5 Visual Hooks to Stop the Scroll

If you don’t have a good hook then you don’t have a good video.

And there are three types of hooks:

• Verbal Hook: This is what you say
• Visual hook: This is what you show
• Title Hook: This is what you show in your first 3 seconds

So, today we’re focusing on visual hooks because our brains process them 60000x faster than text.

Let’s look at 5 examples:

1. Use Relatable, Familiar Imagery

If you want to grab attention, use imagery that feels real and relatable to your audience. Why? It’s easier for people to make sense of new information when it's clearly related to what they already know because it reduces cognitive load.

Dupe.com does this. They incorporate trending news articles as the green screen video background and use the familiarity and relevance of the article as the visual hook.

Another example is how they use swap out typical video text overlay for a post-it note next to their product demo.

The last example is "brandjacking" where you tap into a topic, person, or community that's popular and inject the brand into the conversation.

Mozi Wash does this by starting their video with shots of Tide detergent.

2. Surprising, Unordinary Objects That Make People Pause

Another option is using objects that are out of the ordinary.

Things like strange-looking gadgets, weird textures, or unusual color combinations to pique curiosity.

3. Pattern Interrupt

Take what someone expects to see and flip it on its head.

If it’s something small then make it bigger than life.

Like J.Crew did with this ad. A girl with a shopping bag walking on the street is normal. But they made the bag as big as her. Suddenly, you're paying attention.

Or how Jacquemus used real sailboats and had them line up to spell out the brand name on the water.

Because the more jarring the juxtaposition, the more effective the hook.

4. Use Oddly Satisfying Visuals

Slime, kinetic sand, soap cutting, hydraulic press crushing..

There's just something about oddly satisfying videos that makes them impossible to look away from.

It's like visual ASMR. Your brain gets hooked on the pleasing patterns, textures, and motions. Before you know it, you've watched the entire thing.

The key is to start with something mesmerizing. Then transition into your core messaging.

5. Keep Introducing New Visual Elements

A short attention span means more visual hooks throughout your content.

Think of a continuous reveal, gradually unveiling more of a product or scene.

Or cut to a new frame every few seconds. New background, new angle, new close-up.

Because as soon as viewers get used to what they're seeing, switch it up, and give them a new visual dopamine hit.