To stand out in the highly competitive world of gaming streamers, grabbing people’s attention from the very beginning is key. The first few seconds of a video can make or break its success. That’s why the hook is so important. In this article, we'll share some tried and tested ideas that keep your audience hooked from beginning to end.

What is a hook?

A hook is essentially a catchy bit of text (or another attention-grabbing element) at the beginning of a video on social media platforms like TikTok, aiming people to stay and keep watching. To make sure people don’t immediately skip to the next video, the opening frame needs to be exciting enough to draw people in and establish a promise that will keep viewers watching until the very end. Hooks can come in many forms, such as posing a compelling question, sharing a teaser statement, presenting an exciting preview or highlighting a common problem and promising a solution. A good hook is simple, memorable, succinct and suits the video perfectly. 

Hook ideas

Here are some hook ideas you can use to improve your video content and get more viewers on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. 

Gaming advice

Instead of doing this, do this

Things I wish I knew earlier

How to beat this boss

How to level up quickly

In-game tools you need and where to find them

Strategies to win every game

[Game name]’s best kept secret

Shortcuts you didn’t know about

No one is talking about this …

Useful tips

Did you know… (insert fun fact here)

Perfect hack

This will save you time

My go-to [...] when doing [...]

Buying advice

Instead of buying this, buy this

Essential tools for streaming

You need to have these 5 things 

Save your money, don’t buy this

Free tools to save you time

Gaming reviews

I played [game] so you didn’t have to 

First look at [game]

Is this the best/worst game of all time?

Games you need to try if you liked [game]

POV…

Calling out a certain group of people

Fellow [game] fans, stop scrolling!

This is for my [game] homies

[Gamer group] will know what this means

Things you only understand when you’ve played [game]

Reveals

Well… that was unexpected

Look at what I discovered

Can’t believe this worked

New nightmare (/dream/goal/etc) unlocked

Wait for it…

Plot twist…

Signs that you should …

Going against the grain 

This may be controversial but …

Unpopular opinion…

Confession: …

How to add a hook to your video

Wondering how to add hooks to your videos and turn clips into perfect social media content without diving into complicated video editing tools? That's where we come in.

First, make sure you have some good clips. While viewers might create clips during your stream, don't solely rely on them. Your stream holds countless moments waiting to become engaging clips for social media. Aim for 15 to 30 curated clips per stream, using stream markers ("/marker" in your chat) for easy editing later.

To turn your horizontal clips into vertical content for social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, go to StreamLadder.com. StreamLadder is your go-to for converting your clips into social media content. You can simply add a hook by using the text feature. 

And that’s it. Good luck!

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Convert your gaming clips into perfect content for social media. Try StreamLadder for free.