What is a hook and why is it important in video marketing and advertising campaigns?

Imagine, you just sat down to plan out video content for a video campaign coming up. An hour and a half goes by and you’re still stumped on how to write a great hook. But what is a hook in the first place? Well, a hook is one of the most important pieces in a video that is designed to capture the attention of the viewer or audience member that in turn will sway their attention or engagement for longer view times. A great video hook could be a catchy phrase or concept that aligns with your target market and draws them in to keep watching by aligning with their pain point and showcasing how your product or service solves it.

There are a lot of different types of hooks that can be used in a video marketing or advertising campaign depending on who your audience is. Here is what we’re seeing in the advertising and marketing landscape to help you write a great hook so you can stand out amongst the crowd.

What kind of statements should I consider when I go to write a great hook?

• Question Hook: Simply state a question like “Have you ever wondered how much it costs to make a video?”

• Teaser Hook: Engage the audience into something enticing like: “You won’t believe just how much this video marketing strategy grew this business.”

• Surpising or Shocking Statement Hook: Stun the audience with a surprising truth like “The truth surrounding plastic in the ocean and what it means for global warming.”

• Visual Hook: Show the audience what’s happening. (Usually accompanied by voice over)

Question or challenge

This type of hook poses a question or challenges the viewer to think deeply, thus increasing engagement. The psychology of this approach encourages the audience to continue watching to find out the answer or see how it is resolved.

Personal Story or Anecdote

A personal story is one of the most engaging ways to captivate an audience. If we really think about it, personal story telling is one of the most historically engaging pieces of context you can give to an audience. This type of hook grabs the attention of the view by connecting with them emotionally and starts to build a rapport. You can also consider this type of hook when asking for a testimonial or case study by following this list of questions provided by Story Brand.

• What was your challenge or pain point prior to finding us?
• How did that challenge make you feel?
• What changed after you found us/ used our product or service?
• Do you have any metrics or results you can share?
• What would you say to someone in a similar position after finding us/ using our product or service?
• Anything else to add?

When In Doubt Demonstrate

Making a bold statement is an essential way to write a great hook and to instantly engage your audience. By dropping a powerful statement to start will entice the viewer into watching something. The only trick to this is to ensure they are already aligned or interested in your message. These powerful hooks usually sit in the mid funnel consideration phase and are great retargeting pieces. Here are some great sample statements to kick start your creativity!

• “We helped [company} grow from [x] to [x] by using this strategy, here’s how we did it”
• “We are committed to protecting the environment, and have reduced our carbon footprint by 50% in the last year, here’s how we did it”
• “Our product helped reduce skin inflammation in our patients by utilizing an all natural ingredient, here’s how it works”

Conclusion

In conclusion, when we write a great hook it becomes an essential element of any video marketing or advertising piece, as it captures the audiences attention and draws them in to keep watching. To design a great hook, remember these key things: identify your target audience and understand what will peak their interest. Then, craft a compelling motif that establishes the tone and theme of your brand. Lastly, be sure to keep your hook brief and to the point, as it should serve as a teaser for the content that follows. Paired with creativity and practice you can master the art of the hook and stop the scroll.