Hook (from the English word hook, meaning «hook») — is the opening of an ad that grabs attention and makes people keep watching or reading. In video advertising, a hook refers to the first few seconds of a video, while in text advertising, it's the opening phrase or headline.
In marketing, a hook is necessary because people scroll through their feeds quickly and decide within a couple of seconds whether to stop or keep scrolling. If the opening doesn't grab their attention, nobody will see the rest of the ad, no matter how well it's made.
Types of hooks
A hook is built around something that immediately sparks interest. Common techniques include:
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a question that viewers can relate to;
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a problem that people recognize from their own lives;
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a promise of a result or benefit;
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curiosity — an opening that leaves a question unanswered and makes people wait for the reveal;
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a «before and after» comparison;
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a striking image or sudden action in the first frame that stands out in the feed.
The same technique may work in one niche and fail in another, so hooks are always tested in practice.
Hooks in traffic arbitrage
In traffic arbitrage, the hook — is one of the most important parts of a video creative, especially for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. A video may be well-produced and promote a strong offer, but if viewers scroll past it in the first few seconds, it won't generate any revenue.
That's why several opening variations are created for the same video, while the main part remains unchanged. All versions are tested to see which hook retains viewers best. And when a creative starts to lose effectiveness, sometimes simply replacing the hook is enough, without filming a new video.
Important: the hook must be related to what's being advertised afterward. If the opening promises one thing while the video and landing page present something else, people may watch and click but won't make purchases or submit leads. And if the opening is misleading, the hook turns into clickbait, and the affiliate network may classify such traffic as misleading advertising.
