How to write a hook that stops the scroll

Nobody decides to watch your video. They decide not to scroll past it, and they make that call in about the time it takes to read one line. That line, and the picture under it, is your hook. Everything else you made only gets seen if the hook earns it.

The good news is that hooks are a skill, not a gift. Most of the ones that work fall into a handful of patterns, and you can learn them the same way you learn a chord.

What a hook actually does

A hook makes one promise and opens one question. The promise tells the viewer what they get for staying (“this will save you an hour a week”). The question is the gap they need you to close (“…but not the way you think”). If your first line does neither, the viewer has no reason to stay for the second.

• Say it in the first second. Don't start with a logo, a hello or your name.
• Show it as well as say it. Put the hook on screen as text, because plenty of people watch with the sound off.
• Make it about the viewer. “You” beats “I” almost every time.
• Be specific. “3 mistakes” is stronger than “some mistakes”, and “$40 lamp” is stronger than “cheap lamp”.

Seven hook patterns that work

Nobody wants to be the person making the mistake, so they stay to check. Only use it when you can actually name the mistake and the fix.

Lead with the ending, then tell the story. The viewer already knows it's worth it, so they stay to find out how.

A number sets expectations and makes a natural finish line, so people stay to see all three. Keep the list short, and put your strongest point last so they don't leave early.

Disagreement gets attention, and comments. Back it up in the video, or it just reads as clickbait.

Naming your audience filters out people who were never going to care, and makes the right people feel seen. A narrow call-out often outperforms a broad one.

Not every hook is words. A frame that looks different from everything around it in the feed buys you the second you need to land the line.

Start a story and hold back the ending. Close the loop before the video ends. Viewers who feel tricked don't come back.

Pin the hook on screen

Many creators keep the hook on screen for the whole video as a title. It does two jobs. It catches people who arrive mid-video from a replay or a share, and it reminds everyone why they're still watching. Keep it short enough to read in one glance: ideally one line, and never more than two.

Test hooks, not whole videos

The cheapest experiment in short-form video is to keep the body and change the first line. Post the same video with two different hooks a few days apart and compare how many people get past the first three seconds. Your analytics will show you where people drop off. If most of them leave in the first second, the problem is the hook, not the content.

1. Write five hooks for every video before you film.
2. Read them out loud. Cut any that take more than two seconds to say.
3. Pick the one that makes the most specific promise.
4. Keep the rest for later tests.