by Pure Aesthetics Marketing Team
Let’s be honest — you could have the best skin treatment offer in town, but if your audience scrolls straight past it, it doesn’t matter.
That’s why your hook is everything.
What’s a “hook”, really?
Your hook is that split-second moment when your audience either stops scrolling or keeps swiping. It’s the “hey, that’s me” moment.
- In video: it’s your first three seconds of footage and audio.
- In copy: it’s the first one or two sentences before “See more”.
- In visuals: it’s your overlay text or the before/after frame that instantly tells a story.
It’s not fancy marketing jargon — it’s the line that earns you the right to be heard.
Why your ad hook matters more than anything else
Let’s be blunt: people’s attention spans today are shorter than ever. The average watch time for most mobile ads? Barely a few seconds before they scroll on.
Legendary ad man David Ogilvy once said, “When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
If Ogilvy were running Facebook Ads today, he’d tell us the same thing: your hook is your headline — and it’s where 80% of your ad’s value lives.
Without a strong hook, your offer, targeting and creative of your aesthetic marketing campaign won’t even get a chance to work.
How to craft a scroll-stopping Facebook ad hook
The secret formula I use is O.P.S. + F.P.C.T.
Offer • Pain • Solution + Front-load Power Words • People • Captivating Visuals • Trend
Let’s break that down:
- Offer: What’s in it for them?
“£50 off HydraFacial® this week. Glow in 30 minutes.”
- Pain: What’s bothering them right now?
“Tired of make-up sinking into fine lines?”
- Solution: Show transformation fast.
“Zero downtime. Visible glow before tonight.”
- Front-load power words: New, Free, FDA-cleared, Limited, Instant.
- People: Real faces, real results. Let them see themselves.
- Captivating visuals: Before/after frames, macro skin shots, hand reveals.
- Trend tie-ins: “Back-to-school glow-up” or “Holiday-ready skin in 30 minutes.”
Your first three seconds should make someone feel seen, not sold to.
Real examples
When we tested this for a medspa client promoting laser hair removal:
- Hook A: “£X off underarm laser hair removal this week only.”
- Hook B: “Still getting ingrown hairs every shave?”
- Hook C: “Smooth arms, zero downtime. Lunchtime laser.”
Guess what? Hook B (the pain-driven one) had 2.3× higher hook rate and 37% lower CPL.
Other hooks that smashed it (tested in real medspa ads)
- “Before you book Botox®, watch this quick test.”
- “Fine lines that make-up can’t hide? Try this.”
- “Laser hair removal that finally works on blonde hair.”
These work because they speak directly to the viewer’s self-interest within seconds.
Measuring your hook rate on facebook ads
If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.
You can track how many people actually stop to watch — this is your hook rate.
To calculate your Hook Rate, go to Ads Manager and pull these metrics:
3-Second Video Plays ÷ Impressions × 100 = Hook Rate (%)
Why it matters:
- It shows how many people stopped scrolling.
- It helps you kill weak hooks before they waste budget.
- It’s the earliest predictor of performance.
- High Hook Rate = strong first impression.
- Low Hook Rate = dull or unclear opening.
For medspas, a solid starting point is 10–20% Hook Rate on cold traffic.
Testing hook variations
You don’t need 20 videos. You just need one good video with five different openings.
- Duplicate your ad five times.
- Keep everything identical except the first three seconds.
- Spend £10–£20 per test ad.
- After two to three days, keep only the top two based on Hook Rate and CPL.
That’s it.
Hook inspiration for medspas
| Hook Type | Example | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Offer | “£X off HydraFacial® this week only.” | Instant value |
| Pain | “Acne scars that won’t fade?” | Relatable emotion |
| Solution | “Glow in 30 minutes — no downtime.” | Instant gratification |
| Proof | “Live patch test: see dark spots fade.” | Visual trust |
| Scarcity | “First 10 new clients this week.” | FOMO & urgency |
From our experience
We’ve tested hundreds of ad variations across medspas. Hooks with:
- Real client reactions (not stock footage)
- On-screen captions in the first second
- Offer clarity (“£50 off today”)
…consistently outperform generic beauty visuals.
I’ve seen clients cut their CPL by 40% simply by reworking their opening line and frame — no new creative shoot needed.
Your next move
You already have beautiful treatments, happy clients and brilliant results. Let’s make sure people see them long enough to care.
Start by testing five hooks this week. Track your Hook Rate. Drop the weak ones. Scale the strong.
Because in the scroll war, your hook is your headline — and it’s worth 80 cents of your dollar.