By the UGCHooks team · Updated
Social proof hooks
Let other people make the claim. People trust other people more than brands. A real number or quote lowers the risk of trying.
Fill in the blanks
Formulas to steal
Formula 1
[Number] people switched to this and here's why.
Formula 2
My [friend/coworker] wouldn't stop talking about [product].
Formula 3
The review that made me try [product].
From real UGC scripts across niches
17 examples
- “I used to pick cereal by the colour of the box.”
- “I recommended one sunscreen. Now there are four.”
- “Four skin tones. One sunscreen. Zero white cast.”
- “Agency owners: where do your client approvals actually live?”
- “I posted my holiday plan and twelve thousand people took it.”
- “I read every one-star review first. There weren't many.”
- “How one flashcard app took over our whole cohort.”
- “Every morning at seven, a crowd of strangers sits with me.”
- “Everyone wanted the link. Here it is.”
- “Break-room survey: how do you actually budget?”
- “Agency owners: how many places do your briefs live?”
- “400 of you asked about this matcha. Here's my answer.”
- “the app my therapist told me about” · Mobile apps
- “everyone at the party asked where I got it” · Ecommerce & Shopify
- “I was so skeptical about this one” · Skincare & beauty
- “the dish our regulars order without looking at the menu” · Restaurants & cafes
- “we tested 40 hooks for one client in a week” · Marketing agencies
When it works, and when it doesn't
Use it for
You have reviews, user counts, ratings or press on your page.
Avoid
Invented numbers. UGCHooks only uses proof that appears on your page.
From hook to post
Use it in each format
As a slideshow
Put the hook on slide one in big outlined text, e.g. “[Number] people switched to this and here's why.”. 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 excited 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 social proof hook?
Let other people make the claim. People trust other people more than brands. A real number or quote lowers the risk of trying.
When should I use it?
You have reviews, user counts, ratings or press on your page.
What's the most common mistake?
Invented numbers. UGCHooks only uses proof that appears on your page.
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