By the UGCHooks team · Updated
Comparison hooks
Old way vs new way, side by side. A side-by-side makes the decision for the viewer. It also targets people already shopping the category.
Fill in the blanks
Formulas to steal
Formula 1
[Old way]: [cost/time]. This: [cost/time].
Formula 2
Hiring [expensive option] vs [your product].
Formula 3
I tried [popular option] and [your product] for a week.
From real UGC scripts across niches
20 examples
- “Do this test before you buy another 5-pack.”
- “I was chewing my creatine and didn't know.”
- “I handwrote six hundred flashcards. Never again.”
- “Logging lunch: 4 minutes vs 4 seconds”
- “Journaling was too much. So I made it one line.”
- “I used to spend my afternoons typing into a CRM.”
- “I spent a month refreshing flight prices so you don't have to.”
- “If you've ever chewed your protein shake, watch this.”
- “Grandkid photos: group chat vs this”
- “Hold your white tee up to a window”
- “I own six journals. All of them say 'January'.”
- “I bent these until one gave up.”
- “I deleted 4 apps after downloading this one” · Mobile apps
- “the meeting that should have been a link” · SaaS
- “$12 vs the $60 one everyone buys” · Ecommerce & Shopify
- “me at 6am vs me at 6:05am” · Fitness & wellness
- “chain coffee vs the place two blocks down” · Restaurants & cafes
- “renting vs buying in this market, honestly” · Real estate
- “retainer math: creators vs a hook library” · Marketing agencies
- “free YouTube tutorials vs a real course, honestly” · Online courses & info products
When it works, and when it doesn't
Use it for
You're cheaper, faster or simpler than the usual way of solving the problem.
Avoid
Trashing named competitors. Compare to the old way, not a brand.
From hook to post
Use it in each format
As a slideshow
Put the hook on slide one in big outlined text, e.g. “[Old way]: [cost/time]. This: [cost/time].”. Slides two to four tell the moment, slide five shows the product, slide six is a soft call to action. On Instagram, the same story works as a 4:5 carousel.
TikTok slideshows →As a hook video
Keep it to one line over a skeptical reaction clip for the first five seconds, then cut to your product. The face carries the emotion, so the text can stay short and specific.
Reaction hook videos →As a meme
Rewrite it as the moment itself (“when…”, “me after…”, “pov:”) and leave the product out of the image; mention it in the caption. Memes travel because they don't look like ads.
GIF memes →Want ten of these for your product right now? Use the free hook generator.
Formats this angle shines in
Questions
What is a comparison hook?
Old way vs new way, side by side. A side-by-side makes the decision for the viewer. It also targets people already shopping the category.
When should I use it?
You're cheaper, faster or simpler than the usual way of solving the problem.
What's the most common mistake?
Trashing named competitors. Compare to the old way, not a brand.
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