Briefs, ideas and hooks: turning a brief into videos that get watched

Scripted vs flexible briefs

A scripted brief gives you the exact words, sometimes shot by shot. Your job is delivery: make the script sound like you actually talk, keep the energy up and don't improvise claims. A flexible brief gives you a goal, a product, a few must-say points and freedom on everything else. Most of the creative work — and most of the chances to stand out — live here.

Whichever you get, a good brief usually includes:

• The product and the single benefit to push.
• The audience: who should stop scrolling.
• Must-says and must-not-says: claims the brand can and can't legally make.
• Format: length, aspect ratio, number of hooks, raw footage or not.
• Where it will run (organic, ads, dedicated account) — this affects usage rights and price.
• Deadline, number of revision rounds and how to deliver.

If something on that list is missing, ask before filming. One clarifying message is cheaper than a reshoot.

Extract the real goal in one sentence

Briefs are often long and written by several people. Underneath, almost every one is trying to do one of four things: make people aware of something new, make them click to a page, make them install an app or make them buy. Write the goal down in a single sentence — "Get 25–35-year-old renters to download the app because it splits bills automatically" — and check every idea against it.

This also tells you what to emphasise. Awareness videos can be entertaining and loose. Conversion videos need the product on screen early, a clear benefit and a reason to act now. App-install videos should show the app working on a real phone screen.

Trends as repeatable structures

Beginners copy a trending sound. Experienced creators copy the structure underneath it. A trend, for UGC purposes, is a shape you've seen working on at least five different accounts: "Things I stopped buying after…", a "put a finger down" list, a split-screen before/after, a reaction over a screenshot. The shape survives after the sound has gone stale, and it adapts to any product.

1. 1Spend 15 minutes scrolling your niche and save every video that hooked you.
2. 2Write each one as a template with blanks: "I tried [product] for [time] so you don't have to".
3. 3Keep only templates that appear on several accounts — one viral video can be luck.
4. 4Fill the blanks with your brief's goal and benefit. That's your idea list.

Working in Spanish or another language? Look at what is trending in that market too. Structures travel between languages, but the wording, humour and references don't — a literal translation of an English hook rarely lands.

Hooks: the first 1–3 seconds

People decide in a second or two whether to keep watching, so the hook carries most of the result. A good hook is 1–3 seconds long, around 5–10 words, and lines up three layers: what you show, what the on-screen text says, and what you say. If the three agree, viewers get it even with the sound off.

1. 1. Name the pain

   Example: “If your skin feels tight an hour after washing, it's your cleanser.”

   Why it works: The right viewer recognises themselves instantly and stays for the fix.

2. 2. The insider tip

   Example: “Nobody at the gym told me this about protein timing.”

   Why it works: Promises information other people don't have — curiosity does the rest.

3. 3. Stop doing this

   Example: “Stop paying for three streaming apps you barely open.”

   Why it works: A warning feels urgent and personal, and implies a better way.

4. 4. Start mid-story

   Example: “So the airline lost my bag, and this is the only thing that saved the trip.”

   Why it works: Dropping in halfway makes people want the beginning and the end.

5. 5. Result first

   Example: “This is my desk before. This is it after ten minutes and one organiser.”

   Why it works: Shows the payoff up front, so the rest of the video is the "how".

6. 6. The shortcut

   Example: “The fastest way to split a dinner bill without the awkward maths.”

   Why it works: Everyone wants to save time; a clear shortcut is instantly valuable.

Write at least three hooks for every video and film all of them — brands love receiving hook variations (and you should charge for extras). After the hook, deliver on its promise quickly: a hook that tricks people into watching hurts the video more than a quiet one.

Before you film: a one-page plan

For each video, write four lines: the goal sentence, the hook (with two alternatives), the three or four beats of the body, and the call to action. Send it to the brand if the brief allows for approval. Ten minutes of planning saves an hour of editing and almost always avoids a revision round.

Frequently asked questions