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8 hook templates

Hook templates for small business creators

Product shots and 'support small' guilt rarely stop a thumb. These templates show the margin, the customer who nearly broke you or the thing you would never tell a customer, which is what people want from a shop with a face.

Examples are illustrations. Swap in your own real numbers and stories; never invent them.

8 templates for small business creators

01Still broke

Number first
Template

This [PRODUCT] sells for $[N]. It costs me $[N] to make. Here's where the other $[N] goes and why I'm still broke.

Example

“This candle sells for $38. It costs me $9.40 to make. Here's where the other $28 goes and why I'm still broke.”

How to use this hook

Number-first hook for pricing-transparency content; the 'still broke' line is what makes it honest.

Lead with the number in the first two words and put it on screen. Use your own real figure, never a made-up one.

02One star

Story
Template

A customer [DID SPECIFIC THING] and it almost [SANK/CLOSED] us. Here's what we changed the next morning.

Example

“A customer left a one-star review because we closed at 6pm and it almost sank us for a month. Here's what we changed the next morning.”

How to use this hook

Story hook for behind-the-counter content; name the exact complaint, not 'a bad review'.

Start mid-scene. Say the line in the first second, while something is already happening on screen, and skip any setup.

03Havent paid myself

Confession
Template

I own a [BUSINESS TYPE] and I [THING OWNERS NEVER ADMIT]. Here's why that's normal and why nobody says it.

Example

“I own a bakery and I haven't paid myself in 14 months. Here's why that's normal and why nobody says it.”

How to use this hook

Confession hook for owner-reality content; the unpaid months are the hook, not the bakery.

Say it like you are telling a friend. Follow with what you learned, so it reads as useful and not just dramatic.

04Did the opposite

Contrarian
Template

Every small business guru says [POPULAR ADVICE]. I did the opposite and [SPECIFIC RESULT].

Example

“Every small business guru says post three times a day. I posted twice a week for a year and doubled my wholesale orders.”

How to use this hook

Contrarian hook for marketing content; bring the actual result or it reads as an excuse.

Say the claim flat and calm, then prove it within a few seconds. A contrarian line without proof reads as bait.

05Raise it tonight

Direct
Template

If you're charging $[N] for [SERVICE], you're paying your customers to [DO X]. Raise it tonight.

Example

“If you're charging $40 for a lash set, you're paying your customers to sit in your chair. Raise it tonight.”

How to use this hook

Direct hook for underpricing content; the exact figure makes the right owners wince.

Talk to one viewer, not an audience. Short sentences, no warm-up, and put the key word on screen.

06Why we have a minimum

List
Template

Three things I'd never tell a customer about running a [BUSINESS TYPE]. The second one is why we have a [POLICY].

Example

“Three things I'd never tell a customer about running a flower shop. The second one is why we have a $60 minimum.”

How to use this hook

Listicle hook for behind-the-scenes content; the teased second item earns the full watch.

Show the count on screen as text and keep each item short. Deliver the strongest item first or tease it by number.

07Not the rent

Authority
Template

[N] years running a [BUSINESS TYPE]. The thing that kills new ones isn't [OBVIOUS THING]. It's [REAL THING].

Example

“Eleven years running a coffee shop. The thing that kills new cafes isn't the rent. It's the owner working the register 70 hours a week.”

How to use this hook

Authority hook for lessons content; the years earn the right to name the real reason.

Name your credential in a few words, then go straight to the point. Only claim experience you actually have.

08Show the invoice

Question
Template

Want to know why your [LOCAL BUSINESS] charges $[N] for [ITEM]? I'll show you the [SUPPLY] invoice.

Example

“Want to know why your local bakery charges $6 for a croissant? I'll show you the butter invoice.”

How to use this hook

Question hook for price-defense content; promise the receipt and then show it.

Ask it straight to camera and pause half a beat. Only ask questions you answer in the video.

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Before you film

  • Say the hook in the first second. No greeting, no “so today”.
  • Put 2 to 6 words of it on screen, away from each app's buttons. The safe zone checker shows where those are.
  • Deliver what the hook promises, early. A hook the video does not pay off loses viewers fast.
  • Test a few versions in the hook analyzer before you pick one.

Questions

How should small business creators use these hooks?

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.

How many hook types are on this page?

8 templates covering these types: Number first, Story, Confession, Contrarian, Direct, List, Authority, Question. Rotating types keeps your openings from sounding the same.

How do I know if my version is any good?

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.

Filmed it? Check your draft free.

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.

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