Hook pattern · 18 hooks
Listicle hooks for TikTok slideshows
Listicle hooks promise a short, numbered list: “4 habits that gave me my evenings back”. On a TikTok slideshow the number does a lot of work. It tells the viewer how many swipes the post will take, and each slide pays off one item, so the post feels finished. Lists of tips are also the posts people save to read again later.
What a listicle hook looks like
blank: 4 blank: habits that blank: gave me my evenings back
The slides after it
- 1.Slide 1: the hook, with the number in it.
- 2.One slide per item: the item as the headline, one line on how to do it.
- 3.Your app as the last item, doing the boring part for the viewer.
Why listicle hooks work on TikTok slideshows
- The number sets the length. Viewers know “4” means four swipes, so they start.
- One item per slide fits the format: each swipe pays off one line of the hook.
- Tips are worth keeping. A list people want to try later is a list they save.
- Small numbers read faster. Three to seven items beat a vague “some tips”.
On a slideshow the first slide is the hook: no voice, no motion, just the words and the photo, read in about two seconds. Keep it under 14 words (why).
18 list hook examples, by kind of app
Written for app founders, grouped by kind of app. The words in boxes are blanks: swap in your own details.
Budgeting apps
- blank: 5 money habits that made payday last the whole month
- blank: 4 tiny habits that saved me blank: $200 a month
- blank: 3 things I check before any blank: big purchase
Fitness apps
- blank: 5 habits that got me to the gym blank: 4 times a week
- blank: 4 home workouts for days you only have blank: 15 minutes
- blank: 3 things I stopped doing and finally got stronger
Language apps
- blank: 5 ways to practise blank: Spanish on your commute
- blank: 4 habits that made blank: French finally stick
- blank: 7 phrases that get you through your first week in blank: Tokyo
Study apps
- blank: 5 study habits that got me through blank: finals
- blank: 4 ways to focus when your phone is right there
- blank: 6 things good students do on blank: Sunday night
Meditation and sleep apps
- blank: 5 tiny habits for a calmer blank: morning
- blank: 4 things I do in the last hour before bed
- blank: 3 breathing tricks for when your mind won't stop
Productivity apps
- blank: 4 habits that gave me my evenings back
- blank: 5 ways to finish work by blank: 6 pm
- blank: 3 rules for a to-do list you actually finish
Example: a listicle slideshow for a productivity app
A made-up productivity app on @yourapp. The words are ours; Reelazy laid out and drew the slides on stock photos, at 3:4, the frame TikTok shows photo posts in.
1 · The hook: a number and a result.
2 · Item one, with how to do it.
3 · Item two.
4 · Item three.
5 · The app as the last item.
How to use listicle hooks in Reelazy
- 1
Pick the format
Listicle hooks open the Listicle tips format: the hook, one idea per slide, your app softly at the end.
Listicle tips format - 2
Or copy a slideshow that uses this hook
Found a listicle post that works? Save it with the Chrome extension or add screenshots. Reelazy copies its hook pattern, structure and look, never its words or photos.
Copy a format - 3
Get posts for your app, approve them
Reelazy writes the posts for your app in that format, with several hooks per post, keeping the strongest. You read each one, change the hook if you like, and approve it before it goes to TikTok.
Make posts
Questions
What number works best in a listicle hook?
Small, specific numbers: three to seven. The number should match the slides that follow, one item per slide, so a 5 in the hook means five item slides.
Should the app be one of the list items?
Yes, as the last one, and only where it truly does that step for the viewer. The other items should be useful without the app, or the post reads as an ad.
Can I use these hooks as they are?
Yes, they are free to use. Change the highlighted blanks to your own details: a hook with your real numbers, places and moments reads as yours, and copies of the same line do worse.
Can Reelazy write hooks like these for my app?
Yes. Paste your app's link once, then pick a format or copy one from a TikTok slideshow you like. For each post Reelazy writes several hooks and keeps the strongest, and you can change it before you approve the post.
Related reading
- How long should the text on a TikTok slide be?
Up to 14 words for the hook, and why.
- TikTok slide text checker
Paste your hook and slides; it counts the words and flags lines that sound AI-written.
- How to make a TikTok photo carousel that sells
From the hook to the last slide, step by step.
More hook patterns
Mistake hooks18 hooks · Gym mistakes that kept me stuck for a year
Myth vs fact hooks18 hooks · Meditation myths that made me quit
Before and after hooks18 hooks · My money before vs after a 10-minute Sunday check
POV hooks18 hooks · pov: you finally understood a whole conversation in Spanish
I wish I knew hooks18 hooks · Study tips I wish I knew before my first exam
Unpopular opinion hooks18 hooks · Unpopular opinion: you don't need to work out every day
Comparison hooks18 hooks · Cash vs card: the one that actually helped me save
How-to hooks18 hooks · How to remember new words without flashcards
Storytime hooks18 hooks · I missed every deadline for a year. Here's what changed
Make your first 2 posts free
Paste your app or store link, show Reelazy a TikTok slideshow you like, and it makes your first 2 posts in that format. Free for 2 posts on 1 TikTok account, no card. Pro is from $19 a month.