Guide · Running UGC as ads

UGC hook examples: 52 opening lines by industry, and how to test them

Published 2026-11-13

The hook is the first line and first shot of a UGC video, the part that decides whether someone keeps watching or scrolls past. This page has 52 hooks you can copy: 10 hook types with a template each, and 42 examples for seven industries. Each example is marked by who can say it: a real creator who used the product, or anyone, including an AI actor. At the end is a simple way to test them against each other.

What the platforms say about the opening

TikTok’s creative best practices for performance ads (updated June 2025) recommend prioritizing the hook in the first 6 seconds and introducing your proposition in the first 3. They suggest a structure of hook, selling points and a clear call to action, recommend featuring people such as creators or customers, and say a less polished, DIY style fits UGC. For text on screen, TikTok suggests 5–10 words per second.

For Meta, a study of over 500 ads that Meta ran with Analytic Partners, reported by Social Media Today in December 2022, found ROI 2.3 times higher when the product appeared in the first two seconds, and a large gain for ads built to work with the sound off.

Put together: the first line should say what this is about, the first shot should show the product or the problem, and the words should be on screen as well as spoken.

Who can say which hook

Some hooks describe a personal experience: “I”, “my skin”, “after two weeks”. Only a creator who really used the product can say those honestly. The FTC’s guidance for influencers says not to talk about experience with a product you haven’t tried, and its fake reviews rule covers testimonials by people who don’t exist, including AI-generated ones.

So the examples below are marked:

• Creator: a personal-experience hook. Only for a real creator who used the product. Never for an AI actor or an actor reading a script as if it were theirs.
• Anyone: describes the product, the problem or the offer. Works for a creator, your team or an AI actor.

10 hook types with templates

Comparison hooks: compare with an old habit or a generic alternative, not a named competitor, unless you can back every claim up.

Skincare hooks

• “Dry patches by lunchtime? Watch what this does in one swipe.” (Anyone)
• “Here’s how much product you actually need.” (Anyone)
• “3 ingredients I check on every moisturizer label.” (Anyone)
• “The texture, up close, before anything else.” (Anyone)
• “I swapped my moisturizer for two weeks. Here’s my honest take.” (Creator)
• “My morning routine, but only the steps I actually keep doing.” (Creator)

Avoid promising to treat a skin condition; that can turn a cosmetic into a drug claim. Our skincare UGC guide covers the line.

Supplement hooks

• “What’s actually in one scoop.” (Anyone)
• “How to read a supplement label in 20 seconds.” (Anyone)
• “Capsules vs powder: which fits your morning?” (Anyone)
• “3 questions to ask before you buy any supplement.” (Anyone)
• “I added this to my routine a month ago. Here’s what I noticed, and what I didn’t.” (Creator)
• “The taste test, no editing.” (Creator)

Health claims need evidence, and a creator’s experience isn’t evidence. See our supplement UGC guide before writing results-based hooks.

Food and drink hooks

• “Two-minute dinner, start to finish.” (Anyone)
• “Here’s what [price] gets you.” (Anyone)
• “Three ways to use one jar.” (Anyone)
• “The pour, in slow motion.” (Anyone)
• “First bite, real reaction.” (Creator)
• “I tried every flavor so you don’t have to.” (Creator)

Real reactions only work with real tasting. More in our food and drink UGC guide.

Pet product hooks

• “If your dog does this on walks, try this.” (Anyone)
• “Which size fits your dog, in 20 seconds.” (Anyone)
• “What’s inside, ingredient by ingredient.” (Anyone)
• “Setting it up takes under a minute. Watch.” (Anyone)
• “My cat ignores every toy. This one lasted.” (Creator)
• “A week with this harness on our morning walks.” (Creator)

The pet’s reaction is the hook, so it has to be real. See our pet product UGC guide.

Fashion hooks

• “One jacket, three outfits.” (Anyone)
• “How this fits on a [height] frame.” (Creator)
• “Here’s the fabric up close, and how it moves.” (Anyone)
• “What to look at before you buy jeans online.” (Anyone)
• “I’m [size] and ordered [size]. Here’s the fit.” (Creator)
• “After ten washes, here’s how it looks.” (Creator)

Fit and wear hooks only make sense on a real body. Our fashion UGC guide covers try-ons and fabric claims.

App hooks

• “The fastest way to [task]. Watch the screen.” (Anyone)
• “3 settings most people never turn on.” (Anyone)
• “Here’s what the free version actually includes.” (Anyone)
• “[Task] on paper vs in the app.” (Anyone)
• “I’ve tracked my [habit] in this for a month. Here’s my screen.” (Creator)
• “The one feature I open every day.” (Creator)

Show the real app screen early. Our UGC for apps guide has more.

Amazon product hooks

• “Everything in the box, before you order.” (Anyone)
• “How big it really is next to everyday things.” (Anyone)
• “Setting it up, start to finish.” (Anyone)
• “3 questions people ask about this, answered.” (Anyone)
• “I’ve used it every day for a month. Here’s what held up.” (Creator)
• “What I’d tell a friend before they buy this.” (Creator)

Amazon doesn’t allow paid reviews, and paid posts elsewhere must disclose the connection. See our Amazon UGC guide.

How to test hooks

1. Keep everything else the same. Same body, same offer, same call to action. Change only the first 3–6 seconds, so you know the hook made the difference.
2. Make the hooks really different. A problem hook vs a demo hook vs a price hook tells you more than three wordings of the same idea. TikTok’s guidance also prefers creatives with big differences when testing.
3. Run 3–5 at once. TikTok recommends 3–5 creatives per ad group.
4. Judge on the right number. Watch how many viewers get past the first few seconds, then clicks and sales. A hook that holds attention but doesn’t sell isn’t a winner.
5. Re-use the winner. Put the winning hook on new bodies, or brief a creator to film a fresh version of it.

Our UGC ad testing guide covers budgets and how long to run a test.

How to order several hooks from a creator

When we checked 30 UGC gigs on Fiverr for our script research, only 6 listed extra hooks at all, and none put them in the basic package. So ask for them up front, in the brief:

Expect to pay extra for additional hooks; agree on the price before ordering.

Common mistakes

• A slow intro. “Hi guys, so today…” uses up the seconds TikTok says matter most.
• Hiding the product. If the product appears at second 12, many viewers never see it.
• Hook and video don’t match. A shocking first line followed by an unrelated demo loses trust and clicks.
• Personal hooks from people who haven’t used it. An actor or AI actor saying “I’ve used this for a month” is a made-up testimonial.
• Testing only wording. Small word changes rarely teach you much. Test different types.

Common questions

What is a hook in a UGC video?

The first line and first shot, usually the first 3–6 seconds. Its job is to make the right viewer keep watching by showing what the video is about.

How long should a UGC hook be?

Short enough to land within the first few seconds. TikTok’s guidance is to put the hook in the first 6 seconds and introduce your proposition in the first 3.

How many hooks should I test?

Start with 3–5 different types on the same video. That matches TikTok’s suggestion of 3–5 creatives per ad group.

Can an AI actor use these hooks?

Only the ones marked “Anyone”. Hooks about personal experience need a real person who actually used the product.

Ready to brief a creator? Use our script template or browse the creator shortlist.