How long should a hook be?

There’s no official length. Aim to make the topic clear in the very first seconds, with a short line and an explicit image.

Should I always open with a question?

No. A question is just one formula among many. Use it only if your audience really asks that question.

Can a hook guarantee views?

No. A clear hook gives your video a fair chance, but results depend on many factors nobody fully controls.

Can I write a hook for a faceless video?

Yes. With voiceover or on-screen text, the method is the same: a clear promise, an image that confirms it and a few words that read without sound.

How to write a hook for a short video

What is a short video hook?

The hook is how your video opens: what people hear, see and read in the very first seconds. Its job isn’t to shock. It’s to answer, fast, the question every scrolling viewer is asking: “Is this for me?”

A good hook states a clear promise, makes it specific and gives a reason to stay to the end. A hook that promises something the video doesn’t deliver backfires: people leave, and they remember you for the wrong reason.

Key point

A hook can’t be judged on its own. It has to match the rest of the video, and no formula guarantees a number of views.

The three layers of a hook

In short video, a hook is more than a sentence. It works on three layers that need to say the same thing.

Voice: the first line spoken out loud, to camera or as voiceover.
Image: the first shot, what people see before they hear anything.
On-screen text: a few words that sum up the promise for people watching with the sound off.

When the layers contradict each other, say a line about saving money over a cooking shot, viewers have to work to understand. When they reinforce each other, the message lands at a glance.

The 6-step method

Write your video’s promise in one sentence: “After this video, you’ll know…” or “You’re about to see…”.
Pin down exactly who it’s for: a beginner, a busy parent, someone who tried and failed.
Pick a hook formula that fits the idea (see below).
Write three different versions and keep the clearest, not the flashiest.
Choose a first shot that shows the same thing as the line.
Add a few words of on-screen text that read without sound.

Step 1: start from the promise

If you can’t sum up your video in one sentence, the hook can’t do it for you. Write the promise before the hook. Example: “You’re about to see how to prep five lunches in one hour on Sunday.” The hook’s job is to make that promise immediate and appealing.

Step 2: name the audience

The sharper your audience, the more direct your hook can be. “If you eat lunch at your desk every day” speaks to someone specific; “For everyone” speaks to no one. You can name the audience outright or imply it through the situation you describe.

Step 3: pick a formula

Formulas are starting points, not magic recipes. Here are the ones that come up often in short video:

Result first: show the ending, then explain how you got there.
Common mistake: “You’re probably making this mistake when…”.
Specific question: one your audience genuinely asks.
Concrete number: “3 settings”, “in 10 minutes”, as long as it’s true.
Counterpoint: a common belief you nuance, with evidence.
Situation: a moment the viewer instantly recognizes.

Steps 4 to 6: write, illustrate, caption

Writing three versions pushes you to explore other angles. Read them out loud: the best one is often the shortest and most concrete. Then pick the opening shot as if the sound were off: can people tell what the video is about? Finally, add short on-screen text, centered and away from the areas the app’s interface covers.

Before and after examples

Here are hooks rewritten with the method. The goal isn’t to do more, but to be clearer and more specific.

Cooking. Before: “Hey guys, today we’re making a recipe.” After: “Five lunches for the week, one hour on Sunday.” (first shot: the five containers lined up).
Tech. Before: “A few tips for your phone.” After: “This hidden setting drains your battery, and it’s on by default.” (first shot: the settings screen).
Personal finance. Before: “Let’s talk budgeting.” After: “The method I use to know how much I can spend this week.” (on-screen text: “My weekly budget”).
Fitness. Before: “A great exercise for you.” After: “If your back hurts when you squat, check your feet first.” (first shot: close-up of the feet).

In every “after” version, the promise is explicit, the audience is implied and the image confirms the words. None of them promises a result the video can’t deliver.

Mistakes that weaken a hook

Opening with an introduction or a hello before the topic.
Promising an exaggerated result the video never shows.
Staying vague: “some tips”, “an amazing trick”, without saying which.
Opening on an image that has nothing to do with the line.
Cramming two promises into one sentence.
Copying a trendy hook that doesn’t fit your idea.

Adapting the hook to each network

On TikTok, the spoken hook and on-screen text often carry most of the weight. On Instagram Reels, the quality of the first frame and the cover also matter, since the video shows up on your profile grid. On YouTube Shorts, the title shown over the video adds to the hook, so it should describe the topic. In every case, keep the same promise and only adapt the form.

On camera or faceless: two ways to hook

On camera, your eye contact, tone of voice and first gesture are part of the hook. Start the line on the very first frame, with no dead air, and keep your eyes on the lens for the opening words. A small movement, like setting an object down in front of you or leaning in, can help show the topic.

Faceless, the image has to work harder. Open on the object, gesture or screen the video is about, in a tight shot. The voiceover starts right away and the on-screen text restates the promise in a few words. If your video is text-only, the first line on screen is your hook: it has to read at a glance.

Write the hook after the rest of the script?

Many creators write the hook last, once they know exactly what the video shows. It’s a good habit: you avoid promising something you never deliver. Write a placeholder hook to guide you, then rewrite it once the script is done.

Vary your hooks from video to video

Using the same formula every time makes it predictable. Keep track of the formulas you use and rotate them: result first one week, common mistake the next, then a specific question. You can then compare your real results knowing which formula you used, without turning it into a hard rule.

How to tell if your hook works

Before posting, you can check clarity: have someone read your line and ask them what the video is about. If they hesitate, rework it. You can also watch your first shot with the sound off. After posting, only your video’s real results, when the network provides them, tell you how people responded. A pre-publication analysis doesn’t predict views or retention.

With Flowers

Flowers helps you test the idea before you write the hook, then write it as the first sequence of your script. After filming, the timestamped breakdown isolates the hook and separates what people see, hear and read, with an observation, an interpretation and a suggestion. Applying a suggestion changes your script, never your video, and only after you approve it.

Final checklist

I can sum up my video’s promise in one sentence.
My hook says who the video is for, directly or through the situation.
I wrote at least three versions and kept the clearest.
The first shot shows the same thing as the line.
Short on-screen text sums up the promise without sound.
The video delivers what the hook promises.
There’s no greeting or introduction before the topic.