How hooks work, and why you need more than one
A hook is the opening of your video: the first line, the first image and the first words on screen. On TikTok, Reels and Shorts, people decide in about two seconds whether to keep watching. A great video with a weak hook gets skipped.
Know the main hook types
A question your customer asks. A bold claim. A common mistake. The result first. The start of a story. Different audiences respond to different types.
Use your own words
The best hooks are often already in your footage: the most direct thing you said. Cutleap looks for these lines and moves them to the front.
Change one thing at a time
To learn what works, keep the rest of the video the same and change only the hook. Otherwise you won’t know why one version did better.
Post several versions
Post a different hook each day for a week, or run them as a small ad. Watch how many people stay past the first three seconds.
Keep the winner and do it again
Use the winning hook style for your next videos, then test new ones against it.
Try the “Five hooks to test from one video” prompt in the prompt library to get started.
Ready to try it? Use the prompt Five hooks to test from one video.
Let Cutleap do the editing
Upload your footage and get ten finished videos back. Free during early access.
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