Everything else in a video ad only matters if the hook works. In our data, the typical viewer watched Meta video ads for about 3 to 5 seconds, no matter how long the ad was.
Types of hooks
- Visual: something unexpected on screen, motion, a product doing something.
- Spoken: a bold claim, a question, a callout ("If you have a dog...").
- Text: an on-screen headline for sound-off viewers.
- Pattern break: anything that doesn't look like the last ten ads in the feed.
The best hooks use two or three at once.
Measuring it
Hook rate (3-second plays ÷ impressions) tells you if the opening stops people. Our median was 20.9%. But a high hook rate didn't predict cheaper purchases, so check the hook brings in the right people too.
Examples: Meta ad hook examples.
