The hook is the most crucial part of your content as it grabs the audience’s attention right from the start. It needs to be compelling enough to stop viewers in their tracks and make them curious about what comes next. Examples of effective hooks include intriguing questions, surprising facts, or eye-catching visuals.

Once you’ve captured the audience’s attention, the next step is to retain it. This involves delivering on the promise made in the hook, maintaining engagement through interesting and valuable content, and ensuring a smooth flow without losing momentum. Techniques for retaining attention include storytelling, building suspense, providing valuable information, or incorporating entertaining elements.

The payoff is where you deliver on the promise made in the hook. It should provide the valuable information, resolution, or entertainment that the viewers were anticipating. The payoff should be satisfying, leaving the audience feeling that their time was well spent. Think of the payoff as paying off the attention debt accrued by the hook.