You know you need a strong hook to keep viewers watching, but do you know how to craft one that truly works?
Here’s how to write engaging video hooks, like I do for my clients, therefore helping them increase video engagement by 170%.
What is a Video “Hook”?
Let’s imagine you’re on a boat in the wide-open ocean. Fresh sea air, gentle waves, and you’re waiting for your next big catch. After all, there are tons of fish right below your feet.
You have the latest fish sonar (so you know exactly where the fish are), the best bait, and an expensive carbon fiber rod.
But, one problem: no hook on the end of your line. How are you supposed to catch fish without a hook?
The same goes for creating videos for your brand. You can have the best analytics tools for measuring your audience, amazing production value, and valuable content.
But if you don’t have a way to capture the attention of your audience, it is all meaningless.
Here’s how you can start implementing hooks into your next video:
How to Use a Hook
You need to place your hook at the beginning of your video. Remember, people will only give you 3-5 seconds to hook them before they swipe away.
But, don’t use gimmicks like “Wait! Don’t scroll!” or “You won’t want to miss what I have to say in this video.”
These are too generic, and people have become desensitized to this type of hook.
Therefore, you will want to create a hook using this formula:
How to Write Engaging Video Hooks
The goal is to capture the attention of the right person, not everyone. Therefore, it’s essential to have a specific hook that resonates with your ICP (ideal customer profile).
Here’s a formula you can use:
Hook + Problem + Promise + Proof
Video Hook Example:
“As a business owner, you’re creating consistent videos online for your brand, but you aren’t gaining any momentum with audience growth. By the end of this video, I’ll give you an actionable 5-step plan for growing your audience with the videos you’re already creating by implementing just a few simple tweaks. This is the same framework I’ve used to help business owners like you grow their audiences from 0 to 300,000 subscribers. Let’s dive into step one.”
Or
“As a DIYer, you know how challenging it is to balance home renovation with everything else in life, but you still want to finish all your projects by the end of the year. In this video, I’ll show you my free DIY builder checklist to help you mark off your projects quickly. This is the same checklist I’ve used to help over 5,000 DIYers like you complete full renovations in under 12 months. Here’s number one.”
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Use this formula to keep your ideal client watching.
We call this concept an “open loop,” where you create curiosity.
Therefore, if you want to keep your audience watching the entirety of your video, make sure to spend time writing an engaging hook before diving into filming.
Also, it’s important to experiment. Record 2-3 variations of your hook and launch trial reels of each version. Then you’ll see which hook works the best.
How are you using engaging hooks in your videos? Comment below, I’d love to hear what’s working for you.
P.S. It’s important to continue creating open loops throughout your video. You can use the “but then” and “therefore” technique to build curiosity. I actually used this technique in this newsletter (go read back and you’ll find them). It’s the same framework screenwriters Trey Parker and Matt Stone use to keep their audiences engaged.
Happy hook writing.
