Hooks by Platform: 30 Examples for Every Format

First slide, first frame, first line: the hook changes with the platform. 30 written examples for Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X, Facebook and Pinterest.

Published on September 26, 2026 · Content creation

On social media, your content is decided before it is read. The first line of a post, the first slide of a carousel or the first seconds of a video determine whether someone stops or keeps scrolling. That is the hook. But a hook that works on TikTok can sound off on LinkedIn, and a strong first slide on Instagram has nothing in common with a Pinterest pin title. This guide sorts hooks by platform and format, with 30 written examples you can adapt to your brand.

What makes a good hook on any platform

Before the examples, four shared principles:

• Talk about the reader first, not yourself. "You're losing customers because…" grabs more than "At our company, we…".
• Create tension. A question, a contradiction, a specific promise, a mistake to avoid: something the reader wants resolved.
• Be concrete. A number of steps, a recognizable situation, a specific object. Vague holds no one.
• Deliver on the promise. A hook that promises more than the content delivers makes people drop off and erodes trust.

In the examples below, bracketed parts are placeholders for your topic. The hooks were written for different kinds of brands; keep the structure and swap the substance.

Instagram carousels

On a carousel, the hook is the first slide. It needs to make people swipe, often by promising a list, a method or a reveal in the slides that follow. The text should read at a glance, in large type.

• 1. "5 mistakes almost every [new runner] makes. You're probably making number 4."
• 2. "Before you buy [a sofa], read these 6 slides."
• 3. "What [your hairstylist] won't tell you about [at-home color]."
• 4. "The 4-step method we use to [pick a wine for dinner]. Save it."

Instagram Reels

On a Reel, the hook stacks three layers: what you see in the first frame, what you hear, and the on-screen text. Ideally all three say the same thing.

• 5. "Stop [putting tomatoes in the fridge]. Here's why."
• 6. "We tested [three ways to clean a cast iron pan]. Only one is worth it."
• 7. "POV: you just got [your first order] and don't know where to start."
• 8. "The one detail that changes everything in [a homemade latte]."

TikTok

TikTok rewards direct hooks, spoken to camera or in voice-over, that jump into the topic with no warm-up. Skip "Hey everyone, today we're going to talk about…" and open with the point.

• 9. "If [your hair frizzes the second it's humid], this video is for you."
• 10. "Nobody talks about this, but [succulents can drown too]."
• 11. "Three things I wish I'd known before [opening my shop]."
• 12. "Let me show you what's really inside [a $30 order from us]."
• 13. "Answering [the question we get every single day]: [the question]."

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, only the first lines show before "see more." The hook has to fit that space and make people want to expand. What works starts from experience, a counterintuitive observation or a lesson learned.

• 14. "We lost our biggest client last year. Here's what it taught us about [customer relationships]."
• 15. "The most common advice about [hiring] is, in my view, the worst."
• 16. "In [ten years] in [the restaurant business], one rule has never let me down:"
• 17. "Your [website] doesn't have a traffic problem. It has a [messaging] problem."
• 18. "I reread our last [50] lost proposals. Three reasons keep coming up."

YouTube Shorts

Shorts are close to Reels and TikTok, but YouTube viewers often arrive looking for a specific answer. How-to and "does it actually work" hooks fit naturally.

• 19. "How to [sharpen a knife] with no special tools."
• 20. "Does [white vinegar] really clean everything? We checked."
• 21. "The move that [keeps pizza dough from sticking], in one demo."

X and Threads

On these text-first platforms, the hook is often the whole post, or the first post of a thread. Clear stances, announced lists and personal observations work well. Keep it conversational.

• 22. "Unpopular opinion: [clearance sales hurt small shops more than they help]."
• 23. "What [ten years of woodworking] taught me about patience, a thread:"
• 24. "Honest question for [freelancers]: how do you handle [chasing unpaid invoices]?"
• 25. "The difference between [good and great coffee] comes down to three things."

Facebook

On Facebook, posts that spark reactions within a local or enthusiast community do well. Hooks that invite people to share an experience or an opinion fit right in.

• 26. "Quick question for folks in [your town]: where do you go for [Sunday brunch]?"
• 27. "[Twenty years] ago, our first shop opened. Here's the photo from day one."
• 28. "You've asked for it a lot: [the recipe for our weekend pie] is finally here."

Pinterest

On Pinterest, the hook is the pin title and the text overlaid on the image. People are searching for ideas and solutions, so the hook should be descriptive and use the words they type.

• 29. "[Small bathroom]: 7 storage ideas that cost next to nothing."
• 30. "[Wedding guest outfit]: how to pair it with [white sneakers]."

Platform cheat sheet

Six structures to mix and match

Most of the 30 hooks above rely on a handful of structures. Once you can spot them, you can write your own:

• The numbered list: "5 mistakes…", "3 things I wish…".
• The call-out: "If you [situation], this is for you."
• The contradiction: "The most common advice is the worst."
• The test: "We tried three ways. Only one works."
• The story opener: "We lost our biggest client last year."
• The search-style title: "[Topic]: 7 ideas that…".

How to test your hooks

No list replaces your own data. To learn what works with your audience:

1. Write several hooks per piece. Three or four versions with different structures before you choose.
2. Change one thing at a time. When comparing two posts, keep the topic and format the same and change only the hook.
3. Watch the right signals. For video, early retention; for carousels, saves and how many slides get viewed; for text posts, "see more" clicks and comments.
4. Log your results. A simple sheet with the hook, its structure, the platform and the results will quickly show your winning formulas.

Traps to avoid

• Clickbait. Promising a secret and delivering a platitude makes people drop off and erodes trust.
• One hook everywhere. A line written for TikTok often feels forced on LinkedIn.
• The polite warm-up. Opening pleasantries delay the moment the reader understands what they will get.
• A tone that isn't yours. An effective hook that clashes with your brand voice creates a disconnect.

Platform-ready hooks with Oposto

Writing a different hook for every platform and format takes time. Oposto starts from your brand's content DNA, built from your website (voice, colors, products, audience), and generates posts, image carousels, design carousels and short videos with voice-over and subtitles, adapting each post to its network. You review, tweak and approve, then Oposto publishes at the planned time. Tracking real performance then shows you which content works so you can reuse it.

The bottom line

A good hook speaks to the reader, creates tension, stays concrete and keeps its promise. Its shape depends on the platform and format: first slide, first frame, first line or pin title. Start from the 30 examples above, adapt them to your voice, and let your own results tell you which to keep.

To generate content tailored to each platform, in your brand's voice, try Oposto for free, no credit card required: oposto.app.