89+ Instagram Reels + TikTok Hooks To Explode Your Growth

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“Get on TikTok,” they say. But how do you actually grow your account? TikTok hooks might be your ticket into the FYP (for you page) of your dream audience! Stick with me and steal 89+ hooks I collected across the first full year as a lingerer on the platform.

In this post, I talk all about the best TikTok hooks to use to grow your account.

Steal These TikTok Hooks To Grow Your Audience

Save this to your Pinterest board or swipe some of my TikTok hook ideas below to use in your next video. I can’t promise it’ll go viral. But with continued trial and error, you’ll be able to grow your audience at a nice, steady pace!

TikTok Hooks for Self-Reflection & Personal Growth

1. I don’t know who needs to hear this…
2. Somebody has to say it…
3. This is your reminder to _______
4. I just realized ____
5. Am I the only one who didn’t know ________?
6. Things I would never do after learning _____
7. I was today years old when I learned ______
8. I never thought this would actually work until I ________
9. What if everything you knew about _________ was wrong?
10. What would you do if ____?

TikTok Hooks for Tips, Tricks, & Advice

11. Here’s the number one reason why ___
12. If you’re struggling with ____, you might be thinking _____
13. The ____ tip ______ aren’t talking about
14. Here’s why you’re doing ______ all wrong
15. Do this to save HOURS doing _____
16. Keep doing this to lose ______
17. Here’s how I lost _____
18. Here’s how I gained ____ doing this 1 thing
19. Struggle with ____? Do THIS to do it in half the time!
20. Transform _____ into _____ in __ easy steps
21. _____ is easy if you…
22. Weird things to know about ______
23. Stop doing _____ if you want _______
24. If you like ______, you’ll LOVE ______
25. I’m gonna teach you __________
26. NOT doing _____ kills your entire _______
27. Reasons why you NEED to be doing _______
28. Here’s the exact ______ you have to do to get _______
29. How to go from _______ to _________
30. My client FINALLY __________ after ________
31. __ new leads just from _________
32. This simple _______ will get you ________
33. __________ red flags to watch out for
34. Your _______ doesn’t suck. You probably just need _________
35. If you’re stuck on _______, I DARE you to try this instead!
36. I would ______ for/to get ______
37. I’m about to expose the biggest myth in ____________

TikTok Hooks for Audience Targeting & Inclusion

38. This one is for my _____ girlies
39. What your _____ says about you
40. If you want to _____
41. This is your sign to ____
42. You don’t want to hear this, but ____
43. I don’t think people understand _____
44. Anyone else hate _____/it when ______
45. If you’re seeing this before _____, ________
46. Things as a ________ I wish I knew as a ________
47. This video is for __________
48. If you’re a fan of ________, you’ll ________
49. Why nobody does this/______ anymore
50. If you still do this, you’re gonna get left behind
51. If you’re stuck with ______, watch this video
52. Watch to the end to learn the ________ (celebrity/influencer) secret to ___________
53. _____ explained for ________

TikTok Hooks for Controversial & Challenging Opinions

54. Unpopular opinion: _________
55. I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but _________
56. I wasn’t going to share this, but _________
57. You have to stop believing ______ if you want ________
58. I’m about to expose the biggest myth in ____________
59. You might unfollow me for saying this, but ________
60. Why is ______ still a thing in 202_?
61. If you do ___________, I’m calling you out.
62. I guarantee you will unfollow me for this video, but those of you who hear me out will __________
63. Are we just going to ignore the fact that ___________
64. Is it just me, or is there something off about ____________
65. I bet you’ve never thought about ____________ this way
66. The fact that more people don’t talk about THIS shocks me
67. The difference between ______ and _______ is what keeps you ________
68. If you’re not _________, your ________ isn’t working
69. Mistakes rookie/broke ________ keep making that you should stop doing
70. _____ you thought were ____ but aren’t
71. ________ red flags to watch out for

TikTok Hooks for Stories & Narratives

72. This is the story of ________
73. POV: ________
74. I don’t know how this hasn’t blown up yet
75. We _____ so they could ______
76. This is what happens when you _______
77. By the end of this video, you’ll learn _______
78. Watch me ______ this in under __ seconds

Motivation & Encouragement

79. __ things I’d never do as a _____
80. ___ things I’d do if I was starting over
81. If you want _____ by ____, you NEED to watch this video
82. You’ll never have ____ if you don’t do ______
83. _____ wealthy/successful _______ don’t want you to know about
84. Put a finger down ____ edition
85. All you need is _______
86. If you’re lazy, but still want ________
87. I’ve said once, and I’ll say it again with my whole chest: if you’re ________, then you ________
88. Your excuses about _________ hold you back. Here’s why:
89. You have all the answers about _________, but I bet you won’t do anything to _________

Understand the Best TikTok Hooks

Is there really such a thing as the best TikTok hooks? Well…it’s complicated. Seeing as how many communities use the app to connect with others online, it’s really hard to say which ones would be the best for you.

That said, you can choose to swipe some of these (or bookmark this post) and test, test, test! You’ll find a flow and rhythm that works for you and your audience with more trial and error.

Just in case you need a little more help understanding what makes a good TikTok hook, let’s explore this in a little more depth before you head out.

What is a hook in TikTok?

A hook in a TikTok is simply a catchy tool creators use to entice viewers to stop scrolling and watch their content. The hook appears right at the beginning of the video in the first few seconds. It quickly grabs someone’s attention through a number of ways, including:

• Using on-screen text that challenges a conventional belief or norm
• Showing (or saying) something random, funny, or unbelievable
• Leaning on fast-paced movement in your footage paired with text or a voiceover
• Offering a straight-forward peek of the end of the video
• Teasing a specific result that someone desires
• Inspiring someone to do or learn something in a new way

How do you start a good hook?

audit TikTok hooks to help you grow

Learning how to audit other people’s TikTok hooks can become a money-making or audience-growing skill for your business. As a foundation, I want to show you how I’d audit Maddie’s video hook if I was interested in slightly adapting my content to fit this specific style.

Here are a few things that I think you could learn from her content (specifically using the divisive hook strategy). She:

• Uses a text overlay (“Two types of people in business”) to get straight into what the video is about
• Sits in her car with a Starbucks drink (giving it a more relatable, spontaneous feel and creating a more 1:1 environment)
• Holds you responsible for how what she’s saying makes you feel or think
• Shows up ‘as is’ and lacks a super polished backdrop
• Opens the TikTok with “All right guys. I’m not gonna f*ck around with you this morning” and makes it clear that the video will shed light on an uncomfortable topic/thing
• Implies challenge in the language she uses to spark one of two likely reactions: inspiration or irked/insulted
• Doesn’t offer a comfortable third option (rather, she doubles down on there only being two possible types of people)

^ Each of these bullet points counts as something you can test out in your own content. Trial and error may help you craft your own game-changing TikTok hook formula for your own business or niche.

What is a divisive TikTok hook?

Maddie (the creator I shared above) often uses a divisive hook in her content. For one, it helps her hone in on the people who fit her offers. The other benefit? She can rile up the others who either vehemently disagree with her or feel caught somewhere in the middle at the same exact time.

(I’m usually one of the fence riders.)

Divisive TikTok hooks also allow you to bypass the boring educational content that peaked in 2021. Think of them like a new spin that can refresh your more traditional content ideas and give them a better shot at reaching others on the platform.

Why divisive hooks work

Very few people actually like being confronted (or even confrontational). Doing so in your content can almost catch them off-guard: even if your message comes from a good place.

Sure, people like me kind of stand in this weird middle-ground of “meh” (at least most of the time). But enough people DO respond to this probing content tactic to make this a valid TikTok hook strategy to at least consider. After all, how many of us WANT to be ‘wrong’?

Is divisive content ethical?

Divisiveness definitely has a place in online marketing. You can 100% be an ethical marketer and use this TikTok hook method. But we should aim to reduce common (and in my opinion, harmful) tactics that mislead or manipulate people: false scarcity, clickbait, (unrealistic) income claims, etc.

If you’re new around here, know that I place ethics high on my marketing ‘bare minimums’ list. There are a ton of like-minded business owners online: each with our own lines in the proverbial sand.

How long should a TikTok hook be?

A TikTok hook should really be under between 3-5 seconds right at the very beginning of your video. The platform has ‘trained’ users to swipe, swipe, swipe. That’s why your hooks are so damn important!

But as important as they are, they still need to be short. Some organizations and studies swear that TikTok users have an attention span of only 6 seconds. Take that for what you will.

Final Thoughts

Ready to create binge-worthy content? You’ll need a good TikTok hook! Before you click off this post, don’t forget to save this to your Pinterest board or swipe some of my hook ideas to use in your next video.

This post was all about the best TikTok hooks you should use.