Lesson 258 · 2 min
Hooks that keep viewers watching
The first two seconds of a short video decide whether people stay, and AI can help you write a dozen opening lines to test.
On TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, people swipe fast. If the first line is "Hi everyone, today I want to show you", most are gone. A hook gives them a reason to stay: a question, a surprise, a problem they have.
Give AI two or three hooks you liked from other videos as examples of the style, then describe your video. Ask for ten opening lines in that style. Examples steer it far better than a vague request for something catchy.
Good hooks for small shops are often simple: "This is how we pack 200 orders before 8 a.m.", "Three ways to tell real silk from fake", "Why our bánh mì costs 5,000 dong more". Show the thing in the first second, too.
The hook has to match the video. If you promise a secret and deliver an ad, viewers feel tricked and stop trusting you. Test a few honest hooks and keep the ones people watch longest.
Do it now
Write ten hooks for your next video
- 1. Write down two or three opening lines from videos you watched to the end.
- 2. Describe your next video in one or two sentences.
- 3. Use the prompt below, then pick the three hooks you would honestly deliver on.
- 4. Film the same video with two different hooks and compare how long people watch.
Here are opening lines from short videos I liked: [EXAMPLE 1], [EXAMPLE 2], [EXAMPLE 3]. My next video is about: [ONE OR TWO SENTENCES ABOUT YOUR VIDEO]. Write ten opening lines in a similar style, each under 12 words, that make a viewer want to keep watching. Every hook must be something the video really delivers. Also suggest what to show on screen in the first second.
Quick check
Keep going
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- Few-shot prompting
- Including a few examples of what you want in your prompt so the AI copies their style and format.