Hook
A hook is the first line or first 1 to 3 seconds of a post that decides whether someone keeps watching or reading, or scrolls past.
A hook is the opening line of a caption or the first 1 to 3 seconds of a video that decides whether someone keeps watching or reading, or scrolls straight past. On video platforms especially, the hook is often the single biggest factor in whether the algorithm shows a post to more people, because watch through in the first seconds is a core ranking signal.
It matters because attention on a feed is the scarcest resource: a brilliant idea buried under a slow intro never gets seen, no matter how good the rest is. A weak hook, such as a generic greeting or a caption that opens with context instead of the point, loses most of the audience before the message even starts.
Write the hook last, after you know what the post is actually about, and lead with a question, a bold claim, a number, or a visible contradiction rather than a setup. Cut the first sentence you wrote by instinct and see if the post still works starting from the second one, since most first drafts bury the hook one line too deep.
Examples
- A video that opens with a direct question in the first 2 seconds typically holds viewers longer than one starting with a logo intro.
- Testing 3 different hook lines on the same underlying content, such as a claim, a question, and a number, often shows a 2 to 3 times spread in watch through.
Related terms
Storytelling in social media means framing a post as a narrative, with tension and a payoff, instead of a plain announcement or feature list.
Percentage of followers who interact with a post (likes + comments + shares + saves divided by reach or followers).
The ranking system each platform uses to decide whose content appears in whose feed.
Short-form vertical videos on Instagram (9:16, up to 90 seconds).