Short-form video hooks that stop the scroll
You have about three seconds before a viewer flicks away. The hook is not a nice-to-have, it is the whole game. These patterns earn that first moment.
Open on the surprise, not the setup
Lead with the most surprising thing you have, then explain. A video that opens on "a blue whale cannot swallow an apple" beats one that opens on "today we are going to talk about whales."
Make a promise the viewer wants kept
A good hook tells the viewer exactly what they get if they stay: a payoff, a reveal, a useful tip. Vague hooks lose. Specific promises hold.
Hook patterns to try
A few reliable openers.
- The counterintuitive claim: something that sounds wrong but is true.
- The open loop: a question the viewer needs answered.
- The stakes: what goes wrong if you do not know this.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a hook be?
The first line, spoken in the first two or three seconds. If it takes longer than that to land, tighten it.
Should captions show the hook too?
Yes. Most viewers start on mute, so the hook should read on screen as well as in the voiceover.