TikTok Hooks for Small Businesses: 40 Examples You Can Copy

A hook is the first line of your post. On a slideshow, it is the text on slide 1. On a video, it is the first thing you say or show.

People decide to stay or scroll in about a second. If the hook is weak, nothing else matters. The good news: hooks follow patterns. You can copy the pattern and fill in your business.

The 3-part hook formula

1. Who it is for — "Homeowners", "New runners", "Salon owners".
2. A problem or a want — "losing money", "want more bookings".
3. A promise of a quick answer — "3 fixes", "in 30 seconds", "nobody tells you".

Example: "Salon owners: 3 fixes for no-show clients." A gym could do "New lifters: 3 cues for a safer squat." A salon could do "Salon owners: tag the stylist who did it." See more ideas in social media for gyms and social media for hair salons.

Mistake hooks

People hate losing money or time. Mistake hooks often get the most views.

1. 5 mistakes first-time buyers make (number 3 costs thousands)
2. Stop doing this to your skin before bed
3. The #1 mistake I see in every [your service] job
4. You are washing your [product] wrong
5. 3 things I would never do as a [your job]
6. This is why your [problem] keeps coming back
7. Cheap [service] mistakes that cost more later
8. If you do this, your [thing] will not last

List hooks

1. 5 signs you need a new [product]
2. 3 tools every [hobby] fan should own
3. 7 habits of people who never [problem]
4. 5 questions to ask before you hire a [service]
5. 3 cheap fixes that make a big difference
6. 4 things to know before moving to [town]
7. 5 gifts for [person] under $50
8. 3 ways to use [product] you did not know

Secret and insider hooks

1. What [your job] will not tell you
2. I have done [job] for 10 years. Here is the truth.
3. The trick pros use to [result]
4. Nobody talks about this part of [process]
5. How we really price a [service]
6. What happens behind the counter at a [business]
7. The cheap version vs the pro version
8. I tested 5 [products] so you do not have to

Before and after hooks

1. Before vs after: 2 hours of [service]
2. Wait for the last slide
3. Same room, $300 of changes
4. Day 1 vs day 30 of [habit]
5. From [bad state] to [good state] in one visit
6. Last year: [problem]. This year: [result].
7. This [thing] was a mess. Look now.
8. How it started vs how it is going

Question hooks

1. Is [common belief] really true?
2. Why does nobody [do obvious thing]?
3. How much should [service] really cost?
4. Did you know [surprising fact about your field]?
5. Renting or buying in [town]: which wins?
6. What would you do with [situation]?
7. Can you spot the problem in this photo?
8. Which one would you pick?

How to test your hooks

Make the same post with 2 or 3 different hooks. Post them on different days. Compare views at 48 hours. The hook with the most views wins. Use that pattern again.

This is the fastest way to grow. You are not guessing. You are letting your buyers vote. Test the hook before you touch anything else: posts with a hashtag get about 5% more views, so tags are a rounding error next to your first line, as how many hashtags to use on TikTok for business lays out.