Write your hook before you hit record

A hook is the first line that makes someone stop scrolling. Most people write it after they finish recording, as an afterthought stitched onto the top of the clip. I write mine first, before the camera is even on, because it changes what I say in the rest of the recording. Once I know the opening line, the rest of the talk naturally builds toward proving it.

This matters because the first couple seconds decide whether anyone sees the rest of your point. You can have great advice buried in the middle of a clip, and it will never get watched if the opening is flat. Writing the hook first forces you to know your point before you start talking, which also makes the whole recording tighter and easier to edit later.

Try this today: before your next recording, write one sentence that states the surprising or useful part of what you are about to say. Say that sentence out loud as your first line, then keep talking. You can always trim it later, but you will rarely improve on saying the interesting part first.