I've edited hundreds of video ads for e-commerce brands. The #1 mistake I see? The hook is weak.

Your audience is scrolling Meta and TikTok at light speed. You have half a second to stop them. Here's what actually works:

Pattern interrupts > pretty intros. Nobody cares about your logo animation. Start with movement, contrast, or something unexpected.

Show the problem first. Before you show the product, show the pain. "Tired of X?" works — but showing someone visibly frustrated with a competitor product works 10x better.

Text on screen from frame 1. Most people watch with sound off. If your first frame has no text, you've already lost 60% of viewers.

The 3-second rule. If someone watches 3 seconds, they'll usually watch 15. But getting those first 3 is everything. Front-load your most compelling visual.

I run a video editing agency specifically for e-commerce ad creatives. If your ROAS is suffering and you think it might be the creative, it probably is.