TikTok has fast emerged as one of the most dominant social media platforms even despite looming legal issues. With over 1 billion active users, it has quickly supplanted Facebook and Instagram as the social network of choice for users worldwide.
Its concept of short-form videos allows brands, individuals, and creators to upload a wide variety of content to the platform for users to scroll at their leisure. Videos ranging from skits, dance routines, unboxing videos, product reviews, and more are just a sampling of the types of content that gets uploaded on a daily basis.
With so many consumers flocking to it, it can be difficult for businesses to know where to start or understand how to attract customers. The sheer volume of options can mean that audiences will move on from one video to the next without giving any thought to it at all.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide on the best way for brands and businesses to keep viewers hooked and prevent them from scrolling to the next videos on their feed.
What Are Hooks?
In video marketing terms, a hook is a concept or an idea that grabs the attention of the listener and gets them to pay attention to what you have to say. When it comes to social media, a hook is incredibly important, as viewers are continually scrolling through their feeds.
There has to be something to grab their attention and prevent them from continuing on to the next thing. This can be something visually compelling; however, nothing works better than a well-placed and written hook to grab the viewer’s attention and keep them interested in what you’re offering.
The Top 10 Hooks to Use on TikTok in 2025
TikTok is a platform that thrives on engagement. The algorithm rewards factors such as rewatches, comments, and likes, so videos that can generate engagement are bound to be rewarded. As such, we have curated the top 10 hooks that should get your viewers to stop scrolling and start paying attention to your content. Keep in mind that these are just the openers; the core content is still up to you and will ultimately determine the success of any campaign.
1. Wait! Don’t go anywhere, I wanna show you something.
This hook immediately conveys a sense of urgency and sets up a conversational relationship between the audience and the speaker. The speaker understands that the viewer is in control of the platform but is sincerely asking for just a moment of their time.
It introduces the audience to a bit of mystery and opens up the door to the sell. After this, the speaker has a brief window from which to cash in on their audience’s attention. If, however, the content is a bit boring or off-target, the viewer is likely to bolt at the earliest possible time and move on to the next video.
2. 3 Tips to get rid of X
Everyone loves tips and tricks. That’s why this hook works so well, especially on TikTok with its superb targeting algorithm. For example, if you are a cook or into the cooking lifestyle, odds are that you will be targeted by food related content. Therefore, this hook will work great because everyone is interested in learning tips about their particular niche.
3. This is for X people, so if you’re not move on…
Exclusivity sells. By immediately making it seem like you are only speaking to a specific segment of people, your audience will want to be included in that group and start paying attention. This will especially work if you word it in an aspirational way such as, “This is only for high-end sellers…” or “This is only for the best of the best…”
Everyone likes to think of themselves in a positive light, so they will immediately assume that you are speaking directly to them.
4. I just got my package from X…
Social proof is a fantastic way to let your audience know that your claims are valid. By using this hook, you are letting them know that you, yourself, received this product and are not just a spokesperson. This type of hook works great for unboxing videos and other types of videos where you use the product to show its effectiveness.
The web is full of products that claim to be the best for their specific niche. By using this hook, you immediately distinguish yourself as a subject-matter expert who has done the research, tested all the competitors, and settled on a particular product as the best.
You certainly need to be careful that you don’t disparage competitors or make specific claims that may be illegal. However, this hook is fantastic to grab the attention of consumers that are looking to avoid doing the research themselves and get expert advice from your ad.
6. Things TikTok made me buy
TikTok has become a trusted source of not only entertainment, but also e-commerce. By beginning your videos with this hook, you immediately tap into the cache that TikTok provides. Everyone is looking for the hot new thing, and if you position your product as that new “it” product on TikTok, you are sure to attract other TikTok users to purchase it as well.
7. What I ordered vs. what I got
Comparisons are a great way to hook your audience, leaving users with a sense of anticipation. This particular hook is great if you’re doing an unboxing video or any other type of review video where you’re looking to showcase a product and its features.
Oftentimes, viewers will stick with a video for a very long time just to see what the final product looks like. However, be aware that if the final payoff is lackluster, you’ll likely lose that viewer for all future videos that you distribute.
8. If You’re Like Me and Do X, Then This One is For You…
This hook is ideal if you have a subject matter expert speaking from a place of authority. By having this in the opening of your video, it immediately creates a connection between the viewer and the speaker, then quickly makes a transition to your video’s content. Your audience will recognize themselves and their behavior in that opening line and be compelled to stick around for the remainder of the video.
9. I just got my X product and I am so excited…
Enthusiasm is incredibly important on any social media platform and TikTok is no different. As a video-first network, TikTok is, primarily, an entertainment vehicle. As such, viewers expect the content that they view to be uplifting and positive. Never shy away from being excited about the product that you are selling or having an overall exuberant attitude. It will pay off with dividends.
10. Things I wish I knew about sooner – part X
Back to the subject matter expert. When you speak from a position of authority, people will listen – especially when you’re speaking about hard-earned lessons. As such, this is a great hook when you’re looking to give advice or give tips about a particular subject. Your audience is likely to stick around for the entire video when they think that the lesson that they are about to learn came from someone who has been around the proverbial block a time or two.
TikTok is Probably Here to Stay
With more and more social media platforms playing catchup, it looks like TikTok will continue progressing as a huge player in the video marketing landscape.
As such, brands and organizations had best learn the proper tools to produce videos and techniques to engage their target audiences to entice them to watch and interact with their content.
By utilizing hooks properly, content creators can ensure that their videos engage the right audiences early and keep them watching their videos rather than swiping through to their competitors. And if you need help crafting short-form content for TikTok or another platform, our team of experts know what it takes to stop the scroll. Just reach out and let’s begin crafting a project that truly meets your goals for the upcoming year.
* This article was originally published here