Why Your Videos Aren't Getting Views (And the Simple Way to Fix It)

You've spent hours on a video. You filmed it, you edited it, you found the perfect sound, and you finally hit "post." You're proud of it.

And then... nothing.

It gets almost no views. People just scroll right past it. It's one of the most frustrating feelings for anyone who makes content.

Here is the truth: It's probably not your video that's the problem. It's the very first second of your video.

This is the most important part of your entire video. It's called the "hook."

The 1.7-Second Battle

Think about how you use an app like TikTok or Instagram. You scroll, and scroll, and scroll. You're in a "scroll zone," not really paying attention. Your brain is just looking for something, anything, that is new or exciting.

You don't have three seconds to get someone's attention. You have less than two seconds.

In just 1.7 seconds, a viewer's brain makes a "snap judgment" about your video. They decide in that tiny moment if it's worth their time. If it's not, they swipe. And if they swipe, the platform (like TikTok or Instagram) learns that your video isn't good at holding attention, so it stops showing it to new people.

Your one and only job is to break their scrolling pattern. You have to jolt them out of that "scroll zone."

A great hook is the only way to do this.

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The Three Layers of a Perfect Hook

A truly "scroll-stopping" hook isn't just one thing. It's three different things all working together at the same time. This ensures that you can catch everyone, even people who are watching with their sound off.

Layer 1: The Visual Hook (What They See)

This is the fastest layer. It's what people's eyes catch before they've even had a chance to read or hear you. Your visual must be different from the video they just scrolled past.

• What to do: Start your video in the middle of an action. Do not start with a slow fade-in or you standing still and getting ready. That is boring.
• Actionable Step: Start your video with a fast camera zoom. Or, start with you already mid-sentence. Or, start by walking into the frame. Any fast motion in the first half-second will catch the human eye.
• Another Tactic: Show something unexpected. Hold up a strange object. Use a weird camera angle. This makes the viewer's brain pause and ask, "Wait, what is that?"

Layer 2: The Audio Hook (What They Hear)

For all the people who do have their sound on, this is your next tool.

• What to do: Your very first spoken words must be the hook. You cannot waste time "warming up."
• Actionable Step:
  • Don't say: "Hi everyone, in this video I'm going to show you..." (They are already gone).
  • Do say: "You are making this one mistake every day..." (This is strong, direct, and starts immediately).
• What about trending sounds? These work for a reason. When people hear a sound they've heard before, their brain is already "trained" to know what kind of video it is (like a joke, a reveal, or a sad story). It's like a shortcut that makes them feel comfortable and tells them, "This is the kind of video you already like."

Layer 3: The Text Hook (What They Read)

This is the most important layer for one big reason: many people watch videos with the sound off.

If your video has no text, a sound-off viewer has no idea what it's about. They will swipe every single time. Your on-screen text is your video's headline.

• What to do: Put your hook in big, bold, easy-to-read text on the screen in the very first second.
• Actionable Step: The best strategy is to make your on-screen text say the exact same thing as your spoken words (your audio hook).
• Putting It All Together: Imagine a video starts.
  • (Visual) The creator is looking right at the camera with a confident look.
  • (Audio) The creator's voice says: "Stop scrolling if you're a small business owner!"
  • (Text) The text on the screen says: "Stop scrolling if you're a small business owner!"

This is a perfect, inescapable hook. The sound-off viewer is caught by the text. The sound-on viewer is hit with the message from two directions at once. You have broken their scroll.

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Four Creator Strategies You Can Learn From

You don't need to guess what works. Just look at what the biggest creators are already doing. They all use a clear, repeatable system.

1. Alex Hormozi (The Bold Promise)

• The Strategy: He makes a huge, bold promise of value right at the start. His hooks are almost always contrarian, meaning they go against what most people believe. For example, "Everything you know about [your topic] is wrong."
• The Action: His visual hook is his text. He puts every single word he says on the screen in big, bold letters, often with colors and emojis (though you don't need those). As he speaks, the words light up. This forces the viewer to read along and holds their attention.
• Your Takeaway: Make a bold, confident claim about your topic. Then, put those exact words on the screen in large text as you say them.

2. Khaby Lame (The Silent Reaction)

• The Strategy: His hook is 100% visual, and he doesn't even have to speak. He finds another video that shows someone doing something in a very complicated, stupid way. That first video is his hook.
• The Action: That first clip makes you, the viewer, ask "Why is that person doing that?" You stay to see the answer. Khaby then simply shows the super-easy, common-sense way to do the same thing.
• Your Takeaway: Find a common problem or a "bad tip" in your field. First, show the problem. Then, simply show the easy, correct way to solve it.

3. Duolingo (The "Weird Friend" Personality)

• The Strategy: The Duolingo owl mascot doesn't act like a boring company. It acts like a specific, weird character. The account has running jokes about being obsessed with the singer Dua Lipa or being mean about you missing your lessons.
• The Action: People don't stop scrolling to see an ad for a language app. They stop to see, "What is that crazy owl doing now?" They have built a character and a story.
• Your Takeaway: Don't be afraid to have a strong personality or running jokes. People connect with people (or owls) that are interesting. It makes them stop to see what you are up to this time.

4. Vanessa Lau (The "Lifestyle" Lesson)

• The Strategy: She hooks people with visuals that look like a personal, daily life video. You might see her making tea, writing in a journal, or working at her desk. These clips are soft and pretty to look at.
• The Action: But while you're watching these nice "lifestyle" visuals, her voiceover and on-screen text are delivering a powerful business lesson. It's like a "Trojan Horse." She hooks you with the "vibe," but she delivers the "value."
• Your Takeaway: Film yourself doing simple, nice-looking daily tasks. Then, record a voiceover with your best tips and lay it on top, along with clear text. It feels less like a boring class and more like a friend sharing advice.

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10 Simple Hook Templates You Can Use Today

Here are 10 fill-in-the-blank ideas for your next video.

1. The "Stop" Hook: "Stop doing [common action] if you want [good result]."

   • Why it works: It challenges something the viewer might be doing right now.

2. The "Secret" Hook: "Here are 3 secrets about [your topic] that nobody talks about."

   • Why it works: People love to feel like they are learning something hidden.

3. The "Problem" Hook: "If you always struggle with [a common problem], watch this."

   • Why it works: It speaks directly to a pain point the viewer has.

4. The "How-To" Hook: "Here is the fastest and easiest way to [get a result]."

   • Why it works: It makes a clear promise of a solution.

5. The "Call-Out" Hook: "This is for all my [type of person, e.g., 'new moms,' 'gamers,' 'small business owners']."

   • Why it works: It makes a specific group of people feel "seen" and forces them to stop.

6. The "Tension" Hook: "3 tips for [your topic] that feel like they should be illegal to know."

   • Why it works: The strong, alarming language creates tension and curiosity.

7. The "Mistakes" Hook: "5 mistakes everyone makes when [doing a specific thing]."

   • Why it works: No one wants to be making a mistake, so they stop to check.

8. The "Transformation" Hook: "How I went from [a bad place/problem] to [a good place/solution]."

   • Why it works: It's a "before and after," which is one of the most powerful stories.

9. The "Shocking Fact" Hook: "Did you know that 90% of people get this [simple fact] wrong?"

   • Why it works: It uses a surprising fact to break their pattern.

10. The "Story" Hook: "I still can't believe this just happened to me..."

    • Why it works: It starts a story right in the middle, and people have to stay to find out what happened.

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Your Hook Is a Promise

At the end of the day, your hook is just a promise.

It's a promise you make to the viewer that the rest of your video will be worth their time.

So, here is the final and most important rule: You must keep your promise.

If your hook says, "3 secrets to better-looking photos," your video must deliver 3 actual, useful secrets. If you just talk for 30 seconds and never give the secrets, you have tricked the viewer. This is called "bait-and-switch."

They might watch your video once, but they will learn not to trust you. And they will scroll right past you next time.

Stop worrying so much about the algorithm, the hashtags, or the perfect time to post. Instead, focus all your energy on making those first 1.7 seconds so clear, fast, and interesting that no one can scroll away.