What £100K in Ad Spend Taught Us About Hooks That Work in 2025

How to Find the Right Angle for
Meta Ads That Actually Convert

In the first half of 2025, we’ve managed more than £100,000 in Meta ad spend across various industries, everything from luxury services and high-ticket eCommerce to local bricks-and-mortar businesses.

One thing has stood out across the board:

- Ads live or die by the hook.

If you’re running Meta ads campaigns without a laser-focused hook, you’re burning budget. Period. This article breaks down the winning ad hooks we’ve tested and scaled in 2025, so far.

It’s not just a roundup of generic ideas, either. We’ll show you why these hooks work, how we find them, and how you can develop your own, even if you’re starting from scratch.

Why Hooks Matter More Than Ever in 2025

With CPMs rising and attention spans shrinking, most of your audience will give your ad 1.5 seconds of attention, if you’re lucky. Your hook is the difference between a scroll-past and a site visit.

What we’ve found:

The best performing ads had a Hook Rate (3-second views ÷ impressions) between 38%–61%

Ads without a clear hook? Rarely broke 15%

Hook performance always correlated with overall ROAS

So whether you’re using video, carousels, or UGC, if you don’t stop the scroll within the first second, your conversions suffer.

7 Hook Styles That Are Converting in 2025 (Backed by £100K in Ad Spend)

Here’s what’s actually working right now:

1. The “No One Talks About This” Hook

Works because: It triggers curiosity + contrarian thinking.

Examples:

“No one talks about this tax trick for directors…”

“Everyone’s telling you to scale ads, here’s what no one mentions.”

Best for: B2B, consultants, DTC brands in niche markets

Use in: Talking-head UGC, text-overlay Reels

2. The “POV” Hook

Works because: It builds instant relatability and human emotion.

Examples:

“POV: You’re the only one in your office without Relevant Life Cover.”

“POV: You’re planning your first trip since becoming a dad.”

Best for: Lifestyle products, financial services, health & wellness

Use in: Vertical video (Reels/Stories), lo-fi content

3. The “I Thought It Was a Scam” Hook

Works because: It disarms skepticism and builds trust.

Examples:

“I genuinely thought this was a scam… until I saw my return.”

“I thought this watch was fake. It wasn’t.”

Best for: Products/services with high buyer resistance

Use in: First-person UGC or customer testimonial clips

4. The “X vs Y” Hook

Works because: It frames a choice, instantly involving the viewer.

Examples:

“Salary vs Dividends – which one saves you more?”

“Spending £60k on ads vs £6k – here’s what changed.”

Best for: Data-driven audiences, comparisons, thought leadership

Use in: Static carousels, talking head breakdowns, chart-based Reels

5. The “Brutal Truth” Hook

Works because: Honesty is scroll-stopping in a sea of generic ads.

Examples:

“Most Meta ads are terrible. Here’s why yours probably is too.”

“Your agency is guessing, and here’s how to tell.”

Best for: Agencies, consultants, finance, coaching

Use in: Short lo-fi video with caption overlays or “rant-style” selfie format

6. The “Big Number” Hook

Works because: Specific numbers lend credibility and evoke curiosity.

Examples:

“This £3.50 item made £90,000 in 4 months.”

“We tested 144 hooks, these 4 converted.”

Best for: Direct-to-consumer brands, expert marketers

Use in: Reels, stat-led carousels, case studies

7. The “Problem-Then-Snap” Hook

Works because: It mirrors your customer’s inner monologue, then flips it.

Examples: “I couldn’t figure out why our leads were garbage… until I changed one thing.” “Ad costs were killing us, then this happened.”

Best for: Founders, in-house marketers, content creators

Use in: Before/After or journey-style video ads

How We Find the Right Hook (Before We Spend a Penny on Ads)

We never start by writing ad copy. We start by answering this question:

- What do your best buyers believe just before they convert?

Here’s our 3-step process:

1. Interview real customers or review-call transcripts Look for exact words people use when describing the product/service. We highlight pain points, beliefs, objections, and ‘aha’ moments.

2. Map beliefs to hook frameworks We match these insights with proven formats like: Curiosity hooks Contrarian/anti-establishment hooks “This but for that” (e.g., “Uber, but for dogs”) Ultra-specific social proof (“9,132 people in the UK already do this”)

3. A/B test with low-budget Reels Before rolling out a full campaign, we test 3–5 hooks with identical creative except the opening line or visual.

We watch for Thumb Stop Rate and CTR spikes.

The hook that performs best often isn’t the cleverest. It’s the clearest.

Quickfire Testing Benchmarks (2025 Data)

Metric: 3-Second View Rate
Good = 25–35%
Great = 40%+

Metric: CTR
Good = 0.7–1.1%
Great = 1.5%+

Cost per Hook Test (5 creatives)
Good = £50–£100
Great = £75 max if narrow targeting

Your Hook Is the Campaign

Creative fatigue is faster than ever, and platform competition is brutal. But when your hook hits? Costs drop, CTRs rise, and conversions stack up. Don’t overthink the copy. Obsess over the first 3 seconds. If you want help developing scroll-stopping hooks for your next campaign, or want us to audit your top performers, get in touch here.