How to Grab Attention Within The First 3 Seconds
In our fast paced, media-driven world, you need to understand today’s consumers in order to create content that they will engage in.
Thumbnail
Thumbnails are the first thing your audience see so make sure it’s relevant and invokes curiosity.
#1: Use a Close-up of a Person’s Face
Humans love making connections with other people, both online and offline. When choosing your video thumbnail choose an image that shows a person making eye
contact with the viewer. This subtle visual cue draws people in and makes them feel more connected. Once that connection is made, people will be more likely to watch the video.
#2: Choose an Image That Conveys Emotion
As humans, we’re intrigued by strong emotions. A thumbnail of someone yelling or showing anger captures our attention more than an image of someone staring blankly into space. If your video includes people, design a thumbnail that captures an emotional moment in the video.
#3: Include Simple Yet Powerful Text
Video thumbnails are small, so you don’t have room to add a lot of text. To make the most of this space, it’s important to write something that inspires users to click. Evoke emotion, be informative and rouse a little curiosity to get viewers to click through to your video.
#4: Embed Your Logo
Your logo helps differentiate your brand from your competitors and can bring some consistency to your thumbnails and videos. The most effective way to use your logo is to place it in the bottom-left corner of your thumbnail.
The Soundbite
The first thing your audience hears should grab them. It takes more than just pictures or music to create inspiring, emotional or informative videos. For example, if a video opened with someone
saying “And that was the day I will never forget,” your audience will be more captivated and feel inclined to keep watching to find out what happened.
The Opening Shot
The opening shot of a film is the audience’s initial entry into the world, and an important first step in conveying the story’s main ideas, themes, character arcs, and perspective. In other words, the opening shot is the audience’s first look into your video. This is why it’s important to make a good first impression. Accompany your soundbite with a creative shot to draw your audience in.
If you capture the viewer’s attention with a captivating thumbnail, soundbite, and opening shot, you’re guaranteed to engage your audience and keep them watching for more than three seconds.
