A hook that could fit any niche fits none. Tune it to the exact viewer.
Step 1: Name the viewer in one line
"[Who], who [situation], and wants [result] / fears [problem]." Example: "New runners in Bristol who want to finish a 5k but think their knees can't take it."
Step 2: Steal their words, not your words
Look for the viewer's own phrases in what the creator gave you: comments, DMs, questions they get asked, what people say before they book. Those words go in the hook. Only words that appear in the brief count as theirs. A phrase you think they would use is your guess: you may use it, but never put it in quotes or say commenters say it.
| Creator word | Viewer word |
|---|---|
| "lactate threshold" | "I get out of breath too fast" |
| "fulfilment exceptions" | "my parcel never came" |
| "colour correction" | "will it go orange" |
If you don't have their words, use the plainest phrase a beginner would type into search, and list "what do your comments say?" under Check these.
Step 3: Size the stakes
Stakes are what the viewer loses by not watching. Keep them true and the right size for the niche. A frizzy fringe, a missed parcel, a nervous first lesson. Don't inflate a small fix into a life change.
Step 4: Use proof this niche trusts
| Niche | Proof that lands | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Local service | What happens on the day, the price on the day, real time taken, the room, the kit | "Best in town", reviews you can't show |
| Health and clinics | What the appointment involves, what it doesn't involve | Outcome promises, "painless", "doesn't hurt", "comfortable", claims about other professionals |
| Money, software, B2B | The creator's own numbers, labelled, and a screen showing it work | Income claims, "passive", fake screenshots |
| Food, craft, hobby | The before and after on screen, the one variable changed | "Best ever", "foolproof" |
| Fitness | The plan and the effort, not the body result in a time frame | "Lose X in Y days" |
Step 5: Check the rules of the niche
- Health and clinics: no promise of results, nothing about pain or comfort ("painless", "doesn't hurt"), no claim that other professionals hide things. Their regulator and advertising rules apply; name that under Check these.
- Money and income: results are past results of specific people, never a promise.
- Ads: the platform's own ad policy applies on top.
Output
Viewer: [one line]
Their words: [2 to 4 phrases quoted from the brief, with where they came from, or "none given"]
Stakes: [one line]
Proof to show: [what's in the footage]
Tuned hook: "[exact words]"
Niche rule to check: [if any]