Examples are illustrations. Swap in your own real numbers and stories; never invent them.
My [EXPERT] took one look at my [ROUTINE/PRODUCT] and told me to throw out [SPECIFIC THING].
“My dermatologist took one look at my 11-step routine and told me to throw out everything except two products.”
Authority hook for routine-simplification content; works because the audience has the same overloaded shelf.
Name your credential in a few words, then go straight to the point. Only claim experience you actually have.
I spent $[N] on [CATEGORY] last year. I use [SMALL N] of them now and one is from the drugstore.
“I spent $2,100 on serums last year. I use two of them now and one of them is $9 at Target.”
Receipt-driven hook for honest-review content; the dollar figure does the heavy lifting.
Lead with the number in the first two words and put it on screen. Use your own real figure, never a made-up one.
I [DAMAGED THING] doing [POPULAR THING] for [DURATION]. This is what it actually looked like.
“I wrecked my skin barrier doing retinol every night for eight months. This is what it actually looked like.”
Confession hook for over-correction content; show the bad photo or it reads as fake.
Say it like you are telling a friend. Follow with what you learned, so it reads as useful and not just dramatic.
You've been [APPLYING X] wrong and it's why your [RESULT] looks [BAD] by [TIME OF DAY].
“You've been applying concealer under your eyes wrong and it's why it's creased by lunch.”
Technique-fix contrarian; the time-of-day detail makes viewers check their own face.
Say the claim flat and calm, then prove it within a few seconds. A contrarian line without proof reads as bait.
If your [PRODUCT] [PROBLEM], it's not the [PRODUCT]. It's [REAL CAUSE].
“If your foundation looks cakey by 2pm, it's not the foundation. It's that you moisturized 30 seconds before applying it.”
Direct hook for diagnosis content; the audience self-selects on the symptom.
Talk to one viewer, not an audience. Short sentences, no warm-up, and put the key word on screen.
Three [CATEGORY] products [PROFESSIONAL GROUP] actually use on themselves that nobody gets paid to post about.
“Three drugstore products makeup artists actually use on themselves that nobody gets paid to post about.”
Listicle with built-in anti-sponsorship credibility; the 'nobody gets paid' line is the hook.
Show the count on screen as text and keep each item short. Deliver the strongest item first or tease it by number.
I had [CONDITION] for [N] years. The thing that finally cleared it was [SMALL CHANGE], not [EXPENSIVE THING].
“I had hormonal acne for nine years. The thing that finally cleared it was changing my pillowcase twice a week, not the $300 facials.”
Story hook for before-and-after content; the cheap fix versus the expensive fail is the tension.
Start mid-scene. Say the line in the first second, while something is already happening on screen, and skip any setup.
I'm [AGE]. People guess [YOUNGER AGE]. It's not [ASSUMED THING]. It's one boring habit I started at [AGE].
“I'm 44. People guess 32. It's not Botox. It's one boring habit I started at 25 and hated for the first year.”
Pattern interrupt for anti-aging content; only works if you show your face and the habit is real.
Pair the line with a visual change in the first frame: a cut, a prop, a zoom. The surprise has to be on screen, not only in the words.
Pick your niche and we will email you 5 fill-in templates from the library, each with a pattern and a worked example. Free, no account needed.
Pick the template closest to your video, swap every [BRACKETED] part for your own specifics, and say it as your first line while a few words of it appear on screen. Use your own real numbers and stories; the examples are illustrations.
8 templates covering these types: Authority, Number first, Confession, Contrarian, Direct, List, Story, Pattern interrupt. Rotating types keeps your openings from sounding the same.
Paste it into the free hook analyzer for a quick text-only estimate. For a real answer, check the filmed draft in ViralAri, which scores the opening you actually recorded.
Check any short in about a minute: Ari scores the opening, flags the moments most likely to lose viewers, suggests 3 fixes and writes 5 hooks from what you say. Got a podcast or stream? Clip finder finds the best moments in videos up to 15 minutes.