{
    "title": "What makes a hook actually work?",
    "subtitle": "A study of 13,046 TikTok and Instagram talking-head videos from 1,132 creators: what the headline says, what you say first, and what you write underneath",
    "url": "https://www.yapanddone.com/studies/hooks/",
    "published": "2026-11-07",
    "snapshot": {
        "run": 2,
        "window": "Posts 7–60 days old on TikTok (7–90 on Instagram) as of November 6, 2026",
        "collected": "2026-11-06"
    },
    "publisher": {
        "name": "Yap & Done",
        "url": "https://www.yapanddone.com/"
    },
    "license": {
        "name": "CC BY 4.0",
        "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
    },
    "citation": "Yap & Done (2026). What makes a hook actually work? https://www.yapanddone.com/studies/hooks/",
    "related": {
        "title": "Which caption styles actually work?",
        "url": "https://www.yapanddone.com/studies/caption-styles/"
    },
    "sample": {
        "videos": 13046,
        "creators": 1132,
        "niches": 10,
        "headline_videos": 9871,
        "spoken_videos": 12657,
        "same_creator_videos": 11525,
        "same_creator_creators": 1026
    },
    "tldr": [
        {
            "label": "Works",
            "tone": "works",
            "text": "Promise something specific. On screen it went with +19% views and +19% saves; said in the first sentence, +16% views."
        },
        {
            "label": "Works",
            "tone": "works",
            "text": "Skip the warm-up. Opening with \"Hey guys\" or \"So today…\" went with -14% views and -16% saves."
        },
        {
            "label": "Works",
            "tone": "works",
            "text": "Talk to \"you\", not about \"I\". A first sentence to the viewer got +10% shares; a headline about \"I\" or \"my\" got -9%."
        },
        {
            "label": "Depends on the niche",
            "tone": "probably",
            "text": "Holding back the payoff got +19% views overall, most in manifestation and spirituality, dating and relationships, skincare and beauty. Specific promises won in business and marketing, personal finance."
        },
        {
            "label": "Costs reach",
            "tone": "costs",
            "text": "Asking for comments: +46% comments per view but -21% views. \"Link in bio\" (-17%) and @-tags (-18%) also cost views."
        },
        {
            "label": "Works",
            "tone": "works",
            "text": "Four to six hashtags went with +18% views, and asking viewers to save or share with +22% saves."
        }
    ],
    "key_findings": [
        {
            "headline": "Promise something specific, on screen and out loud",
            "text": "Comparing each creator with their own videos, a headline that promises a concrete result, number or time went with +19% views, +12% shares and +19% saves. Saying the promise in the first sentence went with +16% views and 1.33× the breakout odds."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Skip the warm-up",
            "text": "We transcribed the first six seconds of 12,657 videos. Opening with a greeting or setup (\"Hey guys\", \"So today I want to talk about…\") went with -14% views, -14% shares and -16% saves for the same creator. 13% of creators still open that way."
        },
        {
            "headline": "What raises views depends on the niche",
            "text": "Specific promises raised saves in almost every niche. For views, holding back the payoff won in manifestation and spirituality, dating and relationships, skincare and beauty; a specific promise in business and marketing, personal finance; text from the first frame in career advice. Fitness had no clear headline lever."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Curiosity gets views, not shares",
            "text": "Headlines that hold back the payoff (\"Something weird is going on…\") went with +19% views and more breakouts, but -4% shares per view."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Make it about the viewer",
            "text": "A first sentence addressed to \"you\" went with +10% shares and +8% saves; a headline about \"I\" or \"my\" with -9% shares. Warning framing (\"Stop…\", \"Mistakes…\") cost -11% saves."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Say what the headline says",
            "text": "When the first spoken line and the headline make the same point, videos got +8% shares and +8% saves. Views rose too, but part of that also shows on the creator's previous post, so we don't count it."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Asking for comments trades reach for comments",
            "text": "In the description, \"comment below\" went with +46% comments per view but -21% views for the same creator. \"Link in bio\" or \"DM me\" went with -17% views and tagging other accounts with -18%."
        },
        {
            "headline": "Four to six hashtags",
            "text": "The most common count (61% of creators) was also the best: +18% views and +12% saves against the same creator's posts with none, a few or seven and up."
        }
    ],
    "headline": {
        "videos": 9871,
        "creators": 959,
        "self_agreement": {
            "pairs": 529,
            "headline_text": 0.983,
            "form": 0.96,
            "curiosity_gap": 0.934,
            "audience_callout": 0.977,
            "negative_framing": 0.977,
            "specific_promise": 0.964,
            "tone": 0.947,
            "matches_speech": 0.917
        },
        "forms": [
            {
                "value": "Names the topic",
                "share": 33.9
            },
            {
                "value": "A statement or claim",
                "share": 24.4
            },
            {
                "value": "Tells you to do something",
                "share": 10.2
            },
            {
                "value": "A question",
                "share": 10
            },
            {
                "value": "\"How to…\"",
                "share": 7.7
            },
            {
                "value": "A numbered list",
                "share": 6.9
            },
            {
                "value": "\"POV\" / \"When you…\"",
                "share": 3.2
            },
            {
                "value": "\"Why…\"",
                "share": 2.9
            }
        ],
        "cards": [
            {
                "id": "promise",
                "title": "Promise something specific",
                "used_by": 26.6,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": 18.6,
                        "lo": 9,
                        "hi": 29,
                        "creators": 580,
                        "p": 7.0e-5,
                        "previous_post": 4.3,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": 11.6,
                        "lo": 5.1,
                        "hi": 18.4,
                        "creators": 554,
                        "p": 0.00033,
                        "previous_post": 5,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 18.9,
                        "lo": 13.6,
                        "hi": 24.4,
                        "creators": 554,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": -1.3,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "A concrete result, number, time or amount (\"How I turned £20 into £1.4k\", \"Fall asleep in 2 minutes\") beat a vague topic on every measure.",
                "examples": [
                    {
                        "text": "How I turned £20 to £1.4k",
                        "creator": "@didifinance",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@didifinance/video/7683189837251366177",
                        "niche": "Personal finance",
                        "times_usual_views": 35.6
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "3 questions I always ask at the end of a new grad RN interview",
                        "creator": "@bigdawg_rn",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@bigdawg_rn/video/7695926752601853197",
                        "niche": "Career advice",
                        "times_usual_views": 33
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "How to answer Tell me about yourself",
                        "creator": "@_vibewithtay_",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@_vibewithtay_/video/7683707509344980237",
                        "niche": "Career advice",
                        "times_usual_views": 46
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "id": "curiosity",
                "title": "Open a curiosity gap",
                "used_by": 35.1,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": 18.9,
                        "lo": 10.8,
                        "hi": 27.6,
                        "creators": 646,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": -0.1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": -4.5,
                        "lo": -8.6,
                        "hi": -0.4,
                        "creators": 614,
                        "p": 0.034,
                        "previous_post": -0.4,
                        "verdict": "probable"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Holding back the payoff pulled more views and more breakouts (1.16× the odds), though a few percent fewer shares per view.",
                "examples": [
                    {
                        "text": "I took my kids to Culver's and this blew my mind 🤯",
                        "creator": "@katyharvey.rd",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@katyharvey.rd/video/7700062574598950157",
                        "niche": "Fitness and nutrition",
                        "times_usual_views": 59.5
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "What Makes ‘Lucky People’ Lucky",
                        "creator": "@luxissimple",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@luxissimple/video/7683630973270936846",
                        "niche": "Manifestation and spirituality",
                        "times_usual_views": 48.3
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "4 hidden \"Costco\" benefits",
                        "creator": "@smobyday",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@smobyday/video/7698967280469773581",
                        "niche": "Personal finance",
                        "times_usual_views": 39.5
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "id": "first-line",
                "title": "Put your first line on screen",
                "used_by": 9.7,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": 21,
                        "lo": 8.1,
                        "hi": 35.3,
                        "creators": 336,
                        "p": 0.00089,
                        "previous_post": -1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Headlines that repeat what the person says first did better than headlines that say something else; a paraphrase got more saves. Checked against the audio, part of the views gain also shows on the previous post; the share and save gains hold (see \"What you say first\").",
                "examples": [
                    {
                        "text": "3 Things I Would Do During A Market Crash",
                        "creator": "@calltoleap",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@calltoleap/video/7692858502884216077",
                        "niche": "Personal finance",
                        "times_usual_views": 50.9
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "You attract what you tolerate‼️💯",
                        "creator": "@mrbutlercollege",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@mrbutlercollege/video/7697140341522173214",
                        "niche": "Dating and relationships",
                        "times_usual_views": 45.4
                    },
                    {
                        "text": "The FIRST thing I'm assessing your eating for as a dietitian",
                        "creator": "@katyharvey.rd",
                        "platform": "TikTok",
                        "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@katyharvey.rd/video/7699310624437800206",
                        "niche": "Fitness and nutrition",
                        "times_usual_views": 33.5
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "id": "negative",
                "title": "Warning-style headlines",
                "used_by": 19.2,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "likes",
                        "pct": -4.4,
                        "lo": -6.5,
                        "hi": -2.1,
                        "creators": 528,
                        "p": 0.00017,
                        "previous_post": -2,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": -6.3,
                        "lo": -10.9,
                        "hi": -1.3,
                        "creators": 506,
                        "p": 0.0134,
                        "previous_post": -2.5,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": -10.8,
                        "lo": -14.5,
                        "hi": -6.9,
                        "creators": 506,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": -1.8,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "\"Stop doing…\", \"Mistakes…\", \"Why you're failing\" got fewer likes, shares and saves than the same creators' positive headlines.",
                "examples": []
            },
            {
                "id": "i-my",
                "title": "Headlines about \"I\" or \"my\"",
                "used_by": 16,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": -9.4,
                        "lo": -14.7,
                        "hi": -3.8,
                        "creators": 458,
                        "p": 0.00118,
                        "previous_post": -0.9,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": -5.6,
                        "lo": -10.7,
                        "hi": -0.3,
                        "creators": 458,
                        "p": 0.03979,
                        "previous_post": -1.6,
                        "verdict": "probable"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Headlines about \"I\" or \"my\" were shared less than the same creators' other headlines.",
                "examples": []
            },
            {
                "id": "command",
                "title": "Tell viewers to do something",
                "used_by": 10.2,
                "used_by_of": "headlines",
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": 10.9,
                        "lo": 4.1,
                        "hi": 18.2,
                        "creators": 363,
                        "p": 0.00143,
                        "previous_post": -1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "\"Try this…\", \"Do this before bed\": instructions got shared more.",
                "examples": []
            }
        ],
        "smaller": [
            {
                "text": "Very short headlines (1–4 words): -9% views, and fewer breakouts.",
                "verdict": "probable"
            },
            {
                "text": "\"POV\" and \"When you…\" headlines: -14% saves.",
                "verdict": "likely causal"
            },
            {
                "text": "An emotional, heartfelt tone: +7% likes.",
                "verdict": "likely causal"
            },
            {
                "text": "A plainly informative tone: +11% saves.",
                "verdict": "likely causal"
            },
            {
                "text": "Numbers, \"you\", emojis and ALL CAPS in the headline made no clear difference on their own.",
                "verdict": "no effect"
            }
        ],
        "traits": [
            {
                "label": "Promise something specific",
                "share": 26.6
            },
            {
                "label": "Hold back the payoff",
                "share": 35.1
            },
            {
                "label": "Say \"you\"",
                "share": 30.6
            },
            {
                "label": "Contain a number",
                "share": 26.7
            },
            {
                "label": "Warning or negative framing",
                "share": 19.2
            },
            {
                "label": "Repeat the first spoken line",
                "share": 9.7
            }
        ]
    },
    "spoken_hook": {
        "videos": 12657,
        "self_agreement": {
            "pairs": 647,
            "opening": 0.912,
            "opens_with_filler": 0.961,
            "specific_promise": 0.94,
            "addresses_viewer": 0.947,
            "matches_headline": 0.892
        },
        "types": [
            {
                "value": "A bold claim",
                "share": 29.7
            },
            {
                "value": "\"If you…\" / \"Stop…\"",
                "share": 11.9
            },
            {
                "value": "Starts a story",
                "share": 10.4
            },
            {
                "value": "A question",
                "share": 9.8
            },
            {
                "value": "Setup or filler (\"So…\")",
                "share": 8.7
            },
            {
                "value": "A numbered list",
                "share": 6.7
            },
            {
                "value": "\"Here's how to…\"",
                "share": 5.5
            },
            {
                "value": "Other",
                "share": 4.8
            },
            {
                "value": "A tease",
                "share": 4.6
            },
            {
                "value": "No speech",
                "share": 4
            },
            {
                "value": "A greeting or intro",
                "share": 3.9
            }
        ],
        "cards": [
            {
                "id": "warm-up",
                "title": "Warming up first",
                "used_by": 12.7,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": -14.1,
                        "lo": -20.6,
                        "hi": -7,
                        "creators": 559,
                        "p": 0.00017,
                        "previous_post": 1.1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": -14.4,
                        "lo": -19.2,
                        "hi": -9.4,
                        "creators": 535,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 2.2,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": -16.5,
                        "lo": -20.3,
                        "hi": -12.4,
                        "creators": 535,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": -0.5,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "\"Hey guys\", \"So today I want to talk about…\": opening with a greeting or setup instead of the point cost views, shares and saves.",
                "breakout_odds": 0.723
            },
            {
                "id": "say-promise",
                "title": "Say the promise out loud",
                "used_by": 18.8,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": 15.9,
                        "lo": 6.6,
                        "hi": 26,
                        "creators": 592,
                        "p": 0.00054,
                        "previous_post": -3.5,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": 13.1,
                        "lo": 7.4,
                        "hi": 19.1,
                        "creators": 557,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 3.1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 16.3,
                        "lo": 11.2,
                        "hi": 21.6,
                        "creators": 557,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 1.7,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "A first sentence that promises a concrete result, number or time, the spoken version of the headline finding.",
                "breakout_odds": 1.333
            },
            {
                "id": "you",
                "title": "Talk to \"you\"",
                "used_by": 48.7,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": 10.1,
                        "lo": 6.1,
                        "hi": 14.2,
                        "creators": 759,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 1.7,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 8.4,
                        "lo": 5.1,
                        "hi": 11.8,
                        "creators": 759,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 1.9,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "A first sentence addressed to the viewer was shared and saved more.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            },
            {
                "id": "match",
                "title": "Say what the headline says",
                "used_by": 71,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": 8.5,
                        "lo": 3.4,
                        "hi": 13.8,
                        "creators": 579,
                        "p": 0.00091,
                        "previous_post": -1.5,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 7.9,
                        "lo": 3.6,
                        "hi": 12.5,
                        "creators": 579,
                        "p": 0.00027,
                        "previous_post": 1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "When the opening line and the headline make the same point, videos were shared and saved more. Views rose too (+18%), but part of that shows on the creator's previous post, so we don't count it.",
                "breakout_odds": 1.406
            },
            {
                "id": "late-start",
                "title": "Waiting 2+ seconds to talk",
                "used_by": 1.2,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": -16.5,
                        "lo": -29.3,
                        "hi": -1.3,
                        "creators": 53,
                        "p": 0.03499,
                        "previous_post": -2.8,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "86% of creators speak within half a second. The few who waited two seconds or more got fewer saves.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            },
            {
                "id": "slow",
                "title": "A slow first three seconds",
                "used_by": 7,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "shares",
                        "pct": -10.7,
                        "lo": -18.3,
                        "hi": -2.5,
                        "creators": 296,
                        "p": 0.01125,
                        "previous_post": 4,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": -7.7,
                        "lo": -14,
                        "hi": -1,
                        "creators": 296,
                        "p": 0.02438,
                        "previous_post": 0,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Saying five words or fewer in the first three seconds (long pauses, slow build-up) went with fewer shares and saves.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            }
        ]
    },
    "niche_headlines": {
        "columns": [
            {
                "id": "h_specific_promise|yes|views",
                "label": "Specific promise",
                "metric": "views",
                "niches_differ_p": 0.2094
            },
            {
                "id": "h_curiosity_gap|yes|views",
                "label": "Curiosity gap",
                "metric": "views",
                "niches_differ_p": 0.1042
            },
            {
                "id": "x_first_text|first frame|views",
                "label": "Text at frame 1",
                "metric": "views",
                "niches_differ_p": 0.0084
            },
            {
                "id": "h_specific_promise|yes|saves_per_view",
                "label": "Specific promise",
                "metric": "saves",
                "niches_differ_p": 0.8345
            },
            {
                "id": "h_negative_framing|yes|saves_per_view",
                "label": "Warning framing",
                "metric": "saves",
                "niches_differ_p": 0.0342
            }
        ],
        "rows": [
            {
                "niche": "Nervous system regulation",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 20.7,
                        "lo": -6.8,
                        "hi": 56.4,
                        "creators": 68
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 2.7,
                        "lo": -13.9,
                        "hi": 22.5,
                        "creators": 79
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 25.2,
                        "lo": -3.4,
                        "hi": 62.3,
                        "creators": 49
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 14.4,
                        "lo": -0.8,
                        "hi": 31.8,
                        "creators": 67
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -4,
                        "lo": -14.6,
                        "hi": 7.8,
                        "creators": 63
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": null
            },
            {
                "niche": "Manifestation and spirituality",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 13.5,
                        "lo": -8,
                        "hi": 40,
                        "creators": 77
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 35.1,
                        "lo": 10.3,
                        "hi": 65.5,
                        "creators": 92
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 0,
                        "lo": -25.7,
                        "hi": 34.6,
                        "creators": 49
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 14.6,
                        "lo": 4.9,
                        "hi": 25.3,
                        "creators": 72
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -9.5,
                        "lo": -17.9,
                        "hi": -0.3,
                        "creators": 70
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Hold back the payoff"
            },
            {
                "niche": "Video editing with AI",
                "cells": [
                    null,
                    null,
                    null,
                    null,
                    null
                ],
                "best_for_views": null
            },
            {
                "niche": "Business and marketing",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 24.9,
                        "lo": 2.5,
                        "hi": 52.2,
                        "creators": 51
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 22.5,
                        "lo": -2.7,
                        "hi": 54.3,
                        "creators": 55
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -22,
                        "lo": -41.7,
                        "hi": 4.4,
                        "creators": 35
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 24.3,
                        "lo": 10.9,
                        "hi": 39.3,
                        "creators": 49
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -7.2,
                        "lo": -21.9,
                        "hi": 10.2,
                        "creators": 41
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Promise something specific"
            },
            {
                "niche": "Personal finance",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 37.8,
                        "lo": 13.4,
                        "hi": 67.6,
                        "creators": 98
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 10.7,
                        "lo": -4.8,
                        "hi": 28.8,
                        "creators": 94
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 25,
                        "lo": 3,
                        "hi": 51.6,
                        "creators": 70
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 26,
                        "lo": 15.2,
                        "hi": 37.8,
                        "creators": 90
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -20.8,
                        "lo": -30.2,
                        "hi": -10.1,
                        "creators": 72
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Promise something specific"
            },
            {
                "niche": "Fitness and nutrition",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": -4.8,
                        "lo": -28.2,
                        "hi": 26.1,
                        "creators": 48
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -7.1,
                        "lo": -27.7,
                        "hi": 19.5,
                        "creators": 53
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -8.8,
                        "lo": -31.1,
                        "hi": 20.8,
                        "creators": 36
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 8.2,
                        "lo": -13.5,
                        "hi": 35.3,
                        "creators": 48
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -5.4,
                        "lo": -24.9,
                        "hi": 19.1,
                        "creators": 42
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": null
            },
            {
                "niche": "Real estate",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": -22.3,
                        "lo": -45.4,
                        "hi": 10.5,
                        "creators": 30
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 13.2,
                        "lo": -17.8,
                        "hi": 55.8,
                        "creators": 37
                    },
                    null,
                    {
                        "pct": 18.3,
                        "lo": -4,
                        "hi": 45.8,
                        "creators": 30
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -15.9,
                        "lo": -28.8,
                        "hi": -0.7,
                        "creators": 32
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": null
            },
            {
                "niche": "Career advice",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 19.3,
                        "lo": -15,
                        "hi": 67.4,
                        "creators": 54
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 26.1,
                        "lo": -2.4,
                        "hi": 62.8,
                        "creators": 60
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 55.8,
                        "lo": 20.4,
                        "hi": 101.5,
                        "creators": 33
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 23,
                        "lo": 5.5,
                        "hi": 43.4,
                        "creators": 51
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -10.8,
                        "lo": -22.8,
                        "hi": 3,
                        "creators": 54
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Text from the first frame"
            },
            {
                "niche": "Dating and relationships",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 14.5,
                        "lo": -20.3,
                        "hi": 64.6,
                        "creators": 60
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 30.3,
                        "lo": 5.7,
                        "hi": 60.5,
                        "creators": 85
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 28.8,
                        "lo": -5.6,
                        "hi": 75.7,
                        "creators": 46
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 13.8,
                        "lo": -3.9,
                        "hi": 34.7,
                        "creators": 56
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -2.5,
                        "lo": -9.1,
                        "hi": 4.6,
                        "creators": 69
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Hold back the payoff"
            },
            {
                "niche": "Skincare and beauty",
                "cells": [
                    {
                        "pct": 9.4,
                        "lo": -10.4,
                        "hi": 33.7,
                        "creators": 73
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 49.5,
                        "lo": 17.4,
                        "hi": 90.4,
                        "creators": 71
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -1.4,
                        "lo": -20.4,
                        "hi": 22.2,
                        "creators": 71
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": 18.8,
                        "lo": 4.5,
                        "hi": 35.2,
                        "creators": 70
                    },
                    {
                        "pct": -23,
                        "lo": -32.3,
                        "hi": -12.4,
                        "creators": 52
                    }
                ],
                "best_for_views": "Hold back the payoff"
            }
        ],
        "tiktok": [
            {
                "pct": 17.9,
                "lo": 8.3,
                "hi": 28.4,
                "creators": 554
            },
            {
                "pct": 18.6,
                "lo": 10.5,
                "hi": 27.4,
                "creators": 614
            },
            {
                "pct": 14.5,
                "lo": 4.8,
                "hi": 25.2,
                "creators": 411
            },
            {
                "pct": 18.9,
                "lo": 13.6,
                "hi": 24.4,
                "creators": 554
            },
            {
                "pct": -10.8,
                "lo": -14.5,
                "hi": -6.9,
                "creators": 506
            }
        ],
        "instagram": [
            null,
            {
                "pct": 49.2,
                "lo": 2.3,
                "hi": 117.7,
                "creators": 32
            },
            null,
            null,
            null
        ]
    },
    "descriptions": {
        "cards": [
            {
                "id": "comment",
                "title": "Asking for comments",
                "used_by": 12.3,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": -20.9,
                        "lo": -29.8,
                        "hi": -11,
                        "creators": 312,
                        "p": 0.0001,
                        "previous_post": -2.3,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "comments",
                        "pct": 46.4,
                        "lo": 34,
                        "hi": 60,
                        "creators": 312,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 2.8,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "\"Comment below\", \"Let me know…\": it works on comments and costs reach.",
                "breakout_odds": 0.753
            },
            {
                "id": "link",
                "title": "\"Link in bio\" or \"DM me\"",
                "used_by": 8.3,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": -17.2,
                        "lo": -26.9,
                        "hi": -6.1,
                        "creators": 214,
                        "p": 0.00332,
                        "previous_post": -4.6,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 10.5,
                        "lo": 3.2,
                        "hi": 18.3,
                        "creators": 197,
                        "p": 0.00436,
                        "previous_post": -3.5,
                        "verdict": "probable"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Sending people elsewhere went with fewer views, though people who stayed saved a little more.",
                "breakout_odds": 0.697
            },
            {
                "id": "mentions",
                "title": "Tagging other accounts",
                "used_by": 13.7,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": -18.2,
                        "lo": -26.3,
                        "hi": -9.2,
                        "creators": 383,
                        "p": 0.00015,
                        "previous_post": -2.3,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "likes",
                        "pct": -8.2,
                        "lo": -11.2,
                        "hi": -5,
                        "creators": 383,
                        "p": 0,
                        "previous_post": 3,
                        "verdict": "probable"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Videos that @-tag other accounts got fewer views than the same creator's untagged videos.",
                "breakout_odds": 0.782
            },
            {
                "id": "hashtags",
                "title": "Four to six hashtags",
                "used_by": 61.1,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "views",
                        "pct": 18.3,
                        "lo": 7.1,
                        "hi": 30.7,
                        "creators": 415,
                        "p": 0.00094,
                        "previous_post": 0.1,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 12,
                        "lo": 6.4,
                        "hi": 17.8,
                        "creators": 402,
                        "p": 1.0e-5,
                        "previous_post": -6.4,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "The most common count, and the best: compared with none, a few, or seven and up.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            },
            {
                "id": "save-share",
                "title": "Asking viewers to save or share",
                "used_by": 4.8,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 21.6,
                        "lo": 11,
                        "hi": 33.2,
                        "creators": 159,
                        "p": 3.0e-5,
                        "previous_post": -2.8,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    },
                    {
                        "metric": "comments",
                        "pct": -12,
                        "lo": -21.3,
                        "hi": -1.6,
                        "creators": 169,
                        "p": 0.02485,
                        "previous_post": -0.3,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "\"Save this for later\" gets saves, at a small cost in comments.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            },
            {
                "id": "long",
                "title": "A longer description (60+ words)",
                "used_by": 25.3,
                "bars": [
                    {
                        "metric": "saves",
                        "pct": 6.3,
                        "lo": 1.1,
                        "hi": 11.8,
                        "creators": 372,
                        "p": 0.01793,
                        "previous_post": -2.8,
                        "verdict": "likely causal"
                    }
                ],
                "verdict": "likely causal",
                "note": "Longer descriptions got a few more saves; one of five words or fewer got fewer.",
                "breakout_odds": null
            }
        ],
        "shares": {
            "hashtags": [
                {
                    "value": "0",
                    "share": 19.8
                },
                {
                    "value": "1-3",
                    "share": 17.6
                },
                {
                    "value": "4-6",
                    "share": 61.1
                },
                {
                    "value": "7+",
                    "share": 1.5
                }
            ],
            "length": [
                {
                    "value": "0-5 words",
                    "share": 13.3
                },
                {
                    "value": "6-20 words",
                    "share": 33.5
                },
                {
                    "value": "21-60 words",
                    "share": 28
                },
                {
                    "value": "61+ words",
                    "share": 25.3
                }
            ],
            "any_cta": 24.3,
            "question": 23.2,
            "emoji": 43.9
        },
        "instagram_note": "Instagram has too few creators who varied these to test on its own; the results are from TikTok, where saves and shares are reported."
    },
    "preregistered": {
        "claims": [
            {
                "claim": "A headline that promises something specific gets more views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 18.6,
                "lo": 9,
                "hi": 29,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline that promises something specific gets more shares per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 11.6,
                "lo": 5.1,
                "hi": 18.4,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline that promises something specific gets more saves per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 18.9,
                "lo": 13.6,
                "hi": 24.4,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline that holds back the payoff gets more views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 18.9,
                "lo": 10.8,
                "hi": 27.6,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline that repeats the first spoken line gets more views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 21,
                "lo": 8.1,
                "hi": 35.3,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A warning-style headline gets fewer saves per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -10.8,
                "lo": -14.5,
                "hi": -6.9,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline about \"I/my\" gets fewer shares per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -9.4,
                "lo": -14.7,
                "hi": -3.8,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A headline that tells viewers to do something gets more shares per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 10.9,
                "lo": 4.1,
                "hi": 18.2,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Asking for comments in the description gets fewer views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -20.9,
                "lo": -29.8,
                "hi": -11,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Asking for comments in the description gets more comments per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 46.4,
                "lo": 34,
                "hi": 60,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "\"Link in bio\" or \"DM me\" in the description gets fewer views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -17.2,
                "lo": -26.9,
                "hi": -6.1,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Tagging @accounts in the description gets fewer views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -18.2,
                "lo": -26.3,
                "hi": -9.2,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Asking viewers to save or share gets more saves per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 21.6,
                "lo": 11,
                "hi": 33.2,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Opening with a greeting or setup (\"Hey guys\", \"So today…\") gets fewer views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "lower",
                "now_pct": -14.1,
                "lo": -20.6,
                "hi": -7,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "Saying a concrete promise in the first sentence gets more views",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 15.9,
                "lo": 6.6,
                "hi": 26,
                "replicated": null
            },
            {
                "claim": "A first sentence addressed to \"you\" gets more shares per view",
                "page": "hooks",
                "expected": "higher",
                "now_pct": 10.1,
                "lo": 6.1,
                "hi": 14.2,
                "replicated": null
            }
        ],
        "registered_at": "2026-11-07",
        "sha256": "c4b3a1411f993f5d45693ceec15bd6b1c099a186a7adf837ea9602992a204d31",
        "rule": "Each claim is re-tested on posts collected at the next quarterly refresh, leaving out every post used here, with the same code. Same creator, same controls (type of video, hook, production, setting, post age, length). A claim replicates when the new estimate points the expected way with p < 0.05. Every claim is reported, whether it replicates or not.",
        "replication": false
    },
    "advice": [
        "Write a headline that promises something specific: a number, a time, a result.",
        "In views-hungry niches like skincare, dating and manifestation, a headline that holds back the payoff works too; in finance and business, be specific.",
        "Start talking in the first half-second, skip \"Hey guys\" and \"So today…\", and open with the same promise the headline makes, said to \"you\".",
        "Make it about the viewer, not \"I\", and skip the \"Stop doing this\" warning framing.",
        "In the description, use four to six hashtags and ask people to save or share. \"Comment below\", \"link in bio\" and @-tags all went with fewer views.",
        "The caption look barely matters; put the effort into the words (see the caption styles study)."
    ],
    "method": [
        "Same videos as the caption styles study: English talking-head TikTok and Instagram videos from creators in 10 niches, posted 7–60 days before collection (90 on Instagram). See that study for how creators and videos were found.",
        "Headlines: for the 9,871 videos with a hook headline, a model copied the headline from four frames and classified its wording (form, curiosity gap, specific promise, warning framing, audience, tone, and whether it repeats the first spoken line). Word count, numbers, \"you\", \"I\" and emojis were counted from the copied text. 5% were labelled twice; the two passes agreed on 92–98% of answers.",
        "Spoken hook: the first 6 seconds of audio of 12,657 videos were transcribed with Whisper (word timings), and the opening sentence was classified with the headline alongside. Fields that two passes agreed on less than 85% of the time were grouped more coarsely (opening into \"straight to the point\", \"warm-up first\" or \"no speech\"; matching the headline into matches or different) or left out (whether it teases).",
        "Descriptions: hashtags, length, calls to action, questions, @-tags and emojis were counted from the post description with fixed text rules, no model involved.",
        "Cause or coincidence: each result compares a creator's videos that do something with their own videos that don't, with the type of video (teaching, list, story, opinion…), hook style, production, setting, post age and length held fixed, across 11,525 random posts from 1,026 creators. The same test on the creator's previous post, which a headline can't affect, must show no such pattern. Breakout odds compare videos that hit 3x the creator's usual views with a random sample of their posts.",
        "Statistics: \"used by\" is the share of creators, each counted once and each niche weighted equally. With many features tested, results must pass a Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery correction (10%) to be called \"holds up\"; \"probably real\" clears the usual 95% level but not the correction."
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "This is observational data, not an experiment. Comparing creators with themselves and holding the type of video fixed removes most of the obvious explanations, but a factor we did not measure could still play a part.",
        "Transcripts cover the first six seconds only and can contain errors; the detailed opening types are less reliable (79% agreement between two passes), so only coarser groups are tested.",
        "Description results come from TikTok, where saves and shares are reported; Instagram had too few creators who varied these to test on their own.",
        "Niche-level results rest on 30 to 100 creators each, so their ranges are wide.",
        "Results describe English-language talking-head videos in these 10 niches in late 2026."
    ],
    "faq": [
        {
            "q": "What should my hook headline say?",
            "a": "Promise something specific (a result, a number, a time): that went with +19% views and +19% saves for the same creator. Holding back the payoff went with +19% views but fewer shares. Warning framing and \"I/my\" headlines were saved and shared less."
        },
        {
            "q": "How should I start talking in a video?",
            "a": "Get straight to the point. Opening with \"Hey guys\", an introduction or \"So today I want to…\" went with -14% views and -16% saves. Saying a concrete promise in the first sentence went with +16% views; talking to \"you\" with +10% shares. Most creators (86%) start talking within half a second."
        },
        {
            "q": "Does the best hook depend on my niche?",
            "a": "Partly. Promising something specific raised saves in almost every niche. For views: Manifestation and spirituality: hold back the payoff; Business and marketing: promise something specific; Personal finance: promise something specific; Career advice: text from the first frame; Dating and relationships: hold back the payoff; Skincare and beauty: hold back the payoff. Fitness and nutrition had no clear headline lever."
        },
        {
            "q": "Should I ask for comments in my caption?",
            "a": "Only if comments are the goal. \"Comment below\" went with +46% comments per view but -21% views for the same creator. Asking people to save or share went with +22% saves."
        },
        {
            "q": "How many hashtags should I use?",
            "a": "Four to six, the most common count, went with +18% views and +12% saves compared with the same creator's posts with none, a few or seven and up."
        },
        {
            "q": "How do you know it's the hook and not the content?",
            "a": "We labelled what every video is (teaching, list, story, opinion and so on, plus production and setting), compared each creator only with their own posts, and checked that the same pattern doesn't show up on the creator's previous post. Results that failed any of these are not reported as working."
        },
        {
            "q": "Does the caption style matter?",
            "a": "Barely. Font, case, colours and word highlighting made no measurable difference once creators are compared with themselves; having words on screen from the first frame did. See the caption styles study."
        }
    ],
    "images": {
        "hero": {
            "src": "img/hero.jpg",
            "width": 1800,
            "height": 644,
            "alt": "Real frames from videos in the study: Specific promise (35.6× usual views); Specific promise (33.0× usual views); Holds back the payoff (59.5× usual views); Holds back the payoff (48.3× usual views); Repeats the first line (50.9× usual views); Repeats the first line (45.4× usual views)."
        },
        "og": {
            "src": "og.jpg",
            "square": "og-square.jpg",
            "alt": "What makes a hook actually work? +19% views when the headline promises something specific."
        },
        "panel": {
            "eyebrow": "YAP & DONE STUDY · NOVEMBER 2026",
            "facts": [
                "13,046 videos",
                "1,132 creators",
                "headlines, first words, descriptions"
            ],
            "stat": "+19%",
            "caption": "views when the headline promises something specific.",
            "frames": [
                {
                    "src": "img/panel-0.jpg",
                    "width": 420,
                    "height": 746
                },
                {
                    "src": "img/panel-1.jpg",
                    "width": 420,
                    "height": 746
                },
                {
                    "src": "img/panel-2.jpg",
                    "width": 420,
                    "height": 746
                }
            ]
        },
        "cards": [
            {
                "id": "specific-promise",
                "headline": "Hook headlines that promise something specific",
                "stat": "19%",
                "unit": "more views",
                "feed": "share/specific-promise-feed.png",
                "story": "share/specific-promise-story.png",
                "alt": "Hook headlines that promise something specific: 19% more views than the same creator's videos without one. Like “How I turned £20 into £1.4k”. They also got 19% more saves. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            },
            {
                "id": "skip-the-warm-up",
                "headline": "Opening a video with “Hey guys” or “So today…”",
                "stat": "14%",
                "unit": "fewer views",
                "feed": "share/skip-the-warm-up-feed.png",
                "story": "share/skip-the-warm-up-story.png",
                "alt": "Opening a video with “Hey guys” or “So today…”: 14% fewer views than the same creator's videos that start with the point. And 16% fewer saves. 13% of creators still open this way. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            },
            {
                "id": "curiosity",
                "headline": "Hook headlines that hold back the payoff",
                "stat": "19%",
                "unit": "more views",
                "feed": "share/curiosity-feed.png",
                "story": "share/curiosity-story.png",
                "alt": "Hook headlines that hold back the payoff: 19% more views than the same creator's videos without one. Like “Something weird is going on…”. Strongest in skincare, manifestation and dating, though they were shared a little less. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            },
            {
                "id": "talk-to-you",
                "headline": "Talking to “you” in the first sentence",
                "stat": "10%",
                "unit": "more shares",
                "feed": "share/talk-to-you-feed.png",
                "story": "share/talk-to-you-story.png",
                "alt": "Talking to “you” in the first sentence: 10% more shares than the same creator's videos that don't. Headlines about “I” or “my” went the other way: 9% fewer shares. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            },
            {
                "id": "asking-for-comments",
                "headline": "Asking for comments in the post caption",
                "stat": "21%",
                "unit": "fewer views",
                "feed": "share/asking-for-comments-feed.png",
                "story": "share/asking-for-comments-story.png",
                "alt": "Asking for comments in the post caption: 21% fewer views than the same creator's posts without the ask. It did bring 46% more comments per view. “Link in bio” (17% fewer views) and @-tags (18% fewer views) also cost reach. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            },
            {
                "id": "hashtags",
                "headline": "Posts with four to six hashtags",
                "stat": "18%",
                "unit": "more views",
                "feed": "share/hashtags-feed.png",
                "story": "share/hashtags-story.png",
                "alt": "Posts with four to six hashtags: 18% more views than the same creator's posts with fewer or more. And 12% more saves. 61% of creators already use four to six. Yap & Done study of 13,046 talking-head videos, 2026."
            }
        ],
        "charts": [
            {
                "id": "what-moves-results",
                "title": "What the words do, comparing each creator with their own videos",
                "src": "charts/what-moves-results.png",
                "alt": "What the words do, comparing each creator with their own videos. Headline wording, the first spoken sentence and the post description: the change in each metric when a creator's video does this, against their own videos that don't."
            },
            {
                "id": "headlines-by-niche",
                "title": "Which headline lever works in each niche",
                "src": "charts/headlines-by-niche.png",
                "alt": "Which headline lever works in each niche. Same creator, with vs without. Shaded = the 95% range excludes zero; \"–\" = fewer than 30 creators used both options."
            }
        ]
    }
}