What a hook has to do
Make the viewer need the next line. That's all. A hook isn't a summary or an introduction - it opens a question the rest of the video answers.
It works best when the first picture and the first line say the same thing, so the eye and the ear agree straight away.
Seven shapes that work
The surprising fact: "Octopuses have three hearts - and two of them stop when they swim."
The question: "Why did nobody notice the Mona Lisa was gone for 26 hours?"
The warning: "Don't plant mint in your garden. Here's why."
The number: "Three words that ended the Cold War."
The story in progress: "At 2am the radio picked up a voice that shouldn't exist."
The contradiction: "The safest place in a lightning storm is a car - but not for the reason you think."
The challenge: "You've been tying your shoes wrong your whole life."
Mistakes that make people swipe
Greetings and introductions ("Hey guys, today we're going to..."). Nobody waits for them.
Promising something the video doesn't deliver. People feel tricked, stop watching, and the platform notices.
A slow first picture - a logo, a title card, a dark frame. Open on the most interesting image you have.
Test hooks, not whole videos
If a topic does well, try it again with a different hook and compare how many people stay past the first three seconds. In TallClip you can ask for five new hooks on any video and pick one before it's made.
The first picture is half the hook
People see before they hear. Open on the most striking image you have - the moment of the story, not the scenery before it.
Movement helps. A shot that moves in the first second stops the thumb better than a still one.
Avoid text-heavy title cards as an opening. A few big words over a strong picture works; a block of text doesn't.
Hooks for different kinds of channel
Facts: lead with the fact itself, not a promise of one. "Sharks are older than trees" beats "Here's a crazy fact about sharks".
Stories: start in the middle, at the moment something goes wrong, then explain how it got there.
Advice: name the problem the viewer has. "If you wake up tired after eight hours' sleep, this is probably why."
Motivation: a single sentence the viewer would want to say to a friend.
Keep the promise
A hook makes a promise; the video must keep it, and quickly. If the answer doesn't come until the last second, many viewers will leave before it - and the ones who stay will feel strung along. Deliver the payoff, then add one more surprise if you have it.
Write the hook last. Once the script is finished, you know what the most surprising part is - and that's usually your opening line.
Questions
How long should a hook be?
One sentence, ideally under ten words, said in the first two seconds.