40 Fill-in-the-Blank Hooks for Local Businesses

The first two seconds decide whether anyone watches the rest. A hook isn’t a gimmick. It’s a promise: watch this, and you’ll get that.

Three rules before you pick one:

1. Promise something specific, then deliver it. If your hook says “three mistakes”, show three mistakes. Breaking a promise loses trust faster than a boring hook.
2. Lead with what it’s costing them. “Got a leaking tap?” is easy to ignore. “That drip is costing you $200 a year” makes people stop.
3. Talk like a person, not a radio ad. Skip “Are you a busy business owner looking to…”. Say it the way you would to a customer at the counter.

Swap the [brackets] for your own details.

Before and after

1. We went from [before] to [after] in [time]. Here’s how.
2. This [kitchen / bathroom / smile] looked like this on Monday.
3. Same [room / dish / client], two very different results.
4. What [$ amount] gets you at [business name].
5. I gave myself [time] to fix [problem]. Watch.

Mistakes and warnings

6. Stop doing this to your [thing customers own].
7. The [number] mistakes we see every week as [your trade].
8. If your [thing] does this, call someone today.
9. This is why your [result] isn’t working.
10. Don’t book a [service] until you’ve asked these [number] questions.

Insider knowledge

11. What a [your trade] won’t tell you about [topic].
12. [Number] years as a [your job], and this still surprises people.
13. The question we get asked most at [business name].
14. Here’s what actually happens when you [book / order / come in for] [service].
15. The real reason [common thing] costs [price].

Callouts

16. If you live in [suburb] and [situation], watch this.
17. Every [type of customer] needs to hear this.
18. If you’ve been putting off [thing], this is your sign.
19. [Suburb], we need to talk about [topic].
20. This one’s for anyone who [relatable habit].

Behind the scenes

21. A day making [product] at [business name].
22. What [time] on a [busy day] looks like here.
23. We tried [new thing] for a week. Here’s what happened.
24. Meet the person who [does key job].
25. [Number] things you didn’t know go into one [product / job].

Opinions

26. Unpopular opinion: [belief your industry disagrees with].
27. Everyone says [common advice]. Here’s why we don’t.
28. [Popular thing] is overrated. Here’s what to do instead.
29. I’d never [common practice] in my own [home / business].
30. The best [product / service] in Perth isn’t the most expensive one.

Quick answers

31. How to [result] in under [time].
32. The [number]-second fix for [annoying problem].
33. [Option A] or [option B]? Here’s the honest answer.
34. Is [thing] worth it? We tested it.
35. Do this before you [common task].

Proof

36. What our customers order first, every time.
37. This review made our week.
38. [Customer name] came in with [problem]. Here’s how they left.
39. We’ve done [number] of these. This one was different.
40. Why [customer type] keep coming back to [business name].

How to use them

Pick five hooks you could film this week. Film each one twice with a different first sentence, post both versions over two weeks, and keep the one that holds attention. Let the numbers pick the winner.

Need ideas for what comes after the hook? Read the Customer Content Formula.