Template
[Number] [things/reasons/ways] [outcome the audience wants]
Example
3 reasons your TikToks are getting 200 views (and the fix)
When to use: When you have a discrete, listable answer to a problem the audience already feels.
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The 12 hook templates that actually earn watch-time.
Curated from analysing 1,000+ short-form posts that earned 100K+ views. Each template comes with a real example and a note on when to deploy it.
Numbered list hooks
Specific number + countable noun. Highest-CTR pattern across every short-form platform.
Template
[Number] [thing] every [audience role] should [verb]
Example
5 questions every founder should ask before raising a seed round
When to use: When the audience is a clearly-defined role and the takeaway is procedural.
Template
[Number] [things] I wish someone told me at [milestone]
Example
3 things I wish someone told me at $1M ARR
When to use: When you can speak from past-self perspective. High retention because audience projects themselves into the milestone.
Belief-reversal hooks
Most people think X → it isn't. The strongest pattern on LinkedIn + X for thought-leadership content.
Template
I used to think [popular belief]. Then [event]. Turns out [reversal].
Example
I used to think pricing was a numbers problem. Then we A/B-tested 47 pages. Turns out it's a positioning problem in a cheap suit.
When to use: When you have first-hand evidence that contradicts an assumption your audience holds.
Template
Everyone tells you to [common advice]. Don't.
Example
Everyone tells you to fire fast. Don't. Here's what I've learned in 12 years of hiring.
When to use: Bold contrarian framing — works when you can defend the position with data.
Loss-aversion hooks
You're losing X because Y. Strongest at the very top of the funnel — calls out a problem the viewer didn't know they had.
Template
You're losing [%] of [outcome] because of [unexpected cause]
Example
You're losing 80% of viewers in the first 6 seconds because your hook is too generic.
When to use: When you can quantify the loss and attribute it to a specific, fixable cause.
Template
Stop [common practice]. It's [killing/breaking/wasting] your [outcome].
Example
Stop ending your TikToks with a CTA. It's killing your watch-through rate.
When to use: Confrontational, but high-CTR if you can defend the take.
Story / conversation openers
A real conversation as the cold open. Strongest on LinkedIn for B2B + thought leadership.
Template
A [role] asked me yesterday: "[question]." [setup line, then payoff]
Example
A founder asked me yesterday: "Why is my churn so high?" The answer wasn't in his product analytics. It was in his first onboarding email.
When to use: When you have a real anecdote with a non-obvious payoff.
Template
[Number] years ago I [event]. Here's what I learned.
Example
5 years ago I shut down my first SaaS. Here's what I learned about pricing — and what I'd never do again.
When to use: Personal experience with a clear takeaway. High retention.
How / why hooks
Procedural promise. Best for tactical content where the audience is searching for an actionable answer.
Template
How [audience role] [achieved outcome] in [time period]
Example
How a 4-person team grew their LinkedIn following 10x in 90 days
When to use: When the procedure is reproducible and you can compress it into a watchable framework.
Template
Why [common thing] doesn't [expected outcome] (and what does)
Example
Why content quality alone doesn't drive growth (and what actually does)
When to use: Counterintuitive framing — works when you can name the thing that DOES work.
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