The 3 Hooks For a Video
Your video isn’t just competing with other content—it’s battling seconds of a viewer’s attention.
To win, you need more than a great idea; you need three hooks working in harmony to stop the scroll, spark curiosity, and keep eyes glued to the screen.
The Title Hook, The Verbal Hook, and The Visual Hook.
Nail all three, and your content won’t just survive the algorithm—it’ll thrive.
Let’s break down each hook and how to weaponize them.
1. The Title Hook: Your Textual First Impression
(The "Headline" That Demands a Double-Tap)
What it is: The bold text overlay that appears in the first frame of your video. Think of it as your video’s neon sign in a crowded digital city.
Why it matters:
- 55% of viewers decide to watch a video based on the title alone.
- It’s scannable, SEO-friendly, and instantly communicates value.
How to crush it:
✅ Lead with a promise: “Double Your Sales with This Email Hack”
✅ Spark curiosity: “The Secret Most Brands Miss on LinkedIn”
✅ Use numbers: “3 Tools That Saved Me 10 Hours/Week”
✅ Keep it under 7 words: Shorter = sharper.
Pro Tip: Test emojis (🔥, 💡) and ALL CAPS for emphasis, but don’t overdo it.
Bad Example: “Improving Social Media Engagement”
Killer Example: “INSTANTLY Boost Engagement: The 5-Second Reels Trick”
2. The Verbal Hook: Your 3-Second Voiceover Gamechanger
(The "Voice" That Pulls Them In)
What it is: The first sentence you speak—a verbal handshake that says, “Don’t scroll, this is for YOU.”
Why it matters:
- Human voices trigger emotional responses 3x faster than text.
- A strong opener can boost watch time by 70%.
How to crush it:
Ask a pain-point question: “Sick of wasting money on ads that flop?”
Drop a shocking stat: “90% of cold emails get deleted. Here’s how to be the 10%.”
Tease a secret: “What Taylor Swift’s tour can teach you about marketing…”
Pro Tip: Speed up your delivery by 10% in edits. Urgency = retention.
Bad Example: “Today, I’ll talk about SEO.”
Killer Example: “Your SEO sucks. Let’s fix it in 60 seconds.”
3. The Visual Hook: The Frame That Freezes Thumbs
(The "Eye Candy" That Stops the Scroll)
What it is: The arresting visual that dominates the first 1-2 seconds of your video.
Why it matters:
- 65% of people are visual learners.
- Vibrant visuals increase shares by 150%.
How to crush it:
Show transformation: A messy desk → pristine workspace (for a productivity hack video).
Use bold text + motion: Zooming keywords like “FREE” or “NEW.”
Leverage faces: Close-ups of shocked/joyful reactions.
Pro Tip: Start with a “pattern interrupt”—something unexpected (e.g., a dancing graph, exploding pizza dough).
Bad Example: A static shot of you talking at a desk.
Killer Example: A split-screen of a boring ad vs. your viral ad with dollar bills raining down.
The Synergy Secret: How the 3 Hooks Work Together
Imagine your hooks as a band:
- Title Hook = The lyrics (what’s said).
- Verbal Hook = The vocals (how it’s said).
- Visual Hook = The guitar solo (what’s seen).
Example for E-Commerce:
- Title Hook: “This $10 Hack DOUBLED My Shopify Sales”
- Verbal Hook: “You’re throwing away money if you’re not doing this…”
- Visual Hook: A split-screen showing 0 vs. 10,000 in sales.
Result: Viewers think, “Wait—how?!” and keep watching.
Avoid These 3 Deadly Hook Mistakes
- Mismatched energy: A hype Verbal Hook with a bland Visual Hook.
- Overcomplicating: Too much text or jargon in the Title Hook.
- Skipping the tease: Giving away the solution before the hook lands.
Your Action Plan
- Script your hooks first: Before filming, write 5 variations of each hook.
- A/B test ruthlessly: Try different Title Hooks on the same content.
- Steal from the best: Analyze top-performing videos in your niche. What hooks do THEY use?
Keep Crushing!
- Sales Guy