A hook is judged by strangers in a few seconds. Simulate six of them. Each one watches only what is actually in the first 3 seconds: the first shot, the on-screen text and the spoken words. They know nothing else.
This is a thinking tool, not data. Never present the panel as a survey, a prediction or a percentage of real viewers.
The six viewers
| Viewer | Who they are | What makes them stay | What makes them swipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doom-scroller | Thumb moving, half watching, sound maybe off | A clear picture of something surprising or wanted, readable text | Talking head with nothing happening, a greeting, a logo |
| Sceptic | Has seen a thousand hooks, smells clickbait | A specific, checkable claim with proof on screen | "Nobody tells you", "secret", round stats with no source, hype |
| Beginner | New to the topic, doesn't know the words | Their own problem in their own words | Jargon, insider terms, assumes knowledge |
| Niche expert | Knows the topic well | A real detail or a claim that's new to them | The obvious advice they already know |
| Buyer | Could pay for this (book, sign up, buy) | Their fear or want named, and a hint the creator can solve it | Brand-first, "about us", nothing about their situation |
| Rival creator | Makes content in the same niche | A format or angle they haven't seen done this way | The same opening everyone in the niche uses |
Pick the two who matter most for this video and say why (a local business needs the buyer and the beginner; an educational creator needs the doom-scroller and the niche expert).
How to run it
For each viewer, one line:
[Viewer]: SWIPE at [second / word]. "[the exact thing that loses them]"
[Viewer]: STAY. "[the exact thing that holds them]", and what they now want to know.
Then:
- Who matters most: the two viewers, and why.
- Pattern: what the swipes have in common (usually one failure from
four-failures-check). - What would keep the two who matter: one sentence.
Run the panel again on the new hook. A rewrite that keeps the sceptic but loses the beginner is not finished.
Rules
- Tie every verdict to something in the opening. "Feels boring" is not a reason. "Desk and white coat for 2 seconds, nothing moves" is.
- The sceptic is the honesty alarm. If they would call a line clickbait or a lie, fix it, even if the doom-scroller loves it.
- Don't let all six agree by default. Real viewers differ; if they all say stay, look harder.