UGCStarsThe short version
A hook is the first one to three seconds of your video: the line you say, the text on screen and what the viewer sees. Its only job is to make the right person keep watching. In a paid ad, nobody chose to see your video, so the hook decides whether the rest gets watched at all.
Most hooks are one of three kinds: a question, a problem or a result. Pair the line with movement in the first second, and match it to what the video actually delivers. Below are 30 examples, sorted by type and by niche, with notes on when each works.
Brands often ask for several hook variations so they can test them. Plan them before the shoot and you can film three in a few extra minutes.
What a hook has to do
A hook works when three things line up in the first seconds. If any one is missing, the viewer scrolls on.
- It stops the scroll. Something moves, changes or surprises in the first second. A still shot of you about to talk rarely does it.
- It tells the right viewer this is for them. “If you have curly hair” filters in the people the product is for, and lets everyone else leave, which is fine.
- It promises something the video delivers. If the hook says “watch what happens”, something has to happen. A hook that over-promises makes people drop off, and the brand sees it in the numbers.
Say it, show it, write it
The strongest hooks use all three channels at once: the spoken line, a matching action and a short text overlay. Some people watch with the sound off, and the overlay carries the hook for them. Keep it under about eight words and away from the bottom of the screen, where the app’s captions sit.
Question, problem and result hooks
Replace the words in [brackets] with your product and situation. Say each line in your own way. A hook that sounds read out loses its effect.
| Type | Example line | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| Question | 1. “Is it just me, or does [problem] happen to everyone?” | A common, slightly embarrassing problem. Leads well into a problem and solution video. |
| Question | 2. “Why did nobody tell me about [product] sooner?” | A discovery story in a testimonial. Works best when the product is new to most people. |
| Question | 3. “Would you put [product] in your [unexpected place]?” | Products with a surprising use. Curiosity carries the first seconds. |
| Problem | 4. “If your [thing] keeps [problem], watch this.” | Paid ads aimed at one clear problem. The viewer decides in a second whether it’s them. |
| Problem | 5. “I was spending [time or money] every week on [problem].” | Products that save time or money. Say a real figure from your own life. |
| Problem | 6. “Stop [common mistake].” | Tutorials and demos. Keep the tone helpful, not scolding. |
| Result | 7. “This is [time] after using [product].” | Visible results: skin, hair, cleaning, organizing. Show the result in the same shot. |
| Result | 8. “I used [product] for [number] days. Here’s what changed.” | Honest diary-style testimonials. Only if you really used it that long. |
| Result | 9. “The only [product type] I’ve bought twice.” | Repeat-purchase products. Strong in testimonials, and only if it’s true. |
Visual hooks: movement in the first second
A visual hook works even with the sound off. It’s often what makes someone pause long enough to hear your line. Start the recording a second before the action, then trim the start in the edit, so the video opens mid-movement.
| Visual hook | How to film it | Works for |
|---|---|---|
| 10. The drop | Drop or toss the product into the frame and catch it, or let it land on the surface | Small products, packaging with a strong look |
| 11. Mid-action start | Open on the action already happening: pouring, spraying, slicing, zipping | Food, cleaning, beauty, anything with a satisfying motion |
| 12. Texture close-up | Fill the frame with the texture: a cream swirl, a sizzle, fabric stretching | Skincare, food, fashion. Lock focus first |
| 13. The hard cut | Open on the before, then cut sharply to the after within the first second or two | Cleaning, hair, home, organizing |
| 14. Toward the lens | Push the product toward the camera, or bring your face close and pull back | Talking-head videos that need energy |
| 15. The odd angle | Film from somewhere unexpected: inside the fridge, from floor level, through the pet door | Pets, food, home products. Keep it quick |
A visual hook is a kind of pattern interrupt: it breaks what the viewer expects to see next. Use one per video. Stacking three in the first second looks chaotic rather than interesting.
Hooks by niche: beauty, food, pets, tech, fitness
Each niche has its own habits and its own rules about what you can claim. Three hooks per niche, with a note on how to use each one.
Beauty and skincare
| Hook | Note |
|---|---|
| 16. “I have [skin type] skin, and this is the first [product] that doesn’t [problem].” | Your skin type is the filter. Say only what you noticed yourself. |
| 17. A swatch on the back of your hand, then: “The real color, no filter.” | Film in daylight and say so. Brands value color accuracy. |
| 18. “My [routine step] in [number] seconds.” | Fast routines suit busy viewers. Speed up the footage rather than rushing your words. |
Food and drink
| Hook | Note |
|---|---|
| 19. “Dinner in [time] with one pan.” | Show the finished dish first, then go back to the start. |
| 20. The first bite, pour or pull, with the sound up close | Sound sells food. Use your clip-on mic or hold the phone close. |
| 21. “I didn’t think [food] could taste like this without [ingredient].” | Taste only. Leave health claims to the brand’s approved wording. |
Pets
| Hook | Note |
|---|---|
| 22. Your pet’s reaction first: the spin, the stare, the run to the bag | Film several takes. You can’t direct a pet, but you can keep the camera rolling. |
| 23. “My [dog or cat] is the pickiest eater I know. Watch.” | Only if it’s true. Brands expect a real reaction, not a staged one. |
| 24. “Things I wish I’d bought before getting a [puppy or kitten].” | A list format that fits several products, or one product in a gift guide. |
Tech and gadgets
| Hook | Note |
|---|---|
| 25. “Three things this [gadget] does that I didn’t expect.” | Lead with the most visual feature, not the most technical one. |
| 26. The device doing its main job in the first second | Folding, lighting up, cleaning, charging. Show it before you explain it. |
| 27. “I replaced [number] things on my desk with this.” | Line up the old items first, then sweep them away. Make sure the count is real. |
Fitness
| Hook | Note |
|---|---|
| 28. “The [time]-minute routine I do when I don’t feel like working out.” | Relatable and specific. The product should be part of the routine. |
| 29. Mid-rep, already moving, with the product in use | A shoe, a band, a bottle in the shot from the first frame. |
| 30. “What’s in my gym bag for a [time] class.” | A soft way into a product. Avoid any weight-loss or performance claim unless the brief gives it. |
How to film three hook variations in one session
A hook variation is the same video with a different first one to three seconds. The middle and the ending stay the same, so you film them once and the hooks separately.
- Write three hooks of different types before the shoot: for example one question, one problem and one visual hook.
- Film the body of the video first, while your setup and energy are fresh.
- Film each hook three or four times without moving the phone or the light, so every version cuts cleanly into the same body.
- Match the end of each hook to the start of the body. If the body starts with you holding the product, end each hook holding it the same way.
- In the edit, make one full video, then copy it and swap only the first seconds for each variation.
- Name the files so the brand can tell them apart, such as “Brand_Testimonial_HookA_Question.mp4”.
| Version | Hook (first 1–3 seconds) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Hook A | The dog spinning at the sound of the bag opening | Visual |
| Hook B | “My dog is the pickiest eater I know. Watch.” | Problem |
| Hook C | “Why did nobody tell me about these sooner?” while holding up the bag | Question |
| Body (all three) | Why you tried them, the dog eating one, the ingredients on the back, your verdict | Shared |
Keep a hook bank: a note on your phone with every hook you’ve filmed and any feedback the brand shared on which ones worked. It makes the next brief faster.
Hooks to avoid
- Greetings and intros. “Hey guys, so today…” spends the hook on nothing. Start with the line.
- Claims you can’t back up. “This cured my acne” or “I lost 10 pounds” can get an ad rejected and may break advertising rules. Use what you noticed and the claims the brand approves.
- Clickbait the video doesn’t deliver. If the hook promises a shock and the video is a calm review, viewers leave and the brand stops using the version.
- Fake urgency. “Sold out everywhere” or “last chance” unless the brand confirms it’s true.
- Before and afters the platform won’t allow. Ad platforms limit before-and-after images for weight loss and some health products. Follow the brief, and ask if you’re unsure.
- Trending sounds in ads. Popular music in a hook is often not licensed for ads. Deliver a version without it unless the brief says otherwise.
Before you film your hooks
- You’ve written at least three hooks, of at least two different types.
- Each hook promises something the video delivers.
- Every claim is true for you or comes from the brief.
- Each spoken hook has a matching action in the first second.
- The text overlay is under about eight words and clear of the app’s caption area.
- Each hook ends in the same position as the start of the body, so they cut together cleanly.