How to write a hook for a talking-head video
By Anteras · Updated
A hook is what the viewer gets in the first two or three seconds that tells them the video is worth staying for. In a talking video it has two parts: the first sentence you say, and a short title on screen that says the same promise to people watching with the sound off. Write the title in two to seven words, with a number or a strong verb, and make sure the video keeps the promise.
What a hook has to do
It answers one question for the viewer: what do I get if I keep watching? Everything else, such as your name, a greeting, or the background to the topic, can wait until after that question is answered, or be left out.
Four patterns that fit a talking video
| Pattern | What it promises | Example title |
|---|---|---|
| The number | A list of a known length | 3 tools I use daily |
| The mistake | Something the viewer may be doing wrong | Stop cutting every pause |
| The result | An outcome, shown or described | This edit took 2 minutes |
| The question | An answer to something they have wondered | Why do my Reels look flat? |
Our view on which to pick: the one that is true of your video. A number hook on a video with no list, or a result that never appears, loses people faster than no hook at all.
Writing the title
- Two to seven words. It is read in a glance, over a moving face.
- Not a full sentence. “3 tools I use daily”, not “Here are the three tools that I use every day”.
- A number or a strong verb. They read fastest.
- The same promise as your first sentence. The title is for viewers with the sound off; it should not say something different from your voice.
Say it in your first sentence too
The title cannot rescue a slow opening. If your take starts with “Hi everyone, so today I wanted to talk about”, the fix is in the edit: cut the take so it begins at the sentence that makes the promise. Cutting pauses will not do this for you; it removes silence, not sentences. Trim the start of the video before you upload it, or record the first sentence again.
When to leave the title off
- Your first spoken sentence is already short and strong, and captions will show it.
- A graphic opens the video, such as a word behind you. A title on top of it is too much.
- The video is a reply or a reaction, where the thing you are answering is the hook.
Adding a hook title in Anteras
- Upload your video and switch on Hook title.
- Type the title, up to 60 characters.
- Watch the free preview: the title sits over the opening of the video, for about two and a half seconds.
- Shorten it if you cannot read it in one glance, then export.
The hook is one of seven jobs in an edit. The rest, in order: how to edit a talking-head video. For the captions that follow the title: the best caption style for Reels.
Questions
What is a hook in a Reel or TikTok?
The first two or three seconds, spoken and on screen, that tell the viewer what they will get from the video.
How long should a hook title be?
Two to seven words. It has to be read in a glance.
How long should the title stay on screen?
Long enough to read once. In Anteras it shows for about two and a half seconds.
Do I need a title if I have captions?
Not always. If your first sentence is short and strong, the captions already show it. A title helps when the opening sentence is long or the promise comes a few words in.