guide
Hook archetypes: what works in short-form video right now
There are about 8 hook archetypes that consistently beat baseline. Here's what each one looks like and which works on which platform.
After analyzing thousands of short-form videos, the hook patterns that work cluster into a small handful of archetypes. Here are the eight that show up most, what they sound like, and when each one wins.
1. Contrarian
"Everything you've heard about [X] is wrong."
The hook starts by contradicting a common belief. Works because it triggers the reader's "wait what" reflex within 2 seconds.
Best on: TikTok, Reels. Caution: Empty contrarianism without a real take underneath gets flagged as ragebait by the algorithm and underperforms hard.
2. Investigator
"I went deep on [topic] and found something nobody's talking about."
The hook positions the creator as having done research the viewer hasn't. Works when the actual evidence in the video matches the implied depth.
Best on: All platforms. Highest median performance in the data. Caution: If the "research" is shallow, retention craters at the 5-10s mark.
3. Fortune Teller
"Three things that'll happen to you if [X]."
Promises a future-state insight. Works because viewers feel like they're getting a preview of an outcome.
Best on: Instagram, TikTok. Caution: Generic predictions ("you'll be successful") fail. Specific, dated predictions ("by 2027 most agencies will...") work.
4. Experimenter
"I [X] for 30 days. Here's what happened."
Time-bound personal experiment. Builds inherent narrative tension because viewers want to see the outcome.
Best on: YouTube Shorts, TikTok. Caution: "Day 1 of 30" series posts that promise an outcome they never deliver kill creator trust over time.
5. Teacher
"Here's how to [X] in [Y] minutes."
Promises a learnable skill. Works for tutorial-format channels with patient audiences.
Best on: YouTube Shorts > TikTok > Instagram. Caution: Underperforms when paired with low x-factor. A clean Teacher hook with no character or surprise lands at niche-median reach.
6. Magician
"Watch this [transformation/trick/result]."
Visual transformation hook. Works because the visual itself is the curiosity gap.
Best on: Instagram, TikTok. Caution: Requires actual visual payoff. A transformation hook with a weak before/after gets flagged by viewers in seconds.
7. Question
"Have you ever wondered why [X]?"
Direct curiosity hook via question. The most overused archetype in the dataset; median performance is the lowest of the eight.
Best on: Niche channels with engaged audiences who already trust the creator. Caution: New audiences scroll past Question hooks at higher rates than every other archetype. Use sparingly.
8. Story
"So [last week / last year / yesterday] this happened."
Personal narrative hook. Works because human storytelling triggers attention reliably.
Best on: All platforms. Safest baseline performer. Caution: The "so anyway, basically" phrasing pattern is now algorithmically recognizable as filler — viewers learned to tune it out. Cut to the inciting moment fast.
How to choose which one
Rank by:
- What the video is actually about. If it's a transformation, use Magician. If it's a teardown, use Investigator. Don't force-fit.
- What your audience expects. If you've established a Story-hook personality, switching to Contrarian without warning confuses subscribers.
- Platform calibration. Same content, different platform = sometimes a different hook serves better.
PreAlgo identifies which archetype your hook is using and rates the execution. If it scores below a 4/5, the rewritten alternative comes back in a different archetype that might fit the video better.
See which archetype your next hook lands in.
PreAlgo grades the hook + suggests a rewrite if it scores low. Free plan covers your first video.