How to Start Your YouTube Videos
Have you ever sat down to record and been so confused about what you’re supposed to say and how to start your YouTube videos? Here’s exactly what to say and what NOT to say in the beginning of your YouTube videos!
How to Start Your YouTube Videos | What to say in the beginning of your YouTube Videos
Want to watch a video version of this post? I’ve got you covered!
“Hi, welcome back to my channel!”
STOP. Seriously, stop.
Introductions like that are not helping you get more views or more subscribers. But there is a formula to create an introduction that will draw in new viewers and keep them wanting more!
I get it – it’s really easy to pick up the camera and start with an easy hello. But that is not interesting, and people are going to leave quickly if that’s how you start.
Here’s the formula, folks.
You need to start your YouTube videos with something that hooks the viewer.
A hook will make people want to continue watching your content and learn more! At the beginning of the video version of this post, I gave you a pattern interrupt – “don’t say this! Here’s what you should say instead.” Then, I introduced the topic, introduced my channel, and now we’re into the meat and potatoes.
You would not have stayed for this part if I had not hooked you at the beginning.
Think about it like a TV show. If they’re previewing the next episode, they’re not showing you a boring moment. They’re showing you the action.
The same thing is true with Facebook video or IGTV. You only have a few seconds to grab people’s attention and get them to continue watching. If you just start babbling, people won’t want to click through and watch more. If you cause a pattern interrupt and make people want to learn more, they’ll keep on watchin’.
Once you have hooked the viewer, then you can introduce yourself and add a call to action. If you don’t have a hook, they won’t listen through the introduction!
So how do you hook them?
If you’re doing talking head videos like I am, you’ll want to address a pain point for your audience in the first few seconds. People watching will relate to what you’re saying and want to hear more.
If you’re doing talking head informational videos, you need to think about what you’re going to say in your hook that will make people want to continue watching. Let’s say you’re doing a review video that’s reviewing two different microphones. An intro that shows you dropping your microphone or saying “this microphone sucks” will hook someone into watching the rest of the video. They don’t know which microphone sucks yet, or what happens after you drop the microphone, but they want to know!
Start your video with something that will make people want to watch more and catch their attention. A funny, energetic, cliffhanger, or something crazy will all work.
If you’re doing vlog style videos, you can do this too! You may just need to pull clips from somewhere else in your video rather than planning an intro.
Pro tip here – this is the same tactic you use when writing copy for the internet! You want to hook them first, and then you can get into everything else.
This is a quick, actionable step you can take next time you start filming! You never have to question what you’re going to say at the beginning of your video again.
