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FormatDNA

Hook

The opening seconds that decide whether anyone watches the rest.

The hook is whatever makes a viewer not leave. On a vertical feed that is frequently the first frame rather than the first sentence, because the decision happens before you have finished a word.

The most common mistake is treating the hook as a promise of value later. It works better as a delivery of value now — the surprising thing said immediately, with the explanation earning its place afterwards.

Formats where this matters most