The messaging hook handbook.
The Ultimate Playbook for Scroll-Stopping Video Ads.
If your video doesn’t hook attention within the first three seconds, it’s dead.
Your product might be amazing. Your messaging might be crystal clear.
But if no one stops to watch your ad, none of that matters.
IPeople scroll fast. If your video doesn’t instantly grab their attention, they’ll move on—no matter how good your offer is.
✓ Turn product benefits into irresistible video hooks.
✓ Use high-converting formulas that stop the scroll.
✓ Test & refine hooks to boost engagement.
Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever.
Even great products and compelling benefits won’t drive sales if people never stop to watch your video.
Brands that fail at video ads make these mistakes:
× They start their video too slow.
× They sound like every other ad in their industry.
× They fail to create curiosity or a reason to keep watching.
90% of a video ad’s success is determined by the first 3 seconds.
If your video doesn’t grab attention immediately, most viewers will scroll past without ever seeing your offer.
Industry benchmarks
87% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.
The right hook doesn’t just get more views—it directly influences buying decisions.
Wyzowl
91% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand.
If your video doesn’t feel engaging and premium from the first few seconds, you’re losing trust—and trust is what drives conversions.
Wyzowl
Understanding the Power of Hooks
A strong hook hijacks attention.
Create an instant moment of intrigue, relatability, or urgency. This is why some of the most viral videos start with unexpected visuals, a bold statement, a provocative question, or a surprising statistic. The brain craves novelty, and when something disrupts the predictable flow of content, people instinctively pause to process what they’re seeing. This pattern disruption is what separates content that thrives from content that dies in obscurity. The more effective your hook, the longer viewers stay, which signals to platform algorithms that your content is valuable—leading to increased reach, more engagement, and higher conversion rates.
Hook or Be Forgotten
Why First Impressions Rule Content. Hooks Determine Whether Your Audience Will Stay or Scroll.
Swipe-Stopping Secrets
How to Interrupt the Mindless Swipe. The Goal is Pattern Disruption—Make Your Content Feel Different from the Endless Scroll.
More Views, More Sales
The Hidden ROI of a Killer Hook. A Great Hook Leads to Higher Watch Time, Engagement, and Conversion Rates.
Blink and They're Gone
Capture Attention or Lose It. People Make Snap Decisions in 1-3 Seconds.
The Key Ingredients of a Killer Hook
A hook needs to do two things.
The digital landscape is fiercely competitive, and the average user is bombarded with content every few seconds. To break through the noise, a hook must serve two critical functions: it needs to stop the scroll and immediately qualify the audience. The first task, stopping the scroll, is about pattern disruption—breaking the monotonous flow of content users are used to. Whether it’s through an unexpected statement, an eye-catching visual, or an intriguing question, the goal is to create a mental speed bump that forces the viewer to pause, even if only for a second. But grabbing attention isn’t enough; the second task is to qualify the audience. If your hook doesn’t immediately resonate with the right people, you risk attracting passive viewers who will disengage within seconds, signaling negative retention data to the algorithm. A powerful hook ensures that only the most relevant audience stops to watch, increasing the likelihood of conversions, engagement, and long-term retention.
Stop the Scroll
Interrupt their pattern and force them to pay attention.
Qualify the Audience
Speak directly to the right people so they instantly know it's for them.
To achieve this, a hook should be:
Purposeful.
Your hook must clearly communicate why it matters to the viewer. If people can’t instantly see the personal benefit, they won’t engage. Speak directly to their pain points, desires, or problems, making it crystal clear what’s in it for them. Example: Instead of “Try our new AI tool,” say “Save 5 hours a day with this AI.”
Original.
If your hook sounds like everything else, people will tune it out. Use unexpected phrasing, an element of surprise, or reframe common ideas to make your message fresh and attention-grabbing. Avoid overused templates—people can spot generic marketing speak a mile away. Example: Instead of “Get more clients,” say “Clients are ignoring you—here’s why.”
Compact.
Short, direct, and ideally under 7 words. The human brain processes information in milliseconds, and long-winded sentences lose impact. Use active language—hooks aren’t essays, so skip unnecessary words. Strong verbs create momentum and urgency. Example: Instead of “Our company helps businesses scale efficiently,” say “Double your revenue in 60 days.”
Pro Tip
Active language transforms passive, forgettable hooks into punchy, high-impact statements. Hooks should feel alive, not like a lecture. Avoid filler words, weak verbs, or passive phrases. Instead of saying “This software was created to help you,” say “This software saves you 10 hours a week.” Every word in a hook should serve a purpose or get cut.
So far, you’ve learned:
✦ Why most ads fail to hook attention
✦ What separates scroll-stopping hooks from forgettable ones
✦ The 2 criteria that make a hook instantly effective
Now let’s go deeper—how do you actually write these?
THE HIGH-RETENTION FORMULAS USED BY TOP-PERFORMING VIDEO ADS
10 proven hook-writing formulas that drive engagement
These aren’t creative guesswork. These are tested frameworks based on human behavior, used by premium brands, agencies, and performance marketers to drive watch time and conversions.
01: The Intriguing Question Hook.
Trigger curiosity by asking a compelling question:
"Why do 90% of people fail at [X]?"
"Ever wonder why [X] always happens?"
"What if I told you [shocking truth]?"
Why it works: Our brains are wired to seek answers to open-ended questions.
02: The Pattern Disruption Hook.
Interrupt expectations with a bold statement:
"STOP doing this one thing—it’s killing your [goal]!"
"You’ve been lied to about [common belief]!"
"This changes EVERYTHING about [your industry]!"
Why it works: Breaks audience expectations and makes them curious.
03: The Relatable Pain Point Hook.
Speak directly to a common struggle:
"Struggling with [X]? You’re not alone."
"Ever feel like [problem]? I’ve been there."
"If [pain point] is driving you crazy, watch this!"
Why it works: It makes the viewer feel seen.
04: The Controversial Opinion Hook.
Challenge common beliefs or industry norms:
"I hate to say this, but [common belief] is a lie."
"Unpopular opinion: [X] is actually BAD for you."
"Forget everything you know about [topic]!"
Why it works: Triggers emotional reactions and engagement.
05: The Curiosity Gap Hook.
Create a knowledge gap that demands to be filled:
"Nobody is talking about this secret…"
"You’re doing [X] WRONG. Here’s why."
"I wish I knew this before I [made a big mistake]."
Why it works: Creates an information gap that people feel compelled to fill.
06: The Story Hook.
Start with an intriguing or dramatic story:
"I lost everything because of one mistake…"
"What happened next SHOCKED me."
"You won’t believe how I turned $100 into $10,000."
Why it works: Humans crave stories. This works best with a dramatic pause.
07: The Direct Callout Hook.
Address a specific audience directly:
"Hey [specific audience], you NEED to see this!"
"Calling all [niche group]! This is for YOU."
"If you’re [specific person], stop scrolling."
Why it works: Personalization makes the viewer feel like the content was made just for them.
08: The Authority/Proof Hook.
Leverage credibility, social proof, or experience:
"I spent $10,000 testing ads—here’s what actually works."
"Harvard researchers found THIS boosts focus by 300%."
"I’ve built 3 businesses—let me save you 5 years of mistakes."
Why it works: Positions you as an expert, increasing trust and engagement.
09: The Time-Sensitive or Urgency Hook.
Make people feel like they’ll miss out if they don’t act now:
"I lost everything because of one mistake…"
"What happened next SHOCKED me."
"You won’t believe how I turned $100 into $10,000."
Why it works: Humans crave stories. This works best with a dramatic pause.
10: The Unexpected Fact or Statistic Hook.
Drop a surprising, mind-blowing fact:
"The average person spends 6 YEARS of their life on social media."
"Did you know that 80% of success comes from just 20% of actions?"
"This ONE habit increases productivity by 150%—and nobody talks about it."
Why it works: Surprising facts grab attention and trigger curiosity.
Pro Tip: Use CHATGPT to find compelling Stats
A well-placed statistic can instantly grab attention and add credibility to your hook.
Try this simple AI-powered research prompt to uncover compelling stats for your industry:
"Find compelling statistics related to [your industry] that highlight a major problem, risk, or missed opportunity. Each stat should emphasize either a significant loss or a powerful positive outcome. Present them in a simple numbered list."
Examples of Effective Hooks
A strong hook isn’t just about creativity.
It’s about clarity, relevance, and engagement. The difference between a bad hook and a great hook is often the difference between being ignored or going viral. Here are real-world examples that illustrate how to turn weak, forgettable hooks into powerful, scroll-stopping messages.
×
FITNESS PRODUCT
Check out our amazing new fitness tracker!
Why it fails: Too generic, product-focused, and doesn’t address the user’s problem.
✓
→
Why it works: Creates curiosity with a bold statistic and implies the audience is making a critical mistake they need to correct.
Why are 95% of workouts WASTED? Here’s the fix.
×
WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
Lose weight with our proven system.
Why it fails: Overused and lacks specificity.
✓
→
Why it works: Uses counterintuitive logic to spark intrigue and encourage clicks.
I ate MORE and lost 20lbs—here’s how..
×
PRODUCTIVITY APP
Introducing the best productivity app.
Why it fails: Sounds like an ad, lacks intrigue, and doesn’t connect to the viewer’s struggles.
✓
→
Why it works: Suggests a life-changing result that feels achievable and sparks curiosity.
One small habit made me 10x more productive.
×
SKINCARE PRODUCT
We have the best skincare formula.
Why it fails: Too vague, lacks urgency, and doesn’t address a specific pain point.
✓
→
Why it works: Uses a pattern disruption with “STOP,” challenges an existing belief, and makes the audience question their routine.
STOP using [common product]—it’s ruining your skin.
×
FINANCE TOOL
Learn how to save money better.
Why it fails: Too broad and doesn’t create emotional urgency.
✓
→
Why it works: Uses scarcity psychology to trigger action by highlighting a hidden mistake.
The ONE money mistake that’s keeping you broke.
×
SELF-IMPROVEMENT PRODUCT
Boost your confidence with these simple tricks.
Why it fails: Too vague and lacks emotional engagement.
✓
→
Why it works: Uses personal storytelling, creates curiosity, and implies a game-changing insight.
This ONE mindset shift changed my entire life.
Why These Hooks Work.
Each of these great hooks follows key principles:
They are audience-focused, not product-focused.
They create curiosity or urgency.
They address pain points, myths, or mistakes.
They use active, engaging language.
By applying these principles to your own product or message, you can create hooks that stop the scroll, drive engagement, and ultimately lead to more conversions.
Use these formulas in your next video—or plug them into tomorrow’s lesson to see how they flow inside full ad structure.
You Can Grab Attention—Now Let’s Learn How to Keep It.
Even the best hook will flop if the rest of your video can’t hold attention.
Tomorrow we’ll dive into:
✦ The secret structure behind top-performing video ads
✦ The pacing that keeps people watching past the hook
✦ Motion design tricks that make content feel premium—even with low production budgets
Day 3 unlocks tomorrow.
Don’t miss the lesson that separates one-hit ads from consistent converters.
Pro Tip: Look back at the benefits you wrote from Day 1.
Could you turn that into one of these 10 formulas?
© 2025 Matthew Osborne Ltd.
momographics is a trading name of Matthew Osborne Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Company number 10066944.
The Hook Playbook is a strategic content framework designed to optimize audience engagement. Results may vary depending on implementation, industry, and market conditions.
momographics is not responsible for business outcomes resulting from its application.
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