15 Ideas to Hook Your Audience on Instagram and TikTok

Struggling to figure out how to make a good hook for Instagram Reels and TikTok? We’ve got everything you need to know (and more!) in this post.

Posted 6 months ago

Written by

Mackenzie Taylor

Posted 6 months ago

Short-form video is obviously taking over the world of social media with no end in sight and being able to hook your audience in to watch the rest of the video is imperative … because why else are you making the video if you don’t want anyone to stick around and watch? Exactly. You wouldn’t. So being able to hook in with your audience in a second is something you need to learn how to do.

Thankfully for you, that’s what this blog is all about! We’re going to teach you how to do the best hook for your TikTok and Instagram content with our favorite ways to hook your audience.

Jump to a section ✨

What is a hook?
Why are hooks important?
How do Instagram Reels and TikToks go viral?
15 hook ideas for your next Instagram Reel and TikTok

What is a hook?

Alright, alright. What the heck is a hook? A hook is the first few seconds of your Instagram Reel or TikTok video that grabs your audience’s attention right off the bat. It’s the thing that makes your audience want to continue to watch and consume your content.

If you don’t have a hook on your video, it makes it so easy for your audience to go “thank u, next” and scroll past your content. Here are a couple different ways to do a hook but all in all, they include the same basic formula:

An eye-catching visual or text to grab your reader’s attention and stop them from scrolling away.
What value are you going to be providing them in the video?
A call-to-action (CTA) that makes them want to keep watching, read your caption, or engage with your content or what you’re promoting in some way.

Why are hooks important?

Well … if you want someone to actually consume your content, you’re going to want a hook. It’s really that simple. TikTok and Instagram thrive off engagement and virality, and if you’re not using something to draw your audience in right away, chances are your content won’t be pushed into the feed for people to engage with.

With Instagram and TikTok both being full of videos from people wanting others to view constantly, you must prioritize a hook on every single TikTok or Reel you create.

Here’s why you need to make sure you’re prioritizing your hook on every single video you make:

A hook will summarize what your content is going to be about so people know what they’re going to get when they watch the rest of the video. (i.e. “I have the secret to success and I am teaching you how to achieve it.”
A hook aligns with the needs and wants of your audience. Knowing your audience is key when it comes to creating a hook, so figure out what they want and give that to them in the hook.

💡 Flick’s Tip: Want some help with your hook? We recently spoke with Ryan Magin on how to create the ultimate hook. Listen to our episode with him on our podcast Talk Social to Me below!

How do Instagram Reels and TikToks go viral?

There are a number of different ways that Reels and TikToks can go viral. While a good amount is being lucky with your hook and hoping it lands on the right feeds, there are ways for you to make sure that it gets filtered to those who would actively engage with your content, like:

1. Using the right hashtags

By using relevant hashtags for your content, you’re more likely to be categorized correctly and shown to the exact right audience for your content. Using hashtags can increase your visibility and make it more likely to be discovered by a wider audience (and that’s what you really want!).

Flick’s tip: Discover hashtags that will work for your content by starting a free 7-day trial with Flick!

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2. Use engaging captions

Hi, hello. Do you know us? Of course, we’re going to be talking about captions and how important they are to your content! Captions can help draw your audience in more and actually take action. A really good caption shows off your personality which makes people want to follow you for more.

If you struggle with captions, try out Flick’s AI Social Media Assistant. Get endless content and caption ideas for your next social media post.

3. Add trending songs

Adding trending songs will help your content show up on the FYP or Reels page more and more. Instagram and TikTok love a trending song and start pushing content with that song onto people’s pages more and more. So use a trending song in your video to give it a better chance of going viral.

If you’re not sure how to find a trending song, click here to find out how on Instagram, and click here to find out how on TikTok.

💡 Flick’s tip: Start a FREE trial with Flick and get access to daily viral trends that are tailored perfectly to your business or niche!

15 hook ideas for your next Instagram Reel and TikTok

Now, that you’ve got an overall idea of what a hook is and why it’s important, here are some of our favorite hook ideas to help you get started.

1. “I’ve got a secret”

It’s intriguing and a way to hook your audience in right from the start.

2. “Did you know that…”

It’s a classic question for a reason. Letting your audience know something that might seem simple and/or complex can be enough to entice them to stick around.

3. “Stop scrolling!”

A direct action? Yeah, that’s enough for most people to stop in their tracks and pay attention.

4. “You need to watch this if you struggle with ____”

When you address a specific problem your audience might have, it’ll definitely stop them in their tracks.

@sidneyraz this whole time there was a solution #inmy30s #popcorn #tipsandtricks ♬ original sound – sidneyraz

5. “This is something I wish I knew before.”

We all love helpful tips when it comes to making our lives easier.

6. “You’re doing this wrong!”

Give an example of something people tend to do wrong in your opinion and an easier way to do it. Trust us, people will want to know.

7. “New trend alert!”

Everyone wants to know the latest and greatest trends they should be paying attention to.

8. “Top 5 recommendations/tools you need!”

Whatever your niche is, people will want to hear your recommendations based on that niche. For instance, if you are into the SaaS niche and live in Canada, you can create a reel based on the best CRM in Canada or the top marketing automation software in Canada and your audience will be interested in it.

9. “How my life changed”

One of the best ways to get people to stop their scroll is by letting them know exactly how your life changed because of one simple thing.

10. “Do not try this at home”

People are always curious and will stop their scroll to wonder what they shouldn’t be doing.

11. “Wait till the end”

This is one of the most often used tricks but it’s an effective one.

12. “Try this new”

Who doesn’t love trying something new? This is a great way to entice people in.

13. “Why are there not more people talking about ____”

Reel them in with something you think more and more people should want to know about.

14. “I bet you didn’t know this!”

Because who doesn’t want to know something they didn’t know before?

15. “This tip will blow your mind!”

Again, everyone wants to learn something new from the content they are consuming.

Now that you know how to hook your audience in, it’s time to start making the ultimate short-form video content.

Learn how to make your videos go viral by clicking here and we can’t wait to see how your account grows! Track your progress to make sure you’re making all the best content for your audience by keeping an eye on your analytics.

Start your free 7-day trial with Flick to get the deepest insights into your analytics every single time.