By the UGCHooks team · Updated
Curiosity hooks
Open a loop the viewer has to close. A question the brain can't leave unanswered keeps people watching past the first second, which is the number the algorithm cares about most.
Fill in the blanks
Formulas to steal
Formula 1
Nobody told me [surprising fact] until [moment].
Formula 2
I didn't expect [product category] to [unexpected result].
Formula 3
The [thing] in my [place] has a secret.
From real UGC scripts across niches
18 examples
- “Everyone here is about to run. Not me.”
- “I stopped buying cooking spray.”
- “My dad hasn't seen this photo in colour. Ever.”
- “I found a subscription I've been paying for since 2023.”
- “Everyone's running. I'm finishing my croissant.”
- “My bank statement had a secret. Three of them.”
- “My facialist asked what I changed. I lied.”
- “Go check how many storage plans you pay for. I'll wait.”
- “I skip every morning in a flat with a 2-metre ceiling.”
- “I haven't taken this off since March”
- “I got back two hours a week by cancelling one meeting.”
- “I've been keeping one step from my facialist for six weeks.”
- “why is nobody talking about this app” · Mobile apps
- “I didn't think a $20 gadget could fix this” · Ecommerce & Shopify
- “the advice I stopped giving my clients” · Coaches & consultants
- “the inspection report line that made my client walk away” · Real estate
- “the client brief that finally worked” · Marketing agencies
- “the one lesson students say they should have taken first” · Online courses & info products
When it works, and when it doesn't
Use it for
Products with a surprising mechanism, a hidden cost they fix, or a result people don't believe until they see it.
Avoid
Withholding so long that the payoff disappoints. Answer by slide three or second four.
From hook to post
Use it in each format
As a slideshow
Put the hook on slide one in big outlined text, e.g. “Nobody told me [surprising fact] until [moment].”. 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 thinking 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 curiosity hook?
Open a loop the viewer has to close. A question the brain can't leave unanswered keeps people watching past the first second, which is the number the algorithm cares about most.
When should I use it?
Products with a surprising mechanism, a hidden cost they fix, or a result people don't believe until they see it.
What's the most common mistake?
Withholding so long that the payoff disappoints. Answer by slide three or second four.
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