The viral video hook is the first few seconds of a video. It grabs attention. In 2025, we scroll fast. A good hook stops us from swiping and makes us watch. For small businesses, that first moment is everything. It can bring more views, clicks, and sales.

Big brands like Dove, Dollar Shave Club, and HubSpot use hooks well. Dove tells real stories at the start. Dollar Shave Club begins with bold words. HubSpot shares a surprising fact. You don’t need a big team to do this. Even a small business can use these ideas. You need the right hook.

How to Use Viral Hook in Your Videos

1. Know your audience. Think about what they care about.
2. Pick the right hook type. Curiosity? Bold claim? Emotion?
3. Write in simple words. Speak like you talk.
4. Match your content. If you promise to help, show how you help.
5. Test the hook. Make two versions. See which one works better.

100 Viral Hooks for Small Businesses

Hooks work best in short form. Use them in Reels, TikTok, or Shorts. Here are 100 clear hooks split into four groups.

1–25. Curiosity Hooks

1. “Wait, did you see that?”
2. “What happened next shocked me.”
3. “You won’t believe this trick.”
4. “Here’s a secret few people know.”
5. “This one step changed everything.”
6. “I tried something new today…”
7. “Don’t make this mistake.”
8. “Want to know a quick tip?”
9. “I never thought this would work…”
10. “Try this and thank me later.”
11. “What no one tells you is…”
12. “This tiny change can help.”
13. “You might be ignoring this.”
14. “Have you done this yet?”
15. “The best kept secret in [your field].”
16. “What I found surprised me.”
17. “This can help you save time.”
18. “Nobody talks about this.”
19. “It worked better than I thought.”
20. “What’s the real cost of…?”
21. “Let’s test that theory.”
22. “You’re missing out if…”
23. “I bet you didn’t know this.”
24. “Here’s something you should try.”
25. “I learned this the hard way…”

26–50. Benefit Hooks

1. “Learn to double your income.”
2. “Save hours every week.”
3. “Grow your list in just 5 minutes.”
4. “Stop wasting money now.”
5. “Earn more without extra work.”
6. “Get better results with this.”
7. “Fix that problem fast.”
8. “Boost your sales today.”
9. “Turn likes into customers.”
10. “Beat that common issue.”
11. “See change in 7 days.”
12. “Make your life easier.”
13. “Spend less, get more.”
14. “Make better videos fast.”
15. “Build trust in one step.”
16. “Sell without shouting.”
17. “Slash your upload time.”
18. “Triple your reach easily.”
19. “Make your brand look strong.”
20. “Win back lost customers.”
21. “Improve workflows today.”
22. “Earn trust with this tip.”
23. “Create clear video scripts.”
24. “Get repeat buyers fast.”
25. “Find your ideal customer.”

51–75. Emotional Hooks

1. “Remember your first sale?”
2. “Here’s why I cried this morning.”
3. “This felt too good to be real.”
4. “I felt stuck—until now.”
5. “This gave me hope again.”
6. “Tears fell when I saw this.”
7. “I panicked—then something helped.”
8. “This saved my business.”
9. “I felt proud today.”
10. “That moment changed me.”
11. “This made my heart race.”
12. “I felt lost—then found a way.”
13. “This brought me to tears.”
14. “Today I felt unstoppable.”
15. “I never thought I could do it.”
16. “This was harder than I thought.”
17. “This felt like a miracle.”
18. “Today was my breakthrough.”
19. “This gave me new hope.”
20. “I found strength in this.”
21. “This moved me to tears.”
22. “It felt like destiny.”
23. “This broke my heart.”
24. “I felt truly alive today.”
25. “It felt too good to be true.”

76–100. Social Proof & Trend Hooks

1. “Top creators are doing this.”
2. “Everyone’s talking about this tip.”
3. “This got 1M downloads.”
4. “This hack went viral.”
5. “This brand just tried this.”
6. “Here’s what experts say.”
7. “There’s a new trend on …”
8. “This is blowing up.”
9. “This tip is everywhere.”
10. “This is taking over social.”
11. “This won an award.”
12. “This is being shared thousands of times.”
13. “See why everyone loves this.”
14. “Look how easy this is.”
15. “This challenge went big.”
16. “This tool is trending now.”
17. “This blew up overnight.”
18. “This is getting press.”
19. “Your competitors are doing it.”
20. “This just hit 100k views.”
21. “This is shaking up the market.”
22. “This is the most shared post today.”
23. “This app is changing the game.”
24. “This just got featured.”
25. “This hack is being recycled everywhere.”

Tips to Use These Hooks

1. Pick one hook per video. Focus your first 3 seconds.
2. Test different types. Try curiosity, benefits, emotion, and social proof.
3. Match your brand voice. If you are helpful, choose helpful hooks. If fun, choose fun hooks.
4. Keep clips short. 15–30 seconds work well.
5. Use clear visuals. The video should match the hook.

Putting It All Together

Here’s an example:

Hook: “Want to save hours every week?”

Video: Show a simple tool or process.

Message: Explain and show how it works.

Call to Action: “Try this today—link in bio.”

Over time, test which hooks work best. Monitor video views and click rates, and keep using the best ones.

Final Word

In 2025, a good video hook matters more than ever. A valuable video starts with a strong first few seconds. Use and adapt these 100 hooks. Small businesses can grab attention fast, build trust, and grow.

Pick one hook this week. Make a video. See how it works. Then do it again. Soon, you’ll know which hooks your audience loves and get more views, shares, and sales.

A strong hook is the first step to significant results.