Ten opening-line patterns for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts, what each one promises the viewer, and how to test them against each other honestly.
The hook is the first line a viewer hears or reads. On Reels, TikTok, and Shorts it has one job: make the promise of the video clear enough, fast enough, that the viewer decides to stay.
Every hook pattern below makes a different promise. Picking a pattern is really picking which promise fits the video you already made.
The ten patterns
1. Question
"Why do most beginners still get meal prep wrong?" Promises an answer to a problem the viewer already feels. Works when the audience would genuinely ask the question.
2. Numbered list
"3 lighting fixes you can make tonight." Promises a bounded, skimmable payoff. Deliver exactly the number you say.
3. Mistake
"Stop making this budgeting mistake." Promises to save the viewer from a loss. Strong for correction content — make sure the mistake is real and common.
4. Contrarian
"Unpopular opinion: you don't need a new camera." Promises a different take. Only use it for opinions you can back up in the video; otherwise it reads as bait.
5. POV
"POV: your first client finally says yes." Promises a relatable moment. Best with strong visuals and on-screen text.
6. Starting over
"If I had to learn editing from zero, I'd start here." Promises a shortcut. Good for beginner audiences and evergreen explainers.
7. Curiosity gap
"The part of pricing nobody explains." Promises missing information. The video must actually fill the gap, or retention drops right after the hook.
8. Challenge
"Try this posture change for 7 days." Promises a transformation the viewer can test. Natural fit for series and follow-ups.
9. Story
"The moment editing finally clicked for me." Promises a narrative. Keep it true to your own experience.
10. Direct promise
"How to write captions faster — in under 30 seconds." Promises clarity over intrigue. Often the best choice for search-driven content and titles.
Match the hook to the video, not the trend
A contrarian hook on a gentle tutorial feels like a bait-and-switch. A numbered list on a story video feels rushed. Write the video first, then ask: what is the single promise this video keeps? Choose the pattern that states that promise.
Say it and show it
Many viewers scroll with the sound off. Put the hook on screen as text in the first frame, and say it out loud in the first seconds. Keep the on-screen version short enough to read at a glance.
Test hooks honestly
To learn which pattern works for your audience, change one thing at a time:
- Keep the topic and format similar, and vary only the hook pattern.
- Compare results against your own recent average, not against someone else's viral post.
- Look at more than one post per pattern before drawing a conclusion.
Write the result down as a one-line insight and carry it into next week — that is the weekly content loop in practice.
Generate your own
The free hook generator turns a topic into one hook for each of these ten patterns. It is template-based — no AI and no account — so treat the output as a starting line to rewrite in your own voice.