Guide
A hook is the opening of an ad that makes people stop scrolling
Updated
A hook is the first 2 to 3 seconds of an ad: the first words, the first picture and any text on screen. Its only job is to make someone stop scrolling and keep watching.
In short
- A hook is the opening of an ad, usually the first 2 to 3 seconds, made to stop people scrolling.
- A hook has four parts: the first words, the first picture, the text on screen and movement.
- Three seconds of speech holds about 8 words, so a spoken hook is one short sentence.
- Good hooks name who the ad is for, say something surprising, or show the result straight away.
- Hook rate shows if a hook works. It is the share of people shown the ad who watched past 3 seconds.
- About what you can say in 3 seconds
- 8 words
- The opening that hook rate measures
- 3 sec
- Hook styles in Cutroom
- 15
What is a hook in advertising?
A hook is whatever makes a scrolling viewer stop. On TikTok, Reels and Shorts, that happens in the first 2 to 3 seconds.
- The hook does not have to explain the whole ad. It only has to make people watch the next few seconds.
- People decide to stay or scroll before they know what the ad is about.
- A hook can be spoken, written on screen or only shown, like a product being used.
One common way to lay out a 30-second ad
An example layout, not a rule. The hook is the first 3 seconds.
- Hook0-3s
- The problem3-8s
- How it works8-15s
- Proof15-24s
- What to do next24-30s
The 4 parts of a hook
Four things play at once in the first seconds. Only the spoken words need sound, and people often scroll with the sound off.
- A strong first sentence can still fail if the first picture is dull.
- Starting in the middle of a sentence or a movement gives the viewer something happening straight away.
What each part of a hook does
| Part | What it does | Works with the sound off? |
|---|---|---|
| The first words | Say the one line that makes the viewer stay | No |
| The first picture | Works like a thumbnail while people scroll | Yes |
| Text on screen | Carries the hook for people watching without sound | Yes |
| Movement | Something moving on screen keeps people looking | Yes |
Part: The first words
- What it does
- Say the one line that makes the viewer stay
- Works with the sound off?
- No
Part: The first picture
- What it does
- Works like a thumbnail while people scroll
- Works with the sound off?
- Yes
Part: Text on screen
- What it does
- Carries the hook for people watching without sound
- Works with the sound off?
- Yes
Part: Movement
- What it does
- Something moving on screen keeps people looking
- Works with the sound off?
- Yes
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How long is a hook?
A hook is about 2 to 3 seconds long. People speak about 2.5 words a second, so that is about 8 words.
- Cut greetings, your name and warm-up words from the opening.
- Say your opening out loud with a timer. If it runs past 3 seconds, shorten it.
How many words fit in each length
At about 2.5 words a second.
- Two seconds5 words
- Three seconds8 words
- A whole 30-second ad75 words
Hook examples
These are six common kinds of hook. Each example is one short sentence or one picture.
Six kinds of hook, with an example of each
| Kind of hook | How it opens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name the audience | Says who the ad is for | "If you run a small bakery, watch this." |
| Surprising claim | Says the opposite of what people expect | "Stop washing your jeans." |
| A number | Starts with a number the viewer can picture | "Three mistakes I made opening my bakery." |
| Show the result | Shows the result before anyone speaks | A stain disappearing in the first second |
| Admit a mistake | Starts with something you got wrong | "I wasted a year doing this the hard way." |
| Ask their question | Asks what the viewer already wonders | "Why does coffee taste bitter at home?" |
Kind of hook: Name the audience
- How it opens
- Says who the ad is for
- Example
- "If you run a small bakery, watch this."
Kind of hook: Surprising claim
- How it opens
- Says the opposite of what people expect
- Example
- "Stop washing your jeans."
Kind of hook: A number
- How it opens
- Starts with a number the viewer can picture
- Example
- "Three mistakes I made opening my bakery."
Kind of hook: Show the result
- How it opens
- Shows the result before anyone speaks
- Example
- A stain disappearing in the first second
Kind of hook: Admit a mistake
- How it opens
- Starts with something you got wrong
- Example
- "I wasted a year doing this the hard way."
Kind of hook: Ask their question
- How it opens
- Asks what the viewer already wonders
- Example
- "Why does coffee taste bitter at home?"
How to tell if a hook works
Look at hook rate, the share of people shown the ad who watched past the first 3 seconds. Read it next to how long people keep watching.
- Hook rate is 3-second video plays divided by impressions.
- A shocking or misleading opening can raise hook rate and still lose sales, because the rest of the ad does not deliver what the opening promised.
- Compare a new ad with your own recent ads on the same platform, because each platform counts views differently.
Reading hook rate and watch time together
| Hook rate | People keep watching? | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| High | No | The opening promised more than the ad gave. |
| Low | Yes | The ad is good, but the opening undersells it. Rewrite the opening first. |
| High | Yes | The ad works. Keep the opening and test new endings. |
| Low | No | The idea is not landing. Try a new one. |
Hook rate: High
- People keep watching?
- No
- What it usually means
- The opening promised more than the ad gave.
Hook rate: Low
- People keep watching?
- Yes
- What it usually means
- The ad is good, but the opening undersells it. Rewrite the opening first.
Hook rate: High
- People keep watching?
- Yes
- What it usually means
- The ad works. Keep the opening and test new endings.
Hook rate: Low
- People keep watching?
- No
- What it usually means
- The idea is not landing. Try a new one.
How to test hooks
Record several openings for the same ad in one go. Each one becomes a separate ad you can test.
- Make each opening a different kind of hook, not the same sentence reworded.
- Change one thing at a time, the first picture or the first line, so you know what made the difference.
- If your hook rates are around 30%, show each ad about 1,350 times before you compare them. With fewer, a 5-point difference can be chance.
Hooks in Cutroom
Cutroom adds an opening headline to every video it edits. You can change it in the editor.
- You write the opening headline yourself, or pick one Cutroom drafted from your words.
- You choose from 15 hook styles, set how high the headline sits, or keep it on screen for the whole video.
- Cutroom keeps the lines you say, so start the recording on your strongest sentence.
- Each opening you record is its own video. A 30-second ad costs 110 credits: 100 to edit, plus 20 per minute of export.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it.
Hook styles in Cutroom
A few of the 15 styles for the opening headline.
Slab
Outline
Punch
Sweep
Spotlight
Alert
Capsule
Title
Questions people ask
- How long is a hook in an ad?
- About 2 to 3 seconds on TikTok, Reels and Shorts. That is about 8 spoken words, so a spoken hook is one short sentence.
- What is the difference between a hook and a headline?
- A headline is read at the reader's own pace. A hook has to work in a second or two, while people are still scrolling.
- Can a hook be just a picture?
- Yes. For physical products it works well: show the result in the first second, before anyone speaks. It needs no words and no sound.
- Is the hook the same as the intro?
- No. An intro assumes the viewer will stay. A hook is there to stop them leaving. In a short ad, skip the intro and start with the hook.
- Does the hook have to mention the product?
- No. The hook only has to make the right people keep watching. The product and the offer come later in the ad.
- Can a weak hook be fixed in editing?
- Sometimes. Start on the strongest sentence, cut the warm-up and add text on the first picture. Editing cannot make a boring first sentence interesting, so rewrite it and record it again.
Record a few openings for one ad and see which one people watch. Your first video is free.