Hook and demo

Hook and demo is a two-part structure. Part one is a hook: a reaction, a relatable line, a bold claim. Part two is the demo: the product doing the thing, shown plainly. The whole video is often under 15 seconds.

It is popular with apps and consumer products because the hook can be swapped endlessly while the demo stays the same. That makes it cheap to produce many variations and easy to see which opening works best.

The format also suits brands without a presenter. The hook can be a reaction clip, a text card or a meme, and the demo can be a screen recording or product close-up, so nobody has to talk on camera.

0-3s HOOK: Shocked reaction clip. Text: 'When you realize you've been saying it wrong for 10 years'
3-10s DEMO: Screen recording of the app correcting a pronunciation
10-12s END: App icon + 'Free on iOS'

UGCHooks' reaction hook videos follow a close cousin of this pattern: a 5-second reaction clip with the hook on screen, three story lines over photos, then a product card.

• Hold the demo constant and test five or more different hooks against it.
• Make the transition obvious; the viewer should instantly see the payoff.
• Keep the demo to one feature. Show one 'aha' moment, not a tour.
• Watch the retention graph at the cut point. A big drop there means the demo is not paying off the hook.

Our hook and demo guide and script template go deeper.

The biggest is a hook that has nothing to do with the demo. A funny reaction gets the stop, but if the product does not resolve that emotion, viewers feel tricked and leave. The second is a demo that is too slow or too detailed; on a phone, a few seconds of the clearest moment beats a full walkthrough.