Examples are illustrations. Swap in your own real numbers and stories; never invent them.
I bought the [PRODUCT] [N] times. I returned it [N] times. Here's the one thing that finally made me keep it.
“I bought the Vision Pro three times. I returned it twice. Here's the one thing that finally made me keep it.”
Confession hook for review content; the return count is more honest than any star rating.
Say it like you are telling a friend. Follow with what you learned, so it reads as useful and not just dramatic.
Go into [APP/DEVICE] settings right now and turn off [SETTING]. It's been [DOING BAD THING] since you bought it.
“Go into your iPhone settings right now and turn off Significant Locations. It's been logging every address you sleep at since the day you bought it.”
Direct hook for privacy and settings content; viewers do it mid-video and comment that they did.
Talk to one viewer, not an audience. Short sentences, no warm-up, and put the key word on screen.
The [SPEC] on the box doesn't matter. The one number [BRAND] won't print is [REAL METRIC].
“The megapixel count on the box doesn't matter. The one number they won't print is the sensor size, and it's smaller than it was in 2021.”
Contrarian hook for buyer-education content; works when you can show the hidden number.
Say the claim flat and calm, then prove it within a few seconds. A contrarian line without proof reads as bait.
I used [TOOL A] for [N] years. I switched to [TOOL B] [SHORT TIME] ago and I'm angry about how much time I lost.
“I used Notion for five years. I switched to a plain text file two months ago and I'm angry about how much time I lost.”
Story hook for workflow content; the anger is the honest version of 'game changer'.
Start mid-scene. Say the line in the first second, while something is already happening on screen, and skip any setup.
I worked on [PRODUCT/TEAM] for [N] years. The feature everyone praises was built to [HONEST ORIGIN].
“I worked on a notification team at a big tech company for four years. The feature everyone praises was built to keep you from closing the app.”
Authority hook for insider content; only post it if you actually held the job.
Name your credential in a few words, then go straight to the point. Only claim experience you actually have.
Three apps [PROFESSIONAL GROUP] pay for out of pocket that [TYPICAL GROUP] have never heard of.
“Three apps software engineers pay for out of pocket that normal people have never heard of.”
Listicle hook for tool-recommendation content; 'out of pocket' signals real use, not sponsorship.
Show the count on screen as text and keep each item short. Deliver the strongest item first or tease it by number.
$[N] for the [PRODUCT]. $[N] for the [ACCESSORY] it needs. $[N] a month for the [SUBSCRIPTION]. The real price is $[TOTAL] and nobody says it.
“$1,199 for the phone. $249 for the case and charger. $13 a month for the storage it fills in a week. The real price is $1,760 in year one and nobody says it.”
Number-first hook for true-cost content; stack the numbers in the first two seconds.
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 review [CATEGORY] for a living and I still can't [BASIC THING]. Here's why that's the product's fault.
“I review smart home gear for a living and I still can't get my own lights to turn on reliably. Here's why that's the product's fault, not mine.”
Vulnerable authority hook; the expert-who-struggles framing makes the audience feel less dumb.
Keep the delivery plain and unpolished. Over-produced vulnerability feels staged.
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: Confession, Direct, Contrarian, Story, Authority, List, Number first, Vulnerable. 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.