The 5 Reasons Why Using a Proper "Hook" is The Most Important Skill of 2024

Let's face it, the internet isn't what it used to be. The age of 20 minute vlog videos and crappy websites made in an hour are over.

It can feel like you need a full blown editing team with kitted out camera gear to get seen online. All the big names are doing it, Mr Beast, The Sidemen, KSI you name it, the advertising budget has gotten bigger.

Fortunately for us, if you're just trying to generate a few more sales each month, you don't need an advertising budget similar to the size of a small African country's GDP.

Leave that for the big dogs.

What you do need however, is a HOOK.

The reason why it's gotten so much harder to go viral online is, platforms like TikTok have programmed people into having the attention span of a goldfish.

People have gotten used to swiping past a video if it doesn't interest them in the first 3 seconds.

This plague has spread across all social media and here's what you can do about it;

The Solution To "TikTok Brain"

The best way to deal with people's ever decreasing attention span is to play into it. It's easier to change direction and sail with the wind, than it is the struggle and fight against it. So, whenever shooting a video for your business you should HEAVILY focus on the first 3 seconds of the video. Putting all your efforts into making those 3 seconds as interesting as humanly possible.

If you can get someone's attention in the first 3 seconds, break their train of thought and make them wonder, "ooo what's this?" the chances of them watching the whole thing sky rocket.

So... How do you make the first 3 seconds actually interesting?

The first thing you can do is capitalise on the 5 senses.

The 5 human senses are, hearing, touch, smell, taste and sight.

And unless you've got futuristic alien technology, you can't make anyone smell, taste or feel anything through the phone.

BUTTTT you can play on these senses, include a video of some food that looks really tasty, or focus on something that has a very unique texture.

Despite not being able to physically touch or smell what's on the screen, our ape brains are still hard wired to focus on anything that looks like it would smell or taste nice.

Now obviously, if you're a builder I'm not telling you to include a gourmet steak in every post, here's what you can do instead...

Build intrigue.

Instead of starting the video off with an introduction, as you would normally, begin in media res.

Right in the middle of the action.

Loud noises in the background.

The site manager yelling orders, loud unidentifiable drilling echoing down the halls.

Make the viewer curious, they should feel so enthralled by your video, that they have to keep watching to find out what happens next, like a cliff-hanger in a TV show.

Okay, so you've mastered the first 3 seconds what's next?

The battle's not won, but the hardest part is over.

Once you've got someone to look at your video, you've got to keep them there.

To do this, you have to implement something I've coined as the "weave".

A good video is like a flowing river, one section flowing seamlessly into the next, occasionally meandering but eventually coming back to the same point.

Every part of your video should lead the viewer onto the next.

You can do this by constantly talking, if someone swipes off the video, they don't get to hear you finish your sentence.

There's a whole list of things you should do to properly implement the weave, which would require an article of it's own, but for now, focus on each part of the video, one part should get viewers hyped or curious about the next.

And remember...

If something doesn't need to be there...

REMOVE IT.

That's all for now, if you've got any questions on how you can implement a hook contact me here via filling out the form.

Otherwise, talk soon.

Ryan