Why this works
The first two seconds decide whether anyone watches the rest. You can’t know in advance which opening will work for your customers, so the cheapest thing to test is the hook. Post the versions over a week, or run them as ads, and keep the winner.
The prompt, in three sizes
Start small. Add detail only when the result isn’t what you wanted.
Quick
Give me 5 versions of this video with different hooks.
Better
Make 5 versions of this video. Keep everything after the first 3 seconds the same. Change only the opening line and on-screen text, and make each hook a different type: a question, a bold claim, a mistake, a result, a story.
Full brief
Make 5 versions of this video (9:16).
- Keep everything after 0:03 identical across versions.
- Change only the opening: the first line I say, plus the on-screen text.
- Use a different hook type for each version:
1. A question my customer asks
2. A bold claim
3. A mistake people make
4. The result first ("Day 14 of using…")
5. The start of a story
- Pull opening lines from what I actually said in the clip when you can. Write on-screen text only when I didn't say anything usable.
- Flag any two versions that feel too similar.
- Label each file with its hook type.If it comes out wrong
Send one fix at a time, in plain words.
Hooks feel alike
“Versions 2 and 4 are too similar. Make 4 a question instead.”
Text covers my face
“Move the on-screen hook text to the top third.”
Hook makes a claim I can’t back up
“Remove “guaranteed” from hook 2. Say what happened for me instead.”
Post one version a day for a week, or run them as a small ad test. Compare how many people watched past three seconds, not likes.
Learn more in the tutorial How hooks work, and why you need more than one.