Hooks That Keep Viewers Watching

[00:00:00] Hundreds of videos fly past and you stop. You stop on one. That captures your attention instantly. Hey, imagine scrolling through your feed. Yeah, hundreds of videos fly past, but you stop on one. The one that grabs your attention. Why? You don't even know why, but you are hooked. And that's not luck. That's strategy baby!

[00:00:24] Creators who win online know how to craft openings. That interrupt your [00:00:30] brain's autopilot, switch your state and make you think, I have to see what happens next. Today, I am revealing video hook techniques that stop scrolling, keep people glued to your content and boost retention so your videos don't just get clicks, they get watched all the way to the

[00:00:48] Hi. I'm Chris Schwager, video coach and founder of the Complete Video Success System, and I've spent decades helping professionals create high impact videos that build trust, generate leads, and drive business success. And if you've ever [00:01:00] felt unsure or under prepared or just plain an awkward with video, this is for you.

[00:01:04] I'll give you the mindset and strategies to take control, build video confidence, so that you show up like a pro. It's time to make your videos work for you. Now, if you ever posted a video and seen the drop off rate spike, after three seconds, you have experienced what I call the hook gap without an opening that grabs attention.

[00:01:25] People scroll past even if the rest of your content is [00:01:30] gold. In this episode, we're diving deep into video hook techniques that not only stop the scroll, but also keep. Viewers locked in. Why does this matter? Because retention is currency. Platform's reward content that holds attention. The algorithm's job is to keep people watching, and if you can keep them engaged from the first second, you're playing the right game.

[00:01:51] You're playing the game that's going to allow you to win. A marketing coach I worked with launched a tip series on LinkedIn. Her video started [00:02:00] with polite. Hi, I'm Jane, and today we're talking about within two seconds. Most viewers were. Gone. She had, she had valuable insights, but was losing people before she even started teaching, we reworked her openings instead of instructions.

[00:02:17] She led with curiosity. Most of you are making the mistakes in the first five words on camera, and it's costing you clients the result. Watch time. Doubled comments quadrupled her profile. Viewers [00:02:30] shot up 300000%. No, just 300% in two weeks. Alright, case study two, I've got to share with you. An e-commerce founder created a product demo with the usual slow buildup, nice lighting, good sound, but no hook.

[00:02:44] We rebuilt the first five seconds using state chain's. Quick jump cuts, and zoom in on a problem. This is the one thing that your phone case should never do, and. A mid-sentence start instead of a fad. In that video [00:03:00] didn't just get watched, it got shared 1200 times in the first week. Same content, different opening.

[00:03:05] The only change was the hook. So here's some core video hook techniques that work. Now, start with a bold claim. You're about to waste a thousand dollars on ads unless you hear this first. Number two, ask a confronting question. What's the one thing you do if you lost all your clients tomorrow? Number three, show.

[00:03:28] Don't tell. Okay? [00:03:30] Begin with a visual problem or result before you say a word. We use this often in testimonial content, okay? So you go through a full, you know, before middle and end, or problem solution, result in your testimonial content. Hey, if they've got a result from. That content, like an like, Hey, we made $5,000 and we would never, wouldn't have done that without you.

[00:03:52] Hey, let's put that at the start because that's compelling and interesting and everyone loves a great result. Put it at the start. Put it at the [00:04:00] start. So it acts like the hook. Now, number four, time pressure. In the next 30 seconds, I'm gonna show you how to. Number five, state change. Break that rhythm with a quick edit camera, move, or change in tone to jolt the brain.

[00:04:16] Now, that's what I did with you at the start of this session. You might've seen me holding the blue bottle. What in the hell is he holding that blue bottle for? Right. I've talked about the pen, [00:04:30] the, the twiddling of the pen, the holding of the pen. You don't talk about the pen. And if you're watching this on YouTube, don't talk about the pen.

[00:04:36] You just hold the pen. It's a pattern interruption. It's, it's, it's. Point of curiosity, why the hell is this guy playing with the bed? Right? There's so, so many ways that you can keep people. Hooked in and watching. And one of the oldest techniques is you just cut every three seconds, cut the camera, different angle, different scene, different shot, [00:05:00] boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[00:05:01] Keep cutting away so that you can keep breaking the autopilot rhythm that they've got set in their mind. Now remember, video hook techniques aren't about click bait. Okay. Clickbait is different. Okay. Click bait's more about getting your thumbnail and your, your title of your video to not only tell them what you are about to tell them in the video, but also to ensure that it is engaging, [00:05:30] it is compelling, uh, before they even.

[00:05:34] The play button. Just quickly, if you are ready to take control of your video production, but feel stuck, check out the video Confidence Collective. It's live coaching in a supportive community that's got your back. We cover four essentials tech messaging on camera presence and implementing what you learn so you can create consistent, confident content that truly connects links in the show notes.

[00:05:52] Now back to the episode. Click bait's all about setting context fast so the viewer knows exactly why they should [00:06:00] watch and stay around. Now, how creators test their hooks. This is really interesting. If you've had no exposure to this, it is mind blowing. Certainly not something that I'm comfortable doing.

[00:06:13] I don't have the patience to test the shit out of content, but the guys out there that play with numbers and and are. Frantically making sure that they get the optimal results. For clients are doing this. They are testing hooks. Successful creators rarely [00:06:30] settle. On the first version, they'll write five to 10 alternative hook lines.

[00:06:35] They'll film multiple intros and AB test them. They'll analyze retention graphs to see exactly where viewers drop off. This is nerdy stuff, but if you want to be seen and you want campaign to work, this is what you're gonna do. Adjust future openings based on hard data. And I heard something recently, which was about using, I can't remember what platform it was, it might have been TikTok and running a couple [00:07:00] of, uh, versions on TikTok, or at least, uh, a single version on TikTok.

[00:07:03] Seeing what these. The success metric was on it. And then if it was no good, they'd pull it. If it was great, if it was good, then they would then republish that onto other platforms and test it in those, so they're kind of using data to improve data if you, you know what I mean? So they're getting, they're, they're getting a success within certain data and then using that to piggyback off future successes, whether it's [00:07:30] on.

[00:07:30] Other platforms or other, uh, forms of creative to, you know, effectively build on it and, um, improve the results for the client. So one YouTuber I know spends more time crafting his opening 10 seconds than the next five minutes of the video because without the hook, nobody sees the rest. So organic and paid content benefit equally.

[00:07:54] Well, let's explore that in more detail. Whether you are running ads or posting organically, the [00:08:00] rules are the same. In paid campaigns, a killer hook lowers your cost per click. In organic, it increases shares and saves In both cases, it makes your content algorithm friendly and your message unforgettable.

[00:08:13] Now, here's the thing, if you're a corporate listening to this go, oh yeah, but my video is on my home page and doesn't really apply to that, it does apply to that hooks. Really, why wouldn't it apply? Right? You want people to watch your boring corporate video for your, for your [00:08:30] homepage. Yes. Give them a reason to watch, give them, uh, a bit of an idea that this thing can be entertaining as well as informational.

[00:08:41] And when you combine video hook techniques with consistency, you magnetize the right opportunities. It allows you to produce not only better content, but ultimately you're saying yes to growth and you. Providing far more leverage for the client content. Now, hooks are the first handshake, the eye contact across the room.

[00:08:59] The [00:09:00] moment that says, pay attention. Pay attention to me here. Without them, your message gets lost in the noise. With with them, you control the narrative. You earn watch time, and you build trust and it's fast. So take these video hook techniques and start using them in your next video. Everybody can learn from this.

[00:09:24] Use them in your next video, draft multiple openings. Test them. [00:09:30] Watch your retention. Climb the first three seconds, decide if people will wanna watch them or do they forget you. Good luck. Thanks for listening to the Video Confidence Collective Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a five star review on Apple Podcast at Spotify and subscribe to us on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

[00:09:46] For more resources, check out the show notes and follow me at Chris Schwager or Ridge Films and see you on the next episode.