8 hook templates for tech creators.

Tech content is a wall of unboxings and spec sheets, and the audience assumes every review was a free unit. These hooks earn attention by naming what you returned, what you paid, or the setting nobody turns off, instead of reading the box back to the viewer.

1. 01Returned-itConfession
   I bought the [PRODUCT] [N] times. I returned it [N] times. Here's the one thing that finally made me keep it.Copy pattern
   Example
   I bought the Vision Pro three times. I returned it twice. Here's the one thing that finally made me keep it.Copy
   Confession hook for review content; the return count is more honest than any star rating.
2. 02Turn-it-offDirect
   Go into [APP/DEVICE] settings right now and turn off [SETTING]. It's been [DOING BAD THING] since you bought it.Copy pattern
   Example
   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.Copy
   Direct hook for privacy and settings content; viewers do it mid-video and comment that they did.
3. 03Spec-sheet-lieContrarian
   The [SPEC] on the box doesn't matter. The one number [BRAND] won't print is [REAL METRIC].Copy pattern
   Example
   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.Copy
   Contrarian hook for buyer-education content; works when you can show the hidden number.
4. 04Angry-about-timeStory
   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.Copy pattern
   Example
   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.Copy
   Story hook for workflow content; the anger is the honest version of 'game changer'.
5. 05Insider-originAuthority
   I worked on [PRODUCT/TEAM] for [N] years. The feature everyone praises was built to [HONEST ORIGIN].Copy pattern
   Example
   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.Copy
   Authority hook for insider content; only post it if you actually held the job.
6. 06Out-of-pocketListicle
   Three apps [PROFESSIONAL GROUP] pay for out of pocket that [TYPICAL GROUP] have never heard of.Copy pattern
   Example
   Three apps software engineers pay for out of pocket that normal people have never heard of.Copy
   Listicle hook for tool-recommendation content; 'out of pocket' signals real use, not sponsorship.
7. 07Real-priceNumber-first
   $[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.Copy pattern
   Example
   $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.Copy
   Number-first hook for true-cost content; stack the numbers in the first two seconds.
8. 08Reviewer-still-cantVulnerable
   I review [CATEGORY] for a living and I still can't [BASIC THING]. Here's why that's the product's fault.Copy pattern
   Example
   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.Copy
   Vulnerable authority hook; the expert-who-struggles framing makes the audience feel less dumb.

Want hooks generated in your own voice?

Templates are great. Templates customized to your channel's actual winners and your real cadence are better. ViralAri reads your last 30 posts, finds the patterns that work for your audience, and generates hooks in your voice — scored against your own baseline.