How to write a hook for short form video (7 types with examples)

A good short form video hook tells viewers, in the first one or two seconds, exactly why they should keep watching. Show the result first, ask a sharp question, or name a problem the viewer has. Combine a spoken line, on screen text and a strong opening shot so the hook works with or without sound.

Below are the hook types we use most often when editing Reels, TikToks and Shorts for clients.

Why the first seconds matter

People scroll fast. If nothing in the opening moment gives them a reason to stay, they swipe. Everything else in your video, however good, only gets seen if the hook works.

So we treat the hook as its own piece of the edit. It gets planned, filmed and tested on purpose, not left to whatever the first frame happens to be.

Seven hooks that work

1. Result first

Show the finished thing, then explain how you got there. A kitchen reveal, a finished haircut, a clean car. "This is what $500 of paint can do to a kitchen."

2. Call out the viewer

Name who the video is for so the right people stop. "If you run a salon, stop posting before and afters like this."

3. Mistake

People hate getting things wrong. "You are washing your car in the wrong order."

4. Question

Ask something the viewer wants answered. "Why do some Reels get 50 views and others get 50,000?"

5. Number

Lists set clear expectations. "3 things I check before every website launch."

6. Contrast

Show before and after, or expectation versus reality, side by side.

7. Story

Start in the middle of the action. "The client called us at 9 p.m. with a problem."

Make the hook work without sound

Many people watch muted. Every hook should have:

• On screen text that states the hook in a few words

• A strong visual in the very first frame, not a logo or a slow pan

• Movement early, such as a cut, zoom or gesture

Editing tricks for a stronger start

• Cut any pause or "Hi guys" before the hook

• Put the most interesting shot first, even if it comes later in the story

• Use a fast cut or zoom in the first second

• Keep the hook text on screen long enough to read

Test hooks, not whole videos

The quickest way to improve is to film two or three different hooks for the same video and post the versions on different days. Over a few weeks you will see which hook style your audience responds to.

For more on getting edits right, see our guide on how to brief a video editor. Our video editing team builds every edit around the first few seconds.