Derek John

Script frameworks behind $15M+ in E-com revenue. Fixing Meta & YouTube Hook & Hold rates for media buyers & brand founders. Free 3s Hook Playbook: "THE SNARE"👇

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Ecom brands are leaving millions on the table every year...

And they don't even know it.
Not because their product is wrong.
Not because their targeting is off.
Not because their funnel is broken.

Because the first 12 words of their video ad scripts...

Are sending the wrong signal to cold traffic.
Instead of:
"This is exactly for you and I know exactly what you're going through..."

Their hooks are saying:
"Hi. Here's our product. Here's what it does. Here's why it's good."

Cold traffic doesn't care.

They stopped caring about your product before your ad even started.

They only care about one thing...

"Is this for me?"

Win that question in 12 words...

And the rest of your funnel finally gets a chance to do its job.

The four hook frameworks that win that question every time...

Are in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

There's a technique I use in almost every hook I write for ecom brands...
That instantly kills the #1 objection cold traffic brings to every ad.
"This is probably the same thing I already tried."
Your customer has tried things before.
They bought the supplement.
Hired the agency.
Tested the offer.
It didn't work.
So when they see your ad... they assume it's more of the same.
Unless you do this...
Name the three things your solution is NOT.
Specifically the categories they've already tried and failed with.
"This has nothing to do with cutting carbs, counting calories, or another detox cleanse."
Three things dismissed in one sentence.
Their past failures acknowledged.
Their default assumption shattered before it can kill the click.
I call it the Cause Cascade.
And it's one of the most underused techniques in ecom video ad scripts.
It's in the free hook guide... comment HOOK below.
Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Here's a rule I follow on every single video ad script I write...

The first 10 words must anchor the niche AND imply the problem.

No exceptions.

Here's the test...

Read the first 10 words of your current ad script.

Could those same 10 words open a script for a completely different product in a different niche?

If yes...

Your hook is broken.

Cold traffic doesn't know if your ad is relevant to them.

And they won't stick around to find out.
Here's the difference...

BROKEN: "I was shocked when I discovered this unusual trick..."

Could be weight loss. Could be energy bills. Could be memory. Nobody knows.

FIXED: "If you've been running AI UGC ads and watching your CPA climb for six straight months..."

The right person knows in 10 words this is for them.

10 words.

Niche anchored. Problem implied.

That's the rule.

It's in the free hook guide... comment HOOK below.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

The best decision I ever made was to learn a skill that will ALWAYS be in demand... regardless of trends, tech, AI, etc.

When blogs were the thing... the best copywriters won. When static image ads of FB first hit... the best copywriters won.

Youtube ads... same. UGC/Avatar ads... same. Whatever comes next... yep. Get it?

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Learn to write words that convert cold traffic... and you'll never hurt for money again.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Every dollar you spend on a video ad with a weak hook...
Isn't just wasted.
It's actively working against you.

Here's why...
When cold traffic sees your ad and scrolls...
They get added to your impressions.
Your CPM paid for that impression.

But they didn't click.
They didn't convert.

They just... moved on.
To the next ad.

Which is probably your competitor's.
So you funded the impression that warmed up your competitor's customer.

You paid for that.

Think about that for a second.

Every weak hook isn't just bleeding your budget.
It's feeding your competitor's funnel.

The four hook frameworks that stop cold traffic before they get there...

Are in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Here's a concept that separates hooks that get views...

From hooks that generate revenue.

Most ecom video ad hooks do one thing in the opening 12 words.

Maybe two if the copywriter is experienced.

The hooks behind the biggest revenue numbers I've seen...

Pack five things into the first 60-100 words.
Who it's for.

What problem it solves.

Social proof that others are already doing it.

A vague description of the solution that creates curiosity.

At least two reasons why it's different from everything they've tried.

All of that. Before the viewer has a chance to form a single objection.

It sounds like a lot.

But done right... it reads like one clean, flowing opening that makes cold traffic stop and think...

"Wait. This is actually for me. And I need to know what this is."

That's the jam-packed hook.

And it's one of the most powerful concepts in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

100 years of advertising data tells us exactly what prompts humans to buy.

And it's the same now as it was 80 years ago.

Not complicated.

Not new.

Not AI-dependent.

Here's what it comes down to...

Cold strangers buy when three things happen in the first few seconds:

They feel like the message was written specifically for them.

They encounter a question they cannot resolve without engaging further.

They hear one specific detail that makes the whole thing feel credible.

That's it.

That's what 100 years of direct response copywriting data boils down to.

Three things. First 12 words. Every time.

The brands quietly crushing it on Meta and YouTube right now aren't doing anything revolutionary.

They're doing something timeless.

I've generated $15M in ecom revenue applying this exact principle to video ads.

It's all in the free hook guide... comment HOOK below.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

There's a hook framework built entirely on one thing...

The gap between what someone knows...

And what they desperately need to know.

It's called The Revelation Hook.

And once you use it... you'll understand why certain ads make you stop mid-scroll even when you're not in the market for what they're selling.

Here's how it works...

You introduce something the viewer doesn't have...

But immediately wants.

Not because you told them to want it.

Because the way you described it created a gap in their knowledge...

That their brain physically cannot tolerate leaving unfilled.

Example:

"There's one thing every person who loses weight and keeps it off long term does differently. It has nothing to do with discipline or willpower."

The viewer now has an unresolved question they cannot drop.

What is that one thing?

They have to keep watching to find out.

That's The Revelation Hook.

It's one of four in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

The hook type that gets the most engagement on cold traffic...

Is the one that challenges something the viewer currently believes is true.

It's called The Contrarian Hook.

And it works because of one thing...

The human brain automatically engages when an existing belief is threatened.

The viewer can't scroll away until they know if their belief is actually wrong.

Here's an example...

"Stop counting calories. That's not why people lose weight. It's why they give up."

Three sentences.

The first one directly contradicts what most dieters believe.

The second one tells them why they're wrong.
The third one twists the knife.

And the viewer is hooked before they even process what's happening.

Because their brain fired on the contradiction before their thumb could move.

That's The Contrarian Hook.

Used it behind $15M in ecom revenue.

It's one of four frameworks in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

There's a hook type that makes cold traffic feel like you've been watching them.

Not in a creepy way.

In a "how does this person know exactly what I'm going through" way.

It's called The Mirror Hook.

And it works by describing your customer's exact current situation...

So precisely...

That they feel understood rather than sold to.
Here's the key insight...

Cold traffic doesn't stop for clever writing.

They stop when they feel seen.

The Mirror Hook puts their exact reality back in front of them.

Not a demographic.

Not a pain category.

Not a general frustration.

Their specific situation. Their specific feeling. Their specific moment.

Done right... the viewer doesn't think "this ad is for people like me."

They think "this ad is literally about me."
That's The Mirror Hook.

It's one of four in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

@AndrewWriteCopy Totally right. Attention isn't engagement.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

One of the four hook frameworks that has driven cold traffic sales for 80+ years...

Is one most media buyers have never deliberately used.

It's called The Stakes Hook.

And it works on a simple psychological principle...

Loss aversion is a stronger motivator than the desire to gain.

Meaning your customer is more motivated by what they're LOSING by not clicking...
Than by what they'll GAIN if they do.

Here's what it looks like in practice...

"Every week you run a video ad with a weak hook... not only are you wasting your ad budget.

You're funding your competitor's retargeting list."

And it makes the cost of inaction immediate, specific, and personal.

Not "you might miss out."

"Your competitor is actively winning because you didn't act."

That's The Stakes Hook.

And it's one of four frameworks in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

@TrafficBrokerX Sorry you're in a bit of a rough spot man. I know the feeling. Have you considered teaching what you know, to others? I'd bet you have a TON of value that people could gain from getting to know you.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

@AndrewWriteCopy Learn a skill, become the best at it... much easier to do than it was 10 years ago, if you just dial in.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

If your ecom video ads are bombing... it's most likely the first 12 words of your script.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

@ecombrady Keep going man. Super impressive. Great job.

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

There are two types of language in a video ad script.

Narrative language.

And visual language.

Narrative language gives the viewer a story to identify with.

Visual language gives the viewer a picture to feel.

Here's the difference...

NARRATIVE: "If you're tired of high electricity costs..."

VISUAL: "If you wince in fear every time you go to open the skyrocketing electric bill eating away at your bank account month after month..."

The first one creates recognition.

The second one creates a physical reaction.
Sometimes literally.

Cold traffic doesn't convert on recognition.
They convert on feeling.

The best hooks I've ever written... the ones behind $15M in ecom revenue...

Were built entirely out of visual language.

Words that don't just describe a situation...

But put the viewer inside it.

That's the difference between a hook that gets views and a hook that gets clicks.

It's in the free hook guide... comment HOOK below.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Quick test you can run on any video ad script right now...

Read the first 12 words out loud.

Then ask three questions:

Does it name a specific person or specific situation? Or could it apply to anyone?

Does it leave a question open that the viewer HAS to keep watching to answer? Or does it explain too much?

Does it contain one specific detail that makes it feel real? Or does it sound like every other ad?

If you answered "could apply to anyone" to question 1...

Your hook has no Qualifier.

If you answered "explains too much" to question 2...

Your open loop is closed. Viewer has no reason to click.

If you answered "sounds like every other ad" to question 3...

Your Believability Bridge is missing.

Three components. All three required.

Miss one and cold traffic scrolls every time.

All three are covered in the free hook guide.

Comment HOOK and I'll DM it to you.

Must follow to receive. 🎯

[Derek John @hookandconvert]

Here's why most "good" video ad hooks still don't convert cold traffic...

The hook sounds right.

It's specific. It's targeted. It calls out the right person.

But cold traffic still scrolls.

Why?

Because the viewer's immediate gut reaction to any bold claim is...

"Yeah right."

Cold traffic has been advertised to hundreds of times today.

Their skepticism is at an all-time high before your ad even starts.

There's one thing that kills that skepticism instantly...

One specific detail that makes the whole hook feel real instead of hyped.

I call it The Believability Bridge.

It's not a testimonial.

It's not a statistic.

It's not a guarantee.

It's a single sentence with enough texture that the viewer thinks...

"That's too specific to be made up."

It's the third component of every hook that actually stops cold traffic cold.

It's in the free hook guide... comment HOOK below.

Must follow to receive. 🎯