Examples are illustrations. Swap in your own real numbers and stories; never invent them.
I'm a [CLINICIAN] and I [STRUGGLE] [FREQUENCY]. Here's what I actually do about it, not what I tell clients.
“I'm a licensed therapist and I have a panic attack about twice a month. Here's what I actually do about it, not what I tell clients.”
Vulnerable authority hook; the gap between what you say professionally and what you do is the content.
Keep the delivery plain and unpolished. Over-produced vulnerability feels staged.
'[POPULAR KIND ADVICE]' is making your [CONDITION] worse. What actually helped was [UNGLAMOROUS THING].
“'Just rest when you're burnt out' is making your burnout worse. What actually helped was a very boring routine I hated for the first month.”
Contrarian hook for advice-correction content; only use it for advice you genuinely think is harmful.
Say the claim flat and calm, then prove it within a few seconds. A contrarian line without proof reads as bait.
The moment that made me finally [SEEK HELP] wasn't a breakdown. It was [SMALL MUNDANE THING].
“The moment that made me finally book a therapist wasn't a breakdown. It was standing in the cereal aisle for 20 minutes because I couldn't choose.”
Story hook for help-seeking content; the smallness of the trigger is what viewers recognize.
Start mid-scene. Say the line in the first second, while something is already happening on screen, and skip any setup.
If you [SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR], that's not [WHAT YOU CALL IT]. That's [WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS]. Here's how I know.
“If you reread texts five times before sending them, that's not being thoughtful. That's anxiety doing paperwork. Here's how I know.”
Direct hook for symptom-recognition content; the rename of a behavior is the hook, not a diagnosis.
Talk to one viewer, not an audience. Short sentences, no warm-up, and put the key word on screen.
[N] years of [THERAPY/MEDICATION]. The thing that moved the needle most cost [TINY AMOUNT].
“Six years of therapy and three different medications. The thing that moved the needle most was a $4 alarm clock that isn't my phone.”
Number-first hook for what-actually-worked content; the contrast between years and the tiny fix is the pull.
Lead with the number in the first two words and put it on screen. Use your own real figure, never a made-up one.
Three things [CONDITION] actually looks like that nobody posts about because they're not aesthetic. The first one is [UGLY SPECIFIC].
“Three things depression actually looks like that nobody posts about because they're not aesthetic. The first one is 40 unopened emails.”
Listicle hook for de-glamorizing content; pick the ugly specifics, not the sad-girl ones.
Show the count on screen as text and keep each item short. Deliver the strongest item first or tease it by number.
When was the last time you [BASIC THING] without [COMPENSATION BEHAVIOR]? If you can't remember, keep watching.
“When was the last time you ate a meal without a screen in front of you? If you can't remember, keep watching.”
Question hook for self-check content; works when the question is simple enough to answer in one second.
Ask it straight to camera and pause half a beat. Only ask questions you answer in the video.
[N] years as a [CLINICIAN] and the word I'd ban from the internet is '[POPULAR TERM]'. Here's what it actually means.
“Twelve years as a clinical psychologist and the word I'd ban from the internet is 'gaslighting'. Here's what it actually means and what you probably meant.”
Authority hook for terminology content; the audience will argue, which is the point.
Name your credential in a few words, then go straight to the point. Only claim experience you actually have.
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: Vulnerable, Contrarian, Story, Direct, Number first, List, Question, Authority. 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.