10 Proven Ad Hooks for Meta Ads: Actionable Insights

1. Investment Hook

Show the time/money someone spent before finding your solution
Action: Upload customer reviews to AI and extract stories of failed attempts before they found you
Why it works: Targets users with similar journeys and builds trust through shared experience

2. Scam Hook

Use phrases like I thought this was a scam
Action: Create an iteration of a top-performing ad with this hook tomorrow
Why it works: Triggers loss aversion and curiosity—viewers must resolve whether they're at risk

3. Master the True Hook Structure

Your hook has four components in the first 3 seconds:
- Text overlay
- Sound
- Visual
- Vibe (lighting, fonts, overall aesthetic)

Action: Test changing the visual hook separately—it often outperforms text/verbal changes. The best hooks show, they don't tell.

4. Visual Hook Library

Stock footage that stops the scroll:

Action: Pair a verbal hook with an explosion clip to improve hold rates.

5. Give Me Time Hook

Ask for a specific time commitment: Give me 60 seconds...
Why it works: Users who agree tend to watch longer, improving hook and hold rates
Source: Inspired by YouTube title patterns

6. POV + Trigger Word Hook

7. Origin Story Hook

8. Founder Introduction Hook

Have the founder introduce themselves by name and role
Action: Always include name + founder in text overlay—split tests show this outperforms not having it
Why it works: Feels organic, not like an ad. Americans especially respond to entrepreneurial narratives.

9. In-Action Hook

Show creators in everyday activities (getting in the car, cooking, working)
Action: Avoid scripted ad reads—have products appear naturally in their routine
Why it works: Doesn't signal ad, feels like organic content

10. Emotional Hook

Open with strong emotional reactions: crying, frustration, excitement
Use phrases like People are mad at me because... or Why did I start crying when...
Why it works: Emotional cliffhangers compel viewers to find out what happened

11. Why Did No One Tell Me Hook

Implies the audience is being misled about something
Why it works: Creates cognitive dissonance, positions creator as insider authority
Action: Use this when you can't afford big influencers—it creates similar authority positioning

12. If You Hook

Start with If you're [demographic]... or If you hate [problem]...
Why it works: Triggers tribal identity and self-selection, effectively shortcutting Meta's targeting
Action: Test both demographic angles and problem/solution angles

The best hooks show, they don't tell.
Changing the visual hook tends to have a bigger impact on performance than changing the text or verbal hook.
Partnership ads are my number one suggestion for brands this year—this is what separates brands that are scaling from those playing on hard mode.
Investment hooks have such a high hit rate that I test them almost every time I onboard a client.
You can do partnership ads for free using founders content.