50 ad hooks that stop the scroll (for TikTok, Reels and Facebook ads)

A hook is the first line or first three seconds of a video or ad, and its only job is to make the right person stop scrolling. The hooks that work best name a specific problem, promise a specific result, say something surprising, or call out exactly who the video is for. Below are 50 hooks you can adapt, grouped by type. Fill in your product and audience, film several versions of the same video with different hooks, and keep the ones people watch.

Call out the viewer

"If you sell on Instagram in Ghana, watch this."
"Nurses who want to work in the UK, this is for you."
"Students, stop scrolling. This will save your WASSCE."
"Every tailor in Accra needs to hear this."
"If you've ever been owed money by a customer…"
"Small business owners who hate replying 'how much?'…"
"This is for anyone with oily skin and a tight budget."
"Bakers, you're probably undercharging. Here's how I know."

Name the problem

"Your WhatsApp status isn't selling, and here's why."
"Stop sending your account number in DMs."
"This is why your cakes sink in the middle."
"You're losing customers at the MoMo prompt."
"The reason nobody buys your ebook isn't the price."
"Your CV is getting rejected in 6 seconds."
"Most people quit their side hustle in month two. Here's why."
"If your customers keep saying 'I'll pay later'…"

Promise a result

"How I got my first 10 online orders without ads."
"Glowing skin in 3 steps, under GH₵ 200."
"Make your first GH₵ 1,000 online this month."
"Pass core maths with these 4 tricks."
"Get paid before you deliver, every time."
"A 3-minute routine that fixed my dark spots."
"Sell your ebook while you sleep. Here's the setup."
"Book clients without a single DM."

Surprise or curiosity

"Nobody talks about this MoMo trick."
"I almost quit. Then I changed one thing."
"This GH₵ 50 product outsold my GH₵ 500 one."
"I tested 3 ads with GH₵ 300. One won by a mile."
"The cheapest thing in my shop makes me the most money."
"I asked 100 customers why they didn't buy."
"Don't buy hair until you've seen this."
"This is the worst advice I got as a new seller."

Show it working

(Product in hand) "Watch what happens when I…"
"Before and after, 6 weeks apart."
"Here's my order notifications from last night."
"Unboxing what a customer just received."
"Let me show you exactly how I set this up."
"Day 1 vs day 30."

Numbers and lists

"3 things I'd never sell online in Ghana."
"5 apps every small business needs."
"7 digital products you can make this weekend."
"The 2 questions that close every sale."
"I spent GH₵ 2,000 on ads so you don't have to."

Story

"Last year I was selling from my room…"
"My first customer paid me GH₵ 30. Here's what happened next."
"A customer sent me this message and I cried."
"I lost GH₵ 5,000 to fake payment screenshots."

Direct offer

"This is the last day to get it at GH₵ 99."
"Only 20 kits left this month."
"Free guide in my bio, for the next 48 hours."

How to use them

Match the hook to the video. If the hook promises a trick, show the trick.
Say it and show it. Speak the hook and put it as text on screen in the first second, because many people watch without sound.
Same video, different hooks. Film your main video once, then record 3–5 different openings. It's the cheapest test there is.
Be truthful. Exaggerated hooks bring the wrong people and get ads rejected.

How to know which hook works

On organic posts, check average watch time and the percentage who watched past 3 seconds. On ads, compare hook rate and cost per purchase. See how to test ad creatives.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a hook be?

One sentence, under three seconds. Get to the point immediately.

Can I reuse hooks?

Yes. A hook that worked once often works again with a new video. Keep a file of your winners.

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