Hook length determines whether viewers stick or scroll. Short hooks (3–5 seconds, 6–10 words) work on fast feeds like TikTok and Reels where attention spans are razor-thin. Medium hooks (6–10 seconds, 12–18 words) suit YouTube long-form and tutorial content where viewers expect context. This guide shows you exactly when to use each length, with platform-specific rules and examples generated from Hook Generator.
Table of Contents
Category hub: /creator/social
Quick Start
- Open the Hook Generator
- Enter your niche and video topic
- Choose "short" for TikTok/Reels/Shorts, "medium" for YouTube/tutorials
- Generate 10 hooks at your selected length
- Test your top 3 hooks in real videos
- Track first-10-second retention to find winners
What Makes a Hook "Short" vs "Medium"
Short Hooks
Short hooks deliver 3–5 seconds of spoken audio or 6–10 words in text form. They work by creating immediate tension with no setup. Example: "This mistake tanked my views." The pattern is a single punchy statement that triggers curiosity or promises a concrete result. Best for scroll-stopping on vertical feeds where viewers decide in under one second.
Medium Hooks
Medium hooks take 6–10 seconds spoken or 12–18 words written. They include a setup plus payoff structure. Example: "I tested 5 title formats for 30 days—only one doubled my CTR." The pattern includes context (what you did, how long) and a reveal (the surprising outcome). Best for building credibility before the promise on YouTube and tutorial content.
When to Use Short Hooks
Fast Feeds (TikTok, Reels, Shorts)
Viewers scroll in 0.5–1 second increments on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Long setups get cut off before you finish the sentence. Short hooks work because they deliver the core intrigue in the first breath. Format: single bold claim, question, or contradiction. Examples:
- "This changed everything."
- "You're editing wrong."
- "Try this instead."
The visual and on-screen text carry the rest of the context—your hook just needs to stop the thumb.
High-Energy Entertainment
Comedy sketches, reaction videos, and trend participation all benefit from short hooks. The format: drop viewers into the action immediately with no explanation. Pattern: no context needed—the visual delivers the rest. Example: "Watch what happens next." The energy of the edit and performance compensates for the lack of setup.
List/Listicle Content
"3 mistakes," "5 hacks," and similar list-driven videos pair perfectly with short hooks. The hook announces the list, and on-screen text carries the specific items. Pattern: short hook plus visual enumeration. Medium hooks feel too slow for rapid-fire pacing. Example: "5 habits that changed my life." The numbers and quick cuts do the rest.
When to Use Medium Hooks
YouTube Long-Form
Viewers on YouTube expect clear value propositions before committing to 10+ minutes. Medium hooks provide context that builds trust. Format: "I did X for Y time—here's what happened." Pattern: setup (what you tested) plus result (surprising outcome). Example: "I uploaded daily for 90 days—here's what I learned about the algorithm." The extra words justify the time investment.
Tutorial & Educational Content
Viewers need to know what they'll learn before committing to instructional content. Medium hooks allow room for the problem, solution preview, and expected result. Pattern: problem + solution preview + outcome. Short hooks feel too vague for how-to videos. Example: "Here's how to fix slow exports in Premiere—this one setting saved me hours." The specificity earns trust.
Case Studies & Results-Driven Content
Credibility comes from specificity—numbers, timeframes, and concrete proof. Medium hooks allow room for these details without feeling rushed. Pattern: metric + timeframe + method tease. Examples:
- "I tested 5 budget apps for 30 days—only one saved me real money."
- "Here's how I hit 100k followers in 6 months without buying ads."
The extra words make the promise believable and worth the click.
Platform-by-Platform Recommendations
TikTok
Recommended: Short (90% of content)
Medium: Only for storytelling or case studies
Reason: Fastest scroll speed on any platform; viewers decide in under one second whether to stop. Short hooks create immediate tension without wasting a syllable.
Instagram Reels
Recommended: Short (80% of content)
Medium: Works for mini-tutorials or before/after reveals
Reason: Similar scroll behavior to TikTok but slightly more forgiving. Reels audiences tolerate an extra beat of setup, especially for transformation content.
YouTube Shorts
Recommended: Short (70%) or Medium (30%)
Reason: Viewers tolerate slightly longer setups than TikTok, especially for educational Shorts. Use short for entertainment and listicles; use medium for tutorials and product reviews.
YouTube Long-Form
Recommended: Medium (80%)
Short: Only for high-energy intros or reaction content
Reason: Viewers expect value clarity before committing time. Medium hooks set expectations and justify the 10+ minute ask. Short hooks feel too vague for long-form.
Testing Both Lengths
A/B Testing Hook Length
- Generate 5 short + 5 medium hooks for the same video topic in Hook Generator
- Pick the top 1 from each set based on curiosity and clarity
- Film the same intro twice with different hooks (keep everything else identical)
- Post on the same platform, same time of day (or use YouTube's test & compare if available)
- Track first-10-second retention in your analytics dashboard (YouTube Studio, TikTok Analytics, Instagram Insights)
When Short Outperforms Medium
- Fast feeds where scroll speed is under 1 second per video (TikTok, Reels)
- High-energy entertainment content where pacing is critical
- Trend participation where the format is already familiar
- Visual-first content like comedy sketches and POV videos
When Medium Outperforms Short
- Tutorials and how-tos where viewers need to understand the outcome
- Case studies and results reveals where credibility comes from specificity
- YouTube long-form where viewers expect context before time commitment
- Audience expects educational content (finance, tech, productivity, education niches)
Common Mistakes & Fixes
- Short hook on long-form YouTube → Feels vague; viewers bounce. Use medium hooks to set expectations and build trust before asking for 10+ minutes.
- Medium hook on TikTok → Too slow; viewers scroll before you finish. Cut to 6–8 words max and let visuals carry context.
- Mixing hook length and content pacing → Fast-cut Shorts need short hooks; slower storytelling can handle medium. Match hook tempo to editing style.
- Using only one length for all content → Platform and niche matter. Test both lengths and track what your audience responds to—don't assume.
- Overloading medium hooks with detail → Medium ≠ long. Keep it 12–18 words. If you need more setup, move context to seconds 4–10 of your video, not the hook.
FAQs
- Can I change hook length after generating?
- Yes. Generate a new batch with the opposite length setting in Hook Generator, or manually edit generated hooks to shorten or extend. Shortening: remove setup words. Extending: add timeframe or method tease.
- Which length works best for YouTube Shorts?
- Start with short (6–10 words). Test medium if your niche is educational or tutorial-focused. Shorts viewers tolerate slightly more context than TikTok but less than long-form. Track first-10-second retention to confirm.
- Do short hooks always win on TikTok?
- Around 90% of the time, yes. Medium hooks can work for storytelling or case studies where the setup is essential to the payoff, but test retention—TikTok penalizes slow starts with lower distribution.
- Should I match hook length to video length?
- Not always. A 15-second Short can use a medium hook if it's tutorial-style and needs clarity. A 3-minute YouTube video still needs a medium hook to justify the time ask. Match hook length to platform expectations, not video duration.
- How do I know if my hook is "too long"?
- Check first-3-second retention in your analytics. If more than 30% drop off before you finish speaking the hook, it's too long. Trim to essential words only—remove adjectives and filler.
- Can I use the same hook in short and medium versions?
- Yes—test both. Example: Short = "This title hack doubled my CTR." Medium = "I tested 5 title formats for 30 days—this one doubled my CTR." Track which version holds attention better on your platform.
- Does the Hook Generator automatically optimize length?
- Yes. Choose "short" or "medium" in the length setting, and the AI generates hooks optimized for word count and pacing for that length. Short generates 6–10 words; medium generates 12–18 words with setup-plus-payoff structure.