The first two seconds decide whether the other twenty get watched. That is why we write the hook before we make the post, every time. This is the swipe file our writers work from: proven hook shapes with the specifics pulled out so you can drop your own in. It is not magic words, it is angles that reliably stop a scroll. Steal all of it.
The hook bank
Do not overthink which category a post is. Skim, find a shape that fits your idea, fill the brackets, say it out loud. If it does not make you want to keep watching, it is not the one.
Curiosity / Open Loop6 formulas
Curiosity formulas
- "I did not believe this until it happened to me..."
- "Nobody talks about what actually happens when [x]."
- "Here is what [group] will not tell you about [topic]."
- "The reason [outcome] keeps happening to you is not what you think."
- "Watch this before you [common action]."
- "This one change did more than [big effort] ever did."
Contrarian / Pattern Interrupt6 formulas
Contrarian formulas
- "Stop [common tactic]. It is quietly costing you [thing]."
- "Everything you have been told about [topic] is backwards."
- "[Popular advice] is wrong, and here is the proof."
- "Unpopular opinion: [claim your audience secretly agrees with]."
- "You do not have a [x] problem. You have a [real problem] problem."
- "Delete [tool/tactic]. Do this instead."
Number / Listicle6 formulas
Number formulas
- "3 mistakes killing your [result] right now."
- "5 things I wish I knew before [milestone]."
- "7 [nouns] doing [job] better than [expensive option]."
- "The 3-part [system] we use for every [client type]."
- "2 signs it is time to [decision]."
- "4 [things] you can steal in the next 10 minutes."
Problem / Pain6 formulas
Problem formulas
- "If [pain point], this is for you."
- "Still [struggling with x]? You are missing one step."
- "Why your [thing] is not [working], in 30 seconds."
- "The most expensive mistake in [field], and how to skip it."
- "You are doing [task] the hard way. Here is the shortcut."
- "That thing you hate about [topic]? Fixable."
Social Proof / Result6 formulas
Social proof formulas
- "How we got [client] [specific result] in [timeframe]."
- "From [before number] to [after number] in [time]. Here is how."
- "Real receipts: [metric], [source]-verified."
- "We tested [thing] so you do not have to. Results:"
- "This got [big number] views. Here is why it worked."
- "Before / after: [transformation]."
How-to / Value6 formulas
How-to formulas
- "How to [outcome] without [common cost]."
- "Save this if you ever need to [task]."
- "The fastest way to [result], step by step."
- "Steal my exact [process] for [outcome]."
- "Do these [n] things and [result] takes care of itself."
- "The [tool] setup that runs itself."
Authority / Insider5 formulas
Authority formulas
- "After [n] years doing [thing], here is what actually matters."
- "We run [impressive stat]. This is the one rule we never break."
- "The thing [pros] do that beginners skip."
- "I have seen [n] [projects] fail. It is always the same reason."
- "Here is what a [role] actually looks at first."
Relatable / POV5 formulas
Relatable formulas
- "POV: [oddly specific situation your audience knows]."
- "Tell me you [trait] without telling me you [trait]."
- "Things [audience] say that make us nervous."
- "When [algorithm/client/thing] finally [does the good thing]."
- "[Audience] starter pack."
The caption skeleton
A caption is not a place to dump. It is a second hook, a single idea, and one ask. This skeleton works for almost every post. Short lines, one thought each.
Caption structure
LINE 1 (RE-HOOK): Twist or restate the video's hook so the caption earns the stop too.
[e.g. "This took us 3 tries to get right, so you do not have to."]
LINE 2-3 (THE POINT): One idea. Say it plainly. Break lines often so it is skimmable.
[The single thing you want them to take away.]
LINE 4 (PROOF or RELATE): A number, a result, or a "we have all been there" line.
[e.g. "We have run this on 40+ accounts. Same result every time."]
LINE 5 (ONE CTA): Exactly one ask. Never two. Match it to the goal of the post.
[e.g. "Save this for your next launch." / "Comment PLAN and I will send it."]
THEN: leave a line, drop 3-6 specific hashtags (niche, not #love #instagood).
#[niche] #[topic] #[city or industry]
RULES:
- First line has to survive the "...more" cutoff. Front-load it.
- One idea per caption. If you have two, that is two posts.
- Write like you talk. Read it out loud. If you would not say it, cut it.
- No walls of text. White space is a feature.
The CTA bank
One post, one ask. Pick the CTA that matches what this post is for, and use only that one.
Calls to action
TO GET SAVES (education posts)
- "Save this so you have it when you need it."
- "Bookmark this before your next [task]."
TO GET COMMENTS (reach + DMs)
- "Comment [WORD] and I will send you [thing]."
- "Which one are you guilty of? Be honest below."
- "Tell me your [x] and I will tell you [y]."
TO GET FOLLOWS (top of funnel)
- "Follow for the rest of this series."
- "We post one of these every week. Follow so you do not miss it."
TO GET CLICKS (bottom of funnel)
- "Link in bio to [specific thing], not a homepage."
- "Grab the free [resource], link in bio."
TO BOOK (sales)
- "DM us [WORD] and we will send a real plan, no pitch."
- "Book a free strategy call, link in bio. We will show you where the growth is hiding."
That is the whole swipe file. Hooks stop the scroll, the caption carries one idea, the CTA points at one action.