4 Takeaways For Content Creators From “Hook Point”
Follower and subscriber counts mean nothing without effective communication.
"Hook Point" by Brendan Kane goes into detail about how to capture and retain attention on social media. The book is targeted to larger businesses with marketing budgets and not all the advice, such as partnering with celebrities, applies to creators or small businesses. However, the underlying principles are just as valid today as when I read it in 2022.
I found 4 key takeaways from "Hook Point" specific to content creators.
Takeaway 1: Capture Attention Within 3 Seconds
In today's social media landscape of constant scrolling, we only have 3 seconds to capture someone's attention.
Brendan recommends focusing on hooking audience attention with compelling visuals in the first 3 seconds, stopping their doom scroll so they see the rest of the content. Present the problem with visuals to the audience so they feel the pain of not solving it. As you build your working library of hook points, they should evolve with you as long as they still reflect your core values.
Solid hook points should be close to click bait, but still deliver the promised value (which click bait does not).
Takeaway 2: Provide Quality Value
Every piece of content should include actionable bites of information for your audience.
You should have a deep understanding of exactly who your audience is, their problems, and what they care about. If you can articulate their problems better than they can, they will assume that you can also solve those problems. Great hooks come from this understanding and showing the problem first, then get into overcoming it.
Give your audience value with every post and they will keep coming back for more.
Takeaway 3: Create Beneficial Stress
Brendan advocates incorporating eustress, or beneficial stress, into your content.
The underlying assumption is that your audience doesn't want to bandaid their problem, but solve it. Some of the largest creators on YouTube provide actionable advice for people to improve their lives, whether it's saving money, generating more income, or making better use of their time. These creators don't say things will be easy, but promise a better tomorrow if the work is done today.
If someone tries a project or tip you provide, knows it will take effort, and it works, they will come back for more.
Takeaway 4: Set Trends, Don't Follow Them
How often have you been scrolling social media and seen the exact same trend video countless times?
Do you remember any of the creators who posted it? Following a trend might get a boost on views, but constantly following a trend just lumps you in with thousands of others doing the same thing. We want to stand out for the value we're putting out, not because we can copy someone else a few times.
It's better to be on the front of a wave letting it propel you forward than behind it trying to catch up.
