Video of the Day27:39Kallaway · Tutorial
How to Make ANY Topic Addictive on Social Media (The Illusion of Novelty)
A 27-minute masterclass in manufacturing perceived novelty, and a live demonstration of the exact framework it teaches.
June 18thThe argument in one line.
Nearly every viral video opening is a reusable fill-in-the-blank template built from a pain point, a specific number, or a forbidden shortcut, and swapping in your own niche's outcome is usually enough to make it work again.
Read if. Skip if.
READ IF YOU ARE…
- You make short-form or long-form video content and want a swipeable library of hook formulas instead of starting from a blank page every time.
- You've noticed viewers scroll past your videos in the first few seconds and want concrete templates to diagnose why.
- You run a page in a specific niche (fitness, finance, trading, dating, productivity) and want to see each formula applied to a real example before adapting it.
SKIP IF…
- You're looking for platform algorithm or distribution mechanics — this is entirely about the copywriting of the first line, not how content gets shown.
- You want a full video script — every example here stops after the opening one or two sentences.
The full version, fast.
Most hooks that go viral are not original — they're a small set of reusable templates (a painful before-state named with a specific number, two approaches compared head to head, a confession of weakness before a big result, a forbidden or taboo-sounding shortcut, a percentage breakdown of things tried) restated in whatever niche the creator works in. The video runs through 33 of these formulas back to back: state the abstract structure, then show one real clip — from fitness, trading, dating, or productivity content — where a creator filled it in and it worked. The actionable move is to keep a running swipe file of these structures and, when starting a new video, pick a template and plug in your own specific number and outcome rather than writing a hook from scratch.
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00:00 – 01:35
01 · Hooks 1-9: identity & specificity hooks
Opens with before-state hooks built on a specific number, then moves through confession, forbidden-shortcut, and weak-point hooks — each restated instantly in a niche example (weight loss, content creation, studying, dieting, speech).
01:35 – 02:22
02 · Sponsor break: the Atlas pitch
Mid-roll pitch for the presenter's own AI content-strategy tool, offered as a free personalized report in exchange for a link click.
02:22 – 04:07
03 · Hooks 10-17: confession & comparison hooks
Percentage-breakdown hooks, self-deprecating confessions paired with a big result, and side-by-side approach comparisons ('this guy vs. this guy').
04:07 – 06:00
04 · Hooks 18-28: contrarian & belief-reversal hooks
Hooks that discard a popular tactic for an alternative, contrast a popular desire against the 'real' desire, and challenge a widely-held belief with research.
06:00 – 07:22
05 · Hooks 29-33 + outro: shame & tutorial hooks
Closes with shame-based mirror hooks, an excuse pre-emption hook, a self-deprecating credibility hook, and a 'no one shows you how' tutorial hook, then repeats the Atlas call to action.
Lines worth screenshotting.
- Hooks that name a specific number ('30 pounds overweight,' '$1,000 a day') consistently outperform vague versions of the same claim ('lose weight,' 'make money').
- Denying a taboo shortcut out loud ('unless you want people to accuse you of going on Ozempic') advertises the shortcut more effectively than describing it directly.
- Comparing two approaches side by side ('this guy does approach A, this guy does approach B — who wins?') forces the viewer to pick a side before they've decided to keep watching.
- Confessing a weakness before the payoff ('I'm a terrible storyteller, and yet I get millions of views') builds more credibility than opening with a claim of expertise.
- Attaching an exact lesson count and an exact time limit ('the 5 most powerful lessons in the next 60 seconds') gives the viewer a concrete promise they can hold the video to.
- A percentage breakdown of a large sample ('I've consumed 1,000 podcasts — 50% useless, 25% wrong, 25% changed how I think') reads as more credible than a single claimed opinion.
- Reframing a popular goal as the wrong goal ('do you want to lose weight, or do you want to lose fat?') creates tension without needing a shocking fact.
- Naming the 90% who are failing at something ('90% of traders ignore this one thing about time frames') implicitly flatters the 10% the viewer wants to be part of.
- A hook that tells the viewer not to skip the video works because it's phrased as a warning, not a request.
- The same visual template — a talking head with a bold caption behind them — was reused for all 33 examples, meaning the format cost is close to zero once a creator commits to a hook style.
A hook is a template, not an original idea
WHAT TO LEARN
Every hook in this list is a reusable structure — pain point, specific number, or forbidden shortcut — that already worked in someone else's niche before it worked in yours.
- Replace vague claims with a specific number: 'lose weight' converts worse than '30 pounds by summer' because the viewer can picture the exact outcome.
- Denying a taboo shortcut ('this isn't Ozempic') creates more curiosity than describing the shortcut directly, because it implies the answer without saying it.
- A side-by-side comparison of two approaches ('this guy vs. this guy — who wins?') gets a viewer to mentally commit to an answer, which keeps them watching to see if they're right.
- Opening with a confessed weakness before a big result builds more trust than opening with a credential — the gap between the confession and the result is the hook.
- Naming an exact number of lessons and an exact time limit turns a vague promise into a concrete one the viewer can hold you accountable to.
- A percentage breakdown of a large sample size reads as more credible than a single stated opinion, even when the underlying claim is the same.
- The same visual delivery format (talking head, bold caption, timer/counter) was reused across all 33 examples — the differentiator was the line, not the production.
Things they pointed at.
Lines you could clip.
00:00
“If I woke up 30 pounds overweight tomorrow and wanted to lose it all by summer, here's exactly what I'd do.”
00:46
“Unless you want people to accuse you of going on Ozempic... I don't recommend doing this because you might just lose weight way too fast.”
06:19
“If you ever look at yourself shirtless and think, fuck this, this video is for you.”
03:40
“I'm a terrible storyteller, and yet I still manage to get millions of views for myself, my students, and our clients.”
04:00
“This guy gets a super deep stretch on every rep. But this guy just trains hard using a standard range of motion. Who will end up bigger and stronger?”
Word for word.
Read-along
Don't just watch it. Burn it in.
See every word as it's spoken — crank it to 2× and still catch all of it. The same dual-channel trick behind Amazon's Kindle + Audible.
metaphoranalogy
Hook number one. If I woke up in undesirable state tomorrow and wanted to get results in time, here's exactly what I would do. If I woke up 30 pounds overweight tomorrow and want to lose it all by summer, here's exactly what I'd do.
Number two. So you wanna achieve outcome, but hate required painful action. So you wanna create content, but hate talking to the camera.
Hunk number three, I wasn't born a genius, but I do know how to do action. So here's how you can get results like these just by doing action the right way and not by being a genius.
I wasn't born a genius, but I do know how to study. I'm gonna show you how to get grades like this in any class just by studying the right way and not by being a genius. Hook number four, unless you want people to accuse you of using a cheat, I don't recommend doing this because you might just achieve desired outcome way too fast.
Unless you want people to accuse you of to lose a bunch of weight, I don't recommend doing this because you might just lose weight way too fast. Hook number five, most things suck. Here's how to make them suck less.
Most landing pages suck. Here's how to have them suck less. Hook number six, your niche specific thing is weak and you need to strengthen it.
That's why you're always experiencing negative. Your tongue game is weak and you need to strengthen it. That's why you may be stumbling, stuttering, or even mumbling.
Hook number seven, if I could only use x tools for the rest of my life, here's exactly what I would use. If I could only take five supplements for the rest of my life, here's exactly what I'd take. Hook eight, it took me x years to master a skill, but I'm going to teach you the x most powerful lessons in the next x seconds.
It took me twelve years to master my communication, but I'm going to give you the five most powerful lessons in the next sixty seconds. Hook nine, for the love of God, whatever you do in situation, do not forget to use unknown technique.
The love of God, whatever you do in an interview process, do not forget to ask the high performer question. Hey, Mike. Quick commercial break for you.
Before you hit skip ad, I have a gift for you. Over the past three years, me and my team have built content strategies for over 300 business owners across pretty much every single niche you can think of. And we took everything that we learned from that and turned it into what we call the Atlas.
Now, all you have to do is give it thirty seconds of context on your business, and then it will hand you a five to eight page strategy that tells you the exact problems that you need to solve for your content to scale your business, and more importantly, you need to do to solve them. So if you wanna grab it while it lasts, click the first link in the description below, and in thirty seconds, you, my friend, will have your personalized atlas.
Hook 10, I've consumed over x content types on topic. 50%, pretty useless. 25% were wrong, but x really changed how I think about your niche forever.
I've listened to over a thousand podcasts on making money. 50%, pretty useless. 25, kinda wrong.
And 11 really changed how I think about finances forever. Book 11, not to flex, but I'm pretty fucking good at action. If I had to wake up tomorrow and do action well,
is what I do. Not to flex, but I'm pretty good at being productive. If I had to wake up tomorrow and be the most productive version of myself I've ever been, here are the three things that I would do.
Hook 90%
of your audience ignore this one thing about specific thing, and that's why 90% stay in undesirable states. 90% of traders ignore this one thing about time frames, and that's why 90% remain unprofitable.
Hook 13, I do not recommend you do this, but if you want to achieve desirable outcome fast, then here's how to do it. I do not recommend you do this, but if you wanna get shredded, like, fast, then here's how to do it. Hook 14, how do you become disgustingly
desirable trait? Here's some things you can do to become disgustingly well spoken. Hook 15,
no. No. No.
I'm sexually attracted to free tool. Oh, no. No.
I'm sexually attracted to a free editing website. Hook 16,
don't get me wrong. Common difficult action is hard, but specific tools slash method makes it really easy. Don't get me wrong.
Dieting is hard, but ninja creamy makes it really easy. Hook 17, this guy does approach a, but this guy does approach b.
Who will end up with the better results? This guy gets a super deep stretch on every rep, But this guy just trains hard using a standard range of motion. Who will end up bigger and stronger?
Book number 18, forget common tactic if you want real results. You need unknown alternative. Forget hashtags.
If you want real growth, you need Instagram SEO. Book 19, term versus similar turn. So what's the difference?
Net profit versus gross profit. So what's the difference? Hook twenty, you'll never reach dream goal if you're experiencing
the problem, and no common solution is not the fix. You'll never make the UFC if you're gassing out in fights, And no, more long runs is not the fix. Hook twenty one, do you want popular desire or do you want real desire?
Do you wanna lose weight
or do you wanna lose fat? Hook twenty two, most people will tell you that's common industry belief, but do you know what the research actually shows? Most people will tell you that creatine is perfectly safe, but do you know what the research actually shows?
Hook twenty three, if you don't do important action regularly, this information might convince you to change your ways. If you don't exercise regularly,
this x-ray might convince you to change your ways. Hook twenty four, I genuinely believe that anybody can get dream results if you just learn to do action. I genuinely believe that anybody can go viral if you just learn to test your hooks.
Hook 25.
By now, I think everyone believes that common belief. But what if everyone's wrong? By now, I think everyone agrees that these are horrible for you.
But what if everyone's wrong? Hook 26. If your thing looks like this or like this, you're not common assumption.
You probably just have unexpected problem. If your stomach looks like this or like this, you're not fat. You probably just have an overworked liver.
Hook 27,
if you can't achieve at least desired outcome plus time period using this x strategy,
you're an idiot. If you can't make at least a thousand dollars a day using this trading strategy, you're an idiot. Hook 28,
if you were in undesirable state, for the love of God, don't skip this video. For that, for the love of God, do not skip this video. Hook twenty nine, if you ever look at your ex and think, fuck this,
this video is for you. If you ever look at yourself shirtless and think, fuck this, this video is for you. Hook thirty, don't tell me common excuse.
Don't tell me eating healthy is too expensive. Hook thirty one, I'm a person bad at a skill, but I still get desirable results. I'm a terrible storyteller,
and yet I still manage to get millions of views for myself, my students, and our clients. Hook thirty two, ever ask yourself why x is trash even with the thing that should help? Ever ask yourself why your WiFi is trash even with a fast Internet plan?
Hook thirty three. Everyone tells you to pop your advice, but no one actually shows you how to do it. Here's a x second guide that you can save.
Everyone tells you to invest in a Roth IRA in 2025, but no one actually shows you how to do it. Here's a forty five second step by step tutorial that you can save. Now if you're thinking what I'm thinking, these hooks are fucking awesome, and I've seen them work and go viral time and time again.
But before you use them, I highly recommend that you grab the Atlas. All you have to do is click the first link in the description, give thirty quick seconds worth of context on your business, and it will construct five to eight pages giving you a personalized content strategy based on where your brand is right now.
Then after you get your personalized strategy, do yourself a favor of fueling it using these 33 viral hooks.
The Hook
The bait, then the rug-pull.
The premise is blunt: after reading through 10,000 video openings, one creator distilled the patterns into 33 reusable templates — and instead of just describing them, he shows the real, already-viral clip each one came from.
How they asked for the click.
VERBAL ASK
07:01link
“All you have to do is click the first link in the description, give thirty quick seconds worth of context on your business, and it will construct five to eight pages giving you a personalized content strategy.”
Repeats the mid-roll Atlas pitch nearly verbatim as the outro, then explicitly instructs viewers to apply the 33 hooks using the strategy report — chaining the educational payoff directly into the lead-gen funnel.
MENTIONED ON CAMERA
FROM THE DESCRIPTION
PRIMARY CTAWhere the creator wants you to go next.
OTHER LINKSAlso linked in the description.
Visual structure at a glance.
