I've analyzed thousands of TikToks from small businesses. The pattern is always the same.

They start with "Hey guys, so today I wanted to share..." and the viewer is already gone.

TikTok is not Instagram. Nobody followed you to hear your intro. You have exactly 1.5 seconds before they swipe. That's it.

Here's what actually works:

Lead with tension. "Stop making this mistake on TikTok" hits harder than "Here are some TikTok tips."

Use a pattern interrupt. Start mid-sentence. Start with a controversial take. Start with the result, not the process.

Call out your audience directly. "If you own a small business and you're not doing this..." — now they HAVE to keep watching.

The difference between 200 views and 200K views is almost always the first line. Most businesses overthink their content strategy when the real problem is the first 2 seconds.

I put together 100 hooks that follow these exact patterns — built specifically for small business owners who want real results on TikTok, not vanity metrics.