Video Hooks That Stop the Scroll: Formulas That Work for Ads

You have about 1.5 seconds before someone decides your ad doesn't exist. That's not an exaggeration —

Facebook's own data shows the average user scrolls through 13.8 feet of content per day. Your video hook is the only thing standing between your ad spend and the void.

The good news: hooks aren't magic. They're formulas. And once you know the patterns that work, you can use them to consistently grab attention across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and paid social.

Here's what actually works — and how to use each formula without sounding like every other ad in the feed.

What Makes a Video Hook Work

A strong video hook does one of three things in the first 1-3 seconds:

• Creates a gap between what the viewer knows and what they want to know
• Mirrors a feeling the viewer is already having
• Breaks a pattern the viewer's brain has learned to ignore

That's it. Every effective hook — whether it's a UGC-style opener or a polished brand spot — falls into one of these categories. The specifics change by platform and audience, but the psychology doesn't.

The metric that matters here is your 3-second hold rate (also called "hook rate"). If people aren't making it past three seconds, nothing else in your ad matters — not your offer, not your CTA, not your product. The hook is the gatekeeper.

9 Video Hook Formulas That Actually Convert

1. The Pain Point Hook

Start with the frustration your audience already feels.

Format: "I was so tired of [problem]..." or "If you're still dealing with [pain point], this is for you."

Why it works: People stop scrolling when they see their own experience reflected back at them. It's instant relevance.

Example: "I was spending $500/month on skincare and my skin was getting worse." — This hook works because it's specific, relatable, and implies a solution is coming.

Best for: UGC ads, health/beauty, SaaS, any product that solves a clear problem.

2. The Curiosity Gap Hook

Tease something surprising without giving it away.

Format: "The weird reason your [thing] isn't working" or "Nobody talks about this, but..."

Why it works: The brain hates incomplete information. When you open a loop, people stick around to close it.

Example: "There's a reason your ads stopped working last month — and it has nothing to do with your creative." — The viewer has to keep watching.

Best for: Educational content, thought leadership, any product with a non-obvious benefit.

3. The Pattern Interrupt Hook

Do something visually or auditorily unexpected in the first frame.

Format: Sudden motion, unexpected sound, visual that doesn't match the platform's normal content.

Why it works: Your brain is wired to notice anomalies. When something breaks the expected pattern of a social feed, attention locks in before conscious thought kicks in.

Example: A product ad that opens with the product being smashed, dropped, or used in a completely unexpected way. ASMR sounds where you'd expect music. A split-second flash of color in an otherwise muted feed.

Best for: Competitive categories where ads all look the same. Fashion, food, tech gadgets.

4. The Bold Claim Hook

Lead with a statement strong enough to make someone pause.

Format: "[Product] replaced my [expensive alternative]" or "This is the best [category] I've ever used. Period."

Why it works: Confidence triggers either agreement ("yes, tell me more") or disagreement ("prove it") — both keep people watching.

Example: "This $30 tool replaced my $3,000 video production setup." — The gap between $30 and $3,000 demands explanation.

Best for: D2C products, tools, anything with a strong value proposition.

5. The Social Proof Hook

Open with evidence that other people already trust this.

Format: "Over 50,000 people switched to [product] last month" or start with a real customer reaction.

Why it works: We're social animals. If a lot of other people are doing something, we want to understand why.

Example: Opening a video with a montage of unboxing reactions or a screenshot of sales numbers. Raw, unpolished clips of real customers work better than produced testimonial setups.

Best for: Products with strong word-of-mouth, subscription services, anything with impressive numbers.

6. The "Wait for It" Hook

Signal that something payoff-worthy is coming.

Format: "Watch what happens when..." or "Wait until you see the end."

Why it works: It's a direct promise of value. The viewer makes a micro-commitment to keep watching.

Example: "Watch what happens when I put this stain remover on a white shirt I wore to a barbecue." — Simple, visual, and the payoff is implied.

Best for: Product demos, before/after reveals, transformation content.

7. The Controversy Hook

Take a position most people in your industry won't.

Format: "Stop doing [common practice]" or "[Popular thing] is actually hurting your [goal]."

Why it works: Contrarian statements create tension. Viewers stop to evaluate whether they agree — and that pause is all you need.

Example: "Your morning routine is actually making you less productive." — Even if the viewer disagrees, they're staying to hear the argument.

Best for: Thought leadership, education, categories where conventional wisdom is questionable. Handle carefully — you need to back it up.

8. The "POV" Hook

Put the viewer inside a scenario.

Format: "POV: You just discovered [product]" or "POV: Your boss asks why conversions tripled."

Why it works: First-person framing creates instant immersion. The viewer imagines themselves in the situation before they can decide to scroll.

Example: "POV: You finally found a video editor who actually meets deadlines." — Especially effective on TikTok where the POV format is native.

Best for: TikTok and Reels, B2B scenarios, lifestyle products.

9. The Direct Address Hook

Speak to a specific audience and call them out.

Format: "If you're a [specific role/type], stop scrolling" or "This is for [specific audience] only."

Why it works: Specificity creates belonging. When someone feels personally called out, they pay attention.

Example: "Ecommerce founders spending over $10K/month on ads — this will change how you think about creative." — The more specific, the better the hook rate.

Best for: B2B, niche products, any ad with a clearly defined audience.

How to Test Your Hooks (Without Wasting Budget)

Knowing the formulas is step one. The real leverage comes from testing them systematically.

The Triple Hook Test: Film three different hooks for the same ad body. Run all three with identical targeting and budget. Kill the losers after 48 hours. This is the single most efficient way to improve ad performance because you're isolating the variable that matters most.

Here's what to track:

If you want to go deeper on building a repeatable testing process, we wrote a full breakdown of how to build a creative testing framework that covers the structure, budget allocation, and decision rules.

The key insight: your best-performing hook probably isn't the one you'd guess. Data from Meta's creative research shows that creative variation (not audience targeting) drives 56% of ad performance. Your hooks are the highest-leverage creative variable you can test.

Platform-Specific Hook Tactics

Not every hook works the same everywhere. Here's what to adjust:

TikTok and Reels: Native-feeling content wins. Overly produced hooks get scrolled past because they scream "ad." Use text overlays in the first frame — many viewers watch with sound off. The POV and pain point formulas perform especially well here.

YouTube Shorts: You have slightly more patience from viewers (they've opted into short-form). Curiosity gaps work well because the viewer is already in discovery mode.

Paid social (Facebook/Instagram feed): Pattern interrupts are critical because you're competing with friends, family, and news. Bold claims and social proof hooks tend to outperform because they establish credibility fast.

LinkedIn: The controversy hook is king here. Professionals love to engage with contrarian takes. Direct address hooks work too — "CMOs spending over $50K/month on creative" is catnip.

Common Hook Mistakes

A few things that kill hook performance consistently:

• Starting with your logo. Nobody cares about your brand in the first second. They care about their problem. Lead with the hook, brand later.
• Being vague. "This changed everything" is not a hook. What changed? For whom? Specificity is what creates the curiosity gap.
• Copying viral hooks word-for-word. By the time you've seen it, so has your audience. Use the formula, change the specifics.
• Using the same hook for every ad. Your audience develops ad fatigue — even great hooks wear out. Rotate aggressively.
• Over-producing. The most expensive-looking hook isn't always the best-performing one. Authenticity often beats polish, especially on TikTok and Reels.

Building a Hook Library

The smartest advertisers don't come up with hooks from scratch every time. They build a library.

Save every hook that beats your baseline. Categorize them by formula type (pain point, curiosity gap, pattern interrupt, etc.) and by performance tier. When you need new creative, pull from your library and adapt — don't reinvent.

If you're scaling creative testing, having a hook library means you can generate variations faster and with more confidence. You already know the patterns that resonate with your audience.

A simple spreadsheet works: hook text, formula type, platform, 3-second hold rate, status (active/retired). Review monthly. Retire hooks when performance drops below your baseline.

The Bottom Line

Video hooks aren't about being clever. They're about being fast, specific, and psychologically accurate. The nine formulas above cover the vast majority of what works in paid social advertising — pain points, curiosity, pattern interrupts, bold claims, social proof, anticipation, controversy, POV framing, and direct address.

Pick 2-3 that fit your product. Write variations. Test ruthlessly. Build on what works. That's the entire playbook.