Your Hook Is Losing the Sale Before You Even Start π₯
Picture this TikTok video: Someone holds up a flame gun torch β you know, one of those butane torches marketed as a grill accessory. They smile at the camera and say something like, "I just found the most awesome Father's Day gift and I had to share it with you guys." Then they show the product, demo it briefly on the grill, , drop a link, and done. Sound familiar? That's how most of these videos look. And they performβ¦ fine. Average. Forgettable. Here's the thing β the product is actually wild. Fire. On demand. That thing can torch a crΓ¨me brΓ»lΓ©e, crisp up rotisserie chicken skin, melt cheese on a burger, or roast a marshmallow on your kitchen counter. It's genuinely fascinating. But the video doesn't make you feel that. So let's talk about two paths: --- π PATH 1 β BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE Open with a talking head or a static product shot. Start with "I just foundβ¦" or "This is the perfect Father's Day gift." Narrate your own experience and excitement. Show some grilling footage. End with a CTA. Nothing wrong with it. But nothing stops the scroll either. The viewer hasn't been given a reason to care before they swipe away. --- β‘ PATH 2 β TWO SIMPLE TWEAKS THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING Tweak #1: Lead with the fire, not your face. Don't open with a talking head. Don't open with the box. Open with the flame doing something unexpected β torching a marshmallow indoors, brΓ»lΓ©eing a grapefruit, crisping up chicken skin. Something the viewer didn't expect. Fire doing something surprising stops the scroll before anyone reads a single word. You have about 3 seconds. Make them visually count. Tweak #2: Flip your text hook toward the viewer. Instead of layering text that narrates your curiosity ("I found this and couldn't believe what it does"), flip it outward and make it about THEM. Use the word "you," keep it under 5 words, and spark their curiosity instead of describing yours. Examples: β "you've been using it wrong" β "you only grill with this?" β "bet you didn't know this"