How to write a hook for short videos (with examples)
The first sentence decides whether people keep watching. Seven hook formulas for short videos, with before and after examples.
On a short video platform the viewer is one flick of the thumb from the next video. You have about a second or two to give them a reason to stay. That reason is the hook.
What a hook is not
A hook is not an introduction. "Hey guys, welcome back to the channel" tells the viewer nothing. A hook is the most interesting thing in the video, said first.
Seven formulas that work
1. The surprising fact
Start with the fact that makes people say "really?".
An octopus has three hearts, and two of them stop when it swims.
2. The question with a gap
Ask something the viewer cannot answer yet but wants to.
Why do airplane windows have a tiny hole in them?
3. The bold claim
Say something specific that some people will disagree with.
Most morning routines make you less productive, not more.
4. The promise with a number
Numbers set expectations and tell the viewer when it will be over.
Three mistakes that are quietly ruining your sleep.
5. The story in the middle
Start at the most dramatic moment, then explain how you got there.
I was one minute from losing the account when the phone rang.
6. The contrast
Put two things next to each other that should not go together.
The cheapest coffee in the shop beat the most expensive one.
7. The direct address
Talk to a specific person.
If you work from home and keep losing track of time, watch this.
Make it specific
Vague hooks fail. Compare "This will change how you cook" with "Salt your pasta water like this, not like that". Specifics are believable and they let the viewer picture the payoff.
Pay it off
A hook is a promise. If the video does not deliver what the first line promised, viewers leave and the platform notices. Check that the answer or the payoff appears in the video, ideally before the last second.
Test several
You rarely know which hook will work. Make the same video with two or three different first lines and compare the results. In Uma you can write the same brief with a different angle and create a new version for a few credits.
Read it out loud
If the first line sounds awkward when spoken, rewrite it. Hooks are heard, not read. Keep sentences short and put the interesting word near the start.
Try writing three hooks for your next video before you pick one. Then create it in Uma and see how it plays.