How smart YouTubers hook viewers in 5 secs
You can never find a viral YouTube video without one of the following hook types. Never! Hooks are those little tricks that make people go, “Wait, I need to see this!” And trust me, once you nail this, you’ll see your channel grow like crazy. So make sure you read this post to the end.
So, here are 6 types of hooks you can use right away!
1. Visual Hooks
Start your video with something like a cinematic shot or do another activity that grabs your viewer’s attention in seconds as you speak. You may have observed Big Youtubers grab your attention with things like overhead shots, two camera angles, camera movement, outside shoots with other activities, using props, and changing scenes. Even ‘pretty privilege’ gets a VIP pass in this hook category —good looks really does have its perks!
2. Value Hooks
Let your viewers know they’re about to learn something epic. Hit them right from the start with a promise of immediate value. For instance, I can say something like, “In just 3 minutes, you’ll know exactly how to double your freelance income on Upwork.” Did you realise I used a hook in the beginning of this post and started delivering value on the get-go? Another form of value hook is called Immediate Action like “Do this now to hit 4000 hours withing the next 30 days!”
3. Audio Hooks
Sometimes, we can use an unexpected sound effect, exclamation, tone and pitch change, or a bold statement that grabs the attention of viewers, like “You’ve been doing this wrong your whole life!” or a controversial opinion like, “Here’s why I think Roberto Blake’s advice is completely wrong…” or say a popular person has just made a mistake or has a problem.
Makers of horror movies treat sound as super important, so smart content creators do the same to keep viewers glued to their content. Viral YouTubers borrow this idea.
Maybe this is a good time to borrow few seconds of your time to smash that like button and subscribe to this channel
4. Question Hooks
Do you have a question that can make your viewer pause? If not, take a few minutes to think about or research that and add a hook at the beginning of your video. For instance, “Struggling to grow your YouTube channel? Here’s how to fix that.” Question hooks make people wonder or curious, and then hit them with the answers or crazy facts. For this channel, I can say something like, “Have you ever wondered why some YouTubers do well while others just... don’t?” That could be because they don’t use story hooks.
5. Story Hooks
We all love a good story because it instantly builds a connection. It feels like sharing a secret with a friend. “The first time my TikTok video got over 75000 views, I almost ran crazy!!! As in, my account that has never exceeded 5000 views. The shocking part was that I started getting loads of DMs from people begging me for one help of the other, I… ” Don’t you want to hear the rest of this story? or something like “Last year, I almost quit YouTube, but something changed my mind…”
6. Teaser Hooks
An example of this is you saying, “Stay tuned because at the end of this video, I’m going to reveal something big!”. Also, you must have seen your favourite podcast videos give a sneak peek that leave the viewers curious for more. People will stick around because they feel like seeing what happens next. Honest Bunch podcast,, for example, gives a quick highlight of the most shocking and controversial statements within the first few seconds with heavy sound design.
7. Relatable scenerios
You start by tapping into a specific experience common to you and your targeted demographics. You can start your video by saying something like, “You know that feeling when...” This makes your audience feel understood.
Experiment with these hooks, mix them up, and see what clicks with your audience. You’ll keep your viewers engaged, and that’s what makes a successful YouTube channel.
Now I challenge you to use at least two of these hooks in your next video, and watch the magic happen!
