Hooks That Stop the Scroll: A Practical Guide
The first line decides whether anyone sees the rest. Five hook patterns that work, and how to use AI to draft them faster.
On short-form platforms, viewers decide in the first second or two whether to keep watching. The hook — your first line and first frame — carries most of the weight of a video's reach.
Five patterns work across niches. The surprising fact ('Most people store this the wrong way'). The direct promise ('How to plan a week of content in 20 minutes'). The mistake ('Stop doing this before an interview'). The question your viewer is already asking. And the result first — show the outcome, then how you got there.
Keep hooks under fifteen words, say the topic in the first line, and make a promise the video actually keeps. A hook that over-promises gets the click and loses the viewer, and platforms notice when people leave early.
Contren's AI Writer drafts six hooks in one go for one credit, using the trend's momentum and content gap as context. Treat them as a starting point: pick the strongest, say it aloud, and rewrite it in your own voice.
- Name the topic in the first line
- Under 15 words
- Promise only what the video delivers
- Draft several, then rewrite the best in your own voice
