Hook Clinic - 25 High-Retention Openers AI Can Customise for Your Niche

The first 3 seconds of your post or video decide everything.

If your hook flops, people scroll. If your hook lands, people watch, read, or click. On platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, hooks aren’t optional, they’re the difference between a video dying at 200 views or blowing up to 20,000.

The good news? You don’t need to be a copywriter to write scroll-stopping hooks. You can use proven templates, and then ask AI to customise them for your niche.

This article is your hook clinic: 25 high-retention openers you can swipe today, plus the exact AI prompt to make them fit your brand.

Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever

• Algorithms care about retention. If people stay past 3 seconds, your content gets shown to more people.

• Viewers are ruthless. You’re competing with memes, trending songs, and cat videos. Your first line must fight for attention.

• Your offer depends on it. If people don’t stick around, they’ll never see your CTA.

In short: no strong hook = no results.

The 5 Types of Hooks That Work Everywhere

Hooks don’t have to be complicated. They usually fall into one of five categories:

1. Problem-first – Highlight the pain point your audience wants solved.

2. Curiosity gap – Tease the answer without giving it away.

3. Contrarian – Challenge what people think they know.

4. List/structure – Promise clear, organised value.

5. Shock/surprise – Say something unexpected to jolt attention.

Let’s put these into action with ready-to-use templates.

25 High-Retention Hook Templates

Here are hooks you can swipe, adapt, or feed into AI for customisation:

🔧 Problem-First Hooks

1. “Most [your audience] waste hours doing this wrong…”

2. “Struggling to [achieve goal]? Here’s the fix.”

3. “If your [platform] isn’t growing, this is why.”

4. “Stop posting [format] until you’ve done this first.”

5. “You’re losing [money/time/clients] every week by ignoring this.”

🤔 Curiosity Gap Hooks

6. “This is the one thing no one tells you about [topic].”

7. “You’re going to wish you’d known this sooner…”

8. “Ever wondered why [result] happens? Here’s the truth.”

9. “I tested 3 [tools/tips] so you don’t have to. Here’s what worked.”

10. “The results shocked me, here’s what I found.”

🚫 Contrarian Hooks

11. “Forget everything you’ve heard about [topic].”

12. “Why [common advice] is actually holding you back.”

13. “Stop chasing [trend], it doesn’t work anymore.”

14. “Most gurus will hate me for saying this…”

15. “The worst advice I ever followed about [topic].”

✅ List/Structure Hooks

16. “3 mistakes killing your [result] (and how to fix them).”

17. “The 5 tools I use every day as a [business type].”

18. “Here’s my 7-minute routine for [result].”

19. “The only 3 things you need to grow on [platform].”

20. “How I plan a week of content in under 10 minutes.”

⚡ Shock/Surprise Hooks

21. “I grew my [metric] by 300% without spending a penny.”

22. “This tiny change doubled my [result].”

23. “I nearly gave up on [platform], until this happened.”

24. “You won’t believe how simple this hack is.”

25. “The trick I stole from [unexpected source] that works every time.”

How to Use These Hooks

• For Reels/TikTok – Speak the hook in the first 3 seconds. Pair with text on screen.

• For Carousels – Use the hook as your cover slide text.

• For Captions – Put the hook in the first line so it shows before the “See more” cut.

• For Stories – Use as text overlays or question stickers.

Case Study: A Coach’s Reels

A business coach had Reels averaging 800 views. She swapped her usual “Today I want to talk about…” intros for hooks like “Most coaches waste hours doing this wrong…” Her average views jumped to 3,500, and her completion rate improved by 42%.

Same advice, new hooks, massive difference.

Advanced AI Prompt (Copy & Paste)

Here’s the exact prompt to make these hooks work for your niche:

“Act as my content strategist. I will paste 5 hook templates. Please:

1. Customise each hook for my niche [insert niche].

2. Write 3 variations per hook (short, punchy, and under 10 words).

3. Suggest whether each hook works best for Reels, carousels, captions, or Stories.

4. Rank them in order of likely engagement based on current social trends.”

Paste in your favourite hooks from the list above and let AI do the tailoring.

Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Burying the hook – Don’t wait until 10 seconds in. Lead with it.

• ❌ Overpromising – Hooks should grab attention, but your content must deliver.

• ❌ Copy-paste without context – Always adapt hooks to your brand voice.

• ❌ Using the same hook style every time – Mix curiosity, lists, and contrarian.

Tools to Support Your Hook Game

• ChatGPT / Claude – Customise hooks for your niche.

• CapCut – Add text overlays for Reels/TikToks.

• Canva – Design carousel cover slides with hooks.

• Later / Buffer – Schedule posts so hooks show up consistently.

Why Hooks Deserve Your Time

Hooks aren’t “extra fluff.” They’re the gateway to your content. Get them right, and your retention soars. Get them wrong, and the best advice in the world goes unseen.

AI gives you the ability to generate endless variations of hooks so you’re never stuck or repetitive. Pair proven templates with customisation, and you’ve got the ultimate hook system.

Final Thoughts: Master the First 3 Seconds

The difference between forgettable content and binge-worthy content often comes down to the hook.

With these 25 templates and the AI prompt, you can:

• Stop overthinking intros.

• Create tailored hooks for your audience.

• Test multiple variations to see what lands.

• Keep people watching, reading, and engaging to the end.

And here’s the truth: while AI can customise hooks quickly, most business owners don’t have the time to test, refine, and consistently apply them across every format. That’s where I come in.

📩 If you’ve read this and thought “I need these hooks, but I’ll never keep up with posting them”… I can help.

I help businesses:

• Build hook libraries customised for their brand.

• Test variations to see what actually drives retention.

• Apply hooks consistently across Reels, TikToks, carousels, and captions.

If you’re ready to master the first 3 seconds and keep your audience watching, send me a message today. Let’s build your hook strategy together.