Marketing & Sales · Tip
7 Viral Video Hook Formulas
Seven fill-in-the-blank opening hook templates for short-form video scripts.
This tip outlines seven psychological curiosity frameworks designed to capture viewer attention in the first few seconds of a video. Each template leverages specific triggers such as controversy, shared curiosity, or universal desires to reduce scroll-past rates on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
How it works
7 Viral Hook Templates to use at the start of your videos:
- "[FAMOUS PERSON] just made a HUGE mistake" (News / Drama hook - e.g., "Logan Paul just made a huge mistake...")
- "What're some weird things people don't know about [X]?" (Curiosity / Interview hook - e.g., "What're some weird things people don't know about teeth?")
- "This is the most interesting fact of the last decade" (Superlative knowledge hook - e.g., "The most interesting finding of the last decade: your muscles secrete...")
- "I don't think people understand [X]" (Contrarian / Perspective hook - e.g., "I don't think people understand how much property Oprah actually owns...")
- "Am I the only one that didn't know [X]?" (Relatability / Discovery hook - e.g., "Am I the only one that didn't know this inside of Google Maps?")
- "Everybody's looking for [fundamental human desire]" (Universal desire hook - e.g., "Everybody's looking for the fountain of youth...")
- "This is the secret to [desired outcome]" (Exclusive solution hook - e.g., "This is the secret to staying in touch with your friends after graduating...")
What it's for
- Draft the opening line of a TikTok or Reel script
- Repurpose text posts into high-retention video openers
- A/B test different opening angles for organic marketing content
Key points
- Famous person drama hook: '[Famous Person] just made a huge mistake'
- Curiosity and interview hook: 'What are some weird things people don't know about [X]?'
- Superlative knowledge hook: 'This is the most interesting fact of the last decade'
- Contrarian perspective hook: 'I don't think people understand [X]'
- Relatable discovery hook: 'Am I the only one that didn't know [X]?'
- Universal desire hook: 'Everybody is looking for [fundamental human desire]'
- Exclusive solution hook: 'This is the secret to [desired outcome]'
Pricing
Free
Details
- Type
- Tip
- Category
- Marketing & Sales
- Topic
- Content Creation
- Open source
- No
- Platforms
- other
- For
- Short-form video creators, scriptwriters, and social media marketers
- Tags
- copywriting, hooks, video scripts, tiktok, reels, short form
Why it was saved
- @viralvideo.club: A video's hook determines whether viewers scroll past or watch; using proven psychological curiosity patterns dramatically improves view counts.
Related
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