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Viral content principles

Short rules for TikTok, Reels and Shorts that people watch to the end.

Score a hookAI video generator

The principles

Hooks

  • The first second decides. Put the payoff in the first three words.
  • Be specific: a number, a price, a name, a time. Vague lines get scrolled past.
  • Open a question the viewer wants closed. Do not answer it in the hook.
  • Talk to one person ("you"), not to everyone.
  • Write ten hooks per idea. Keep the best two.

Retention

  • Change something on screen every one to three seconds: a cut, a zoom, new text.
  • Cut every word that does not move the story. Short-form has no warm-up.
  • Pay off the hook. A hook that lies loses the next video too.
  • Keep it as short as the idea allows. A full 15 seconds beats a half-watched 60.

Loops

  • End on a line that leads back into the first frame, so the replay feels seamless.
  • Replays count as watch time on every platform.
  • Put the reveal near the end, so the viewer stays for it.

Captions

  • Most viewers start with the sound off. Burn in word-timed captions.
  • Keep text inside the safe area, away from the platform buttons.
  • The post caption adds context and keywords. Do not repeat the hook word for word.
  • Use a few relevant hashtags, not a wall of them.

How a hook is scored

The hook analyzer grades a line out of 100. Heavier rows matter more.

CriterionWeight
Specificity26
Curiosity gap22
Front-loading18
Length14
Second person12
Numerals8

Before and after

Hook analyzer scores, out of 100.

  • 29 In this video I am going to show you the 3 hooks that worked.

    61 3 hooks did 90% of the views last month.

  • 17 Our coffee tastes better than the stuff you buy at the supermarket.

    50 Your supermarket coffee was roasted 4 months ago. Ours was roasted Tuesday.

  • 14 We help teams ship content faster.

    57 Your team ships content on the week you are busiest. Here is how.

Questions

Does a high hook score mean a viral video?

No. It means the first line is strong. Visuals, pacing, payoff and the account also decide views.

How long should an on-screen hook be?

About five to twelve words, two readable lines in a 9:16 frame.

Can Looptake apply these principles for me?

Yes. The AI video generator writes scored hooks, cuts for retention, burns in animated captions and gives each video a viral score.

Let Looptake do it

Describe a video in one sentence. Get one built on these rules.

Try the AI video generatorHow it works

Describe it. Looptake writes, renders, scores and posts it to TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

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