You have just five seconds. So hook ‘em in, keep them watching, and make those seconds count.

Starting with a clear hook isn’t just for YouTubers looking to make it big. Even if you’re creating instructional videos that people have to watch for their job, you have just a few seconds to grab attention. If you don’t, the video might still play but their concentration will be long gone.

When you put all that effort into creating a video, the last thing you want is for your viewer to click away or leave it playing in the background while they’re thinking about what to have for dinner that night.

The short attention span thing is real. We all have 101 other things on our minds on any given day. So how do you grab attention and keep it? It all starts with a powerful hook.

Host of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce, breaks down the power of hooks, including three tactics you can use to make your first few seconds count. You’ll learn about how and when to use hooks and some common mistakes to avoid for your next video.

Learning points from the episode include:

• 00:00 - 00:58 Introduction to video hooks
• 00:58 - 02:03 Why the first five seconds are the most important
• 02:03 - 02:38 The battle for viewer attention
• 02:38 - 03:35 Hook tactic 1: The bold statement
• 03:35 - 04:17 Hook tactic 2: Pain points
• 04:17 - 05:01 Hook tactic 3: Instant wins
• 05:01 - 05:37 Beware of clickbait
• 05:37 - 06:51 Top video introduction mistakes to avoid
• 06:51 - 08:15 Making internal videos people want to watch
• 08:15 - 09:27 Tie your hook to your internal audience
• 09:27 - 10:11 When flashy hooks aren’t needed
• 10:11 - 11:08 Outro

Important links and mentions:

• Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrpierce/