TikTok Attention Hooks: 12 Proven Ways to Stop the Scroll

Your first three seconds on TikTok are worth more than the other 57 seconds combined. That's not hyperbole. It's math. TikTok's algorithm prioritizes videos with high completion rates. If people scroll past your content in those first few seconds, the algorithm assumes it's not engaging and shows it to fewer people. Your reach dies before your content even has a chance. Content companies spending thousands on TikTok production often see dismal results because they nail everything except the hook. They create beautiful, informative content that nobody watches past the 3-second mark. Don't be that company.

A TikTok hook isn't just your opening line. It's a combination of visual, audio, and text elements that create an irresistible reason to keep watching. The best hooks do three things simultaneously: • Create curiosity gap - They promise information you don't have
• Signal value quickly - They hint at what you'll learn or gain
• Match the algorithm - They use patterns TikTok rewards Here's what separates good hooks from great ones: specificity. Instead of "I'm going to show you how to grow on social media," try "I gained 50K followers in 30 days using this one weird posting schedule." The second version gives exact numbers and creates a specific curiosity gap. Timing matters too. Your hook needs to deliver its promise within the first 8-10 seconds, or viewers will assume you're wasting their time.

1. The Number Hook
"3 mistakes that killed my startup" or "5 apps that save me 10 hours per week." 2. The Secret Hook
"Marketing agencies don't want you to know this" or "The email template that gets 89% response rates." 3. The Contradiction Hook
"Why I stopped posting daily on LinkedIn" or "The productivity hack that made me less productive." 4. The Question Hook
"What if I told you SEO is dead?" or "Why do successful people wake up at 4 AM?" 5. The Story Hook
"Last month I accidentally sent our entire email list to one person" or "The day we lost our biggest client taught me everything." 6. The Before/After Hook
"My website traffic: January vs December" or "Revenue: Before and after changing our pricing." 7. The Mistake Hook
"I wasted $50K on Facebook ads before learning this" or "The hiring mistake that cost us 6 months." 8. The Unpopular Opinion Hook
"Unpopular opinion: Personal brands are overrated" or "Why I think remote work is killing creativity." 9. The List Hook
"Things I wish I knew before starting a SaaS" or "Red flags in every startup pitch deck." 10. The Tutorial Hook
"How to write emails that actually get responses" or "Setting up Google Analytics in under 5 minutes." 11. The Pain Point Hook
"If you're struggling to get clients" or "When your conversion rate is under 2%." 12. The Trending Hook
"POV: You're a founder during a recession" or "Tell me you're a marketer without telling me." The key is matching your hook type to your content promise. Don't use a secret hook if you're sharing common knowledge.

Step 1: Start with the end in mind
Before writing your hook, know exactly what value you're delivering. If you can't explain your video's benefit in one sentence, your hook won't work either. Step 2: Use the curiosity gap formula
"I [achieved specific result] by [doing unexpected thing]" creates instant curiosity. Example: "I doubled our email open rates by sending fewer emails." Step 3: Add specific numbers
Vague hooks die fast. "Increased conversion rates" becomes "Boosted conversion rates from 2.1% to 7.3%." Numbers make promises feel real and achievable. Step 4: Test multiple angles
The same content can have 10 different hooks. A video about productivity could start with:
• "I tried every productivity hack for 30 days"
• "Why productive people actually work fewer hours"
• "The $2 app that saved my business" Step 5: Match your thumbnail
Your hook and thumbnail should tell the same story. If your thumbnail shows a graph, your hook should mention specific data. Visual and verbal elements must align. Step 6: Front-load the payoff
Don't make people wait. If you're sharing "3 mistakes," tease the first one in your hook: "The first mistake nearly bankrupted us." Pro tip: Record 3-5 different hook versions for the same video. The time investment pays off when you find the version that performs 3x better than the others.

Shopify consistently uses number hooks that work: "3 Shopify apps that increased our sales by 40%" gets 2.3M views because it promises specific, achievable results. HubSpot masters the pain point hook: "If your email open rates are under 20%..." immediately identifies their target audience and implies a solution. Later (social media scheduling) uses before/after hooks effectively: "My Instagram engagement: Before vs after using these hashtags." The visual comparison creates instant curiosity. Canva leverages tutorial hooks: "How to create professional logos in under 60 seconds." They set clear time expectations and promise immediate value. What makes these work: • They're specific about outcomes - No vague promises
• They address real pain points - Problems their audience actually has
• They deliver on their promises - The content matches the hook
• They use their own data - Real results from their own experience The pattern successful content companies follow: They hook with a problem, promise a specific solution, then deliver value immediately. No fluff, no drawn-out intros. Common thread: These companies understand their audience's specific struggles and speak directly to them in the first 3 seconds.

Mistake #1: Generic openings
"Hey everyone, welcome back to my channel" makes 90% of viewers scroll away. TikTok isn't YouTube. Jump straight into value. Mistake #2: Burying the lead
"First, let me give you some background" kills momentum. Start with your strongest point, then provide context if needed. Mistake #3: Overpromising
"This will change your life forever" sets impossible expectations. Promise specific, achievable outcomes instead. Mistake #4: Using insider language
"Today we're discussing attribution modeling" loses 70% of your potential audience. Translate jargon into plain English. Mistake #5: No visual hook
Your first frame matters as much as your first words. Boring talking heads get scrolled past. Use graphics, text overlays, or compelling visuals. Mistake #6: Weak value proposition
"I want to talk about marketing" isn't a hook. "The marketing strategy that grew our startup from $0 to $1M" is. Mistake #7: Too much setup
"Before I show you this hack, let me explain why it works" frontloads the boring part. Show the hack first, explain the why second. The biggest mistake: Treating TikTok like other platforms. TikTok users expect immediate value. They're not there to "get to know you" or hear your backstory. They want solutions to their problems, and they want them fast.