactic] stopped working. | This is why boosting posts stopped working. |
| 5 | What [expert group] know about [topic] that most people don’t. | What good web designers know about the first screen that most owners don’t. |
Type 2: Call out the audience
Name who it is for in the first words.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | If you’re a [role] who [situation], watch this. | If you’re a contractor who’s tired of chasing quotes, watch this. |
| 7 | [Audience], stop doing [mistake]. | Coaches, stop sending people to your home page. |
| 8 | This is for the [role] who’s tired of [pain]. | This is for the owner who’s tired of leads that never reply. |
| 9 | Running a [business type] in [place]? Do this first. | Running a cleaning company in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area)? Do this first. |
| 10 | You don’t need [expensive thing] to [result] as a [role]. | You don’t need an agency to rank locally as a solo tradesperson. |
Type 3: Problem or mistake
Name the pain before you offer the fix.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | You’re losing [result] because of this one [thing]. | You’re losing leads because of this one form field. |
| 12 | [Number] mistakes I see in almost every [thing]. | Three mistakes I see in almost every landing page. |
| 13 | Before you [action], check this. | Before you launch your next ad, check this. |
| 14 | Why your [thing] gets [bad result], and the fix. | Why your emails land in spam, and the fix. |
| 15 | I wasted [time or money] on [thing] so you don’t have to. | I wasted a month on the wrong CRM (customer relationship management software) setup so you don’t have to. |
Type 4: Result or proof
Lead with the outcome, then explain how. Only use results that are yours and true.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | How we got [specific result] in [time] without [expected cost]. | How we got 40 reviews in 60 days without offering a discount. |
| 17 | From [before] to [after]: here’s what changed. | From two enquiries a week to nine: here’s what changed. |
| 18 | This [asset] brought in [result]. Here’s the breakdown. | This one email brought in 12 bookings. Here’s the breakdown. |
| 19 | I tested [A] against [B]. The winner surprised me. | I tested a video ad against a photo ad. The winner surprised me. |
| 20 | [Number] changes that took [metric] from [X] to [Y]. | Four changes that took our reply time from a day to five minutes. |
Type 5: Contrarian
Disagree with common advice, then earn it with a reason. Use this only when you believe it.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Unpopular opinion: [belief] is hurting your [result]. | Unpopular opinion: posting every day is hurting your content. |
| 22 | Stop [common advice]. Do this instead. | Stop asking for the sale in your first email. Do this instead. |
| 23 | [Popular tactic] is overrated. Here’s what I’d do. | Hashtag research is overrated. Here’s what I’d do. |
| 24 | Everyone says [advice]. Here’s when it’s wrong. | Everyone says niche down. Here’s when it’s wrong. |
| 25 | You don’t have a [surface problem] problem. You have a [root problem] problem. | You don’t have a traffic problem. You have a follow-up problem. |
Type 6: How-to or list
Promise a clear, useful payoff.
| # | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | How to [result] in [time], step by step. | How to set up missed-call text back in ten minutes, step by step. |
| 27 | [Number] ways to [result] without [obstacle]. | Five ways to get more reviews without being pushy. |
| 28 | The [number]-step [process] I use for every [thing]. | The four-step outline I use for every blog post. |
| 29 | Steal this [template or script] for your next [thing]. | Steal this follow-up text for your next quote. |
| 30 | Do this before you post your next [content type]. | Do this before you post your next Reel. |
Hook generator
Fill in the blanks once and get one hook of each type. Edit them until they sound like you.
Aim for roughly 6 to 12 words. Only use the proof hook if the result is real.
What makes a hook work on screen?
The words are half of it. In video, the hook is also what people see and read.
- Visual hook. Start with movement, a face, or the finished result. Do not start with a logo or a slow intro.
- Text on screen. Put the hook in text as well as saying it. Many people watch with the sound off. TikTok suggests five to ten words per second of on-screen text.
- Spoken hook. Say it straight away. Cut "Hey guys, so today I wanted to talk about".
- Keep the promise early. Give the first piece of value within ten seconds so the viewer knows the hook was honest.
How do hooks change by platform and format?
| Format | Where the hook lives | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok, Reels, Shorts | First 1 to 3 seconds, spoken and on screen | Show the result or the problem at once |
| Carousel | The first slide | One large line of text, and a reason to swipe |
| LinkedIn post | The first line, before "see more" | A specific claim or a short story opening |
| YouTube video | Title, thumbnail and the first 30 seconds | Open by confirming what the title promised |
| Subject line and preview text | Use a template from type 1, 3 or 6 | |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | First 3 seconds or the headline | Call out the audience, then the problem. Meta's Reels ads guide covers formats |
For ads, the hook does much of the targeting. I explain that in Meta ads for local service businesses. For articles, the same idea applies to your headline and opening paragraph, which I cover in how to write a blog post.
How do you test which hooks work for you?
- Write three hooks for one video. Use three different types from the list.
- Record the three openings and keep the rest of the video the same.
- Post them a few days apart, or run them as three ads with a small budget.
- Compare one number. On Reels and TikTok, the share of viewers who watched past three seconds and average watch time. On YouTube, the intro percentage. In ads, the three-second view rate.
- Keep a hook file. Save every opening you test with its result. After 20 videos you will know which two types work for your audience.
AI tools are useful here. Give Claude or ChatGPT your topic, your audience and these six types, and ask for five options of each. Then pick and rewrite in your own voice. I compare the tools in the best AI tools for business.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Clickbait. A hook the content does not deliver loses the viewer and their trust. YouTube notes that a strong intro percentage can mean the opening matched the title and thumbnail.
- Invented numbers. Use your own results or leave the number out.
- A slow start. Greetings, logos and "in this video" before the hook.
- Too broad. If it could be for anyone, it is for no one.
- The same hook every time. Rotate types so your audience does not learn to skip you.
Tools for the job
| Tool | Use it for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok Creative Center | Seeing top ads and trending openings by industry | Free |
| Meta Business Suite | Plays, watch time and retention for Facebook and Instagram Reels | Free |
| Meta Ad Library | Studying the first seconds of ads that keep running | Free |
| YouTube Studio | Intro percentage and audience retention | Free |
| CapCut | Cutting three openings for one video, with captions | Free plan |
| Canva | First slides for carousels and on-screen text | Free plan |
| Claude | Drafting hook options to rewrite in your own voice | Free plan |
Plans and pricing change. Check each tool's site for current details.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hook in social media?
A hook is the opening of a piece of content, usually the first one to three seconds of a video or the first line of a post, written to give someone a reason to keep watching or reading instead of scrolling on.
How long should a hook be?
Short enough to say in under three seconds, which is roughly 6 to 12 words. TikTok advises introducing your proposition in the first three seconds and prioritising the hook in the first six.
What are the main types of hooks?
Six cover most of what works: curiosity gap, calling out the audience, naming a problem or mistake, showing a result, taking a contrarian position, and promising a how-to or list.
Do hooks work for LinkedIn posts and emails too?
Yes. On LinkedIn the hook is the first line before the see more link. In email it is the subject line and preview text. The same six types apply.
How do I know if my hook is working?
Look at early retention. On Reels and TikTok, check how many viewers watched past three seconds and your average watch time. On YouTube, check the intro percentage. Test two or three openings on the same video and compare.
Related playbooks
Browse every playbook on content, or see all marketing playbooks.
Sources
- Creative best practices for performance adsTikTok Business Help Center
- Creative best practices from top-performing adsTikTok for Business
- The science of the hook: how to supercharge your Reels performanceMeta for Business
- Meta shares tips on Reels hooksSocial Media Today
- Instagram and Facebook Reels adsMeta for Business
- Instagram ranking explainedInstagram
- Instagram shares algorithm insights for 2025Social Media Today
- Measure key moments for audience retentionYouTube Help
- How to succeed in MrBeast production (summary)Simon Willison
- The Psychology of Curiosity: A Review and Reinterpretation (Loewenstein, 1994)Psychological Bulletin
Remar Catapang is a full-funnel marketing strategist based in Ontario, Canada. He has worked in marketing since 2020 and continues to lead search, CRM automation, web, paid media and experiential campaigns for businesses in Canada, the United States, Australia, Egypt and the Philippines. His playbooks are based on that ongoing work. Questions about this playbook: remarcatapangjr@gmail.com
