Lost for ideas? Not sure what hooks work best? Don’t sweat it. Follow these steps (with examples) to get creative.
- Hook the viewer in the first 1-3 seconds
Your reel could be the 1st or the 100th video during someone’s scroll. Either way, a strong hook is essential to attract attention. A hook can be textual or visual.
Creator Henbu recommends using a weird and wacky shot. He hopped on the ‘hammer against a piano’ trend. It immediately gets you thinking “what’s happening here?”. That builds curiosity and encourages the viewer to watch ‘til the end.
Creator Emily Hawthorne filmed a HelloFresh ad while pole dancing. That’s what we call eye-catching! This is called a “pattern interrupt”. While you might expect a cooking tutorial or a live unboxing, watching someone cook on a pole is iconic.
Another hook idea is to introduce a problem and promise a solution. Think about your audience’s struggles and turn that into a solution-driven reel.
For example: do you get pain in your lower back when squatting? Here’s how to fix that with one simple change.
Top tip: Text bubbles at the start of the video help this message hit home in a sea of endless reels.
- Add Captions
CapCut auto-generates captions that pop and look fun – this is interactive and grabs attention. There is a feature on Instagram to add captions, but you might need to edit the text.
Arthur Jones does a great job with an audio and visual hook: “Here’s a Christmas present your boyfriend will genuinely love…” The captions are timed with his speech, allowing us to absorb information easily.
Remember the scene in Love Actually with the flip cards? This is a 2-in-1 way to add captions AND a visual hook. You could write out a story or a lesson, film this in one shot and share.
- Special Effects
The most exciting reels have audio, special effects or a funky transition.
A simple but effective transition includes video clips changing on the beat of a song. You can try a “before and after” transition of your weight-gain journey, or similar.
Liz films a “What I Eat In A Day” reel, cutting together different shots as she cooks and eats. She zooms in and speeds up movements, with an upbeat sound. The choppy aspect of it keeps you entertained. As our attention spans are around 8 seconds, this pattern interrupt is almost addictive.
The green screen effect works like a charm. You can screenshot comments on a post and reply to them individually. Alternatively, stitch a video from another creator; respond with your opinion or re-create it for your niche.
Quick reels that are super snappy require the viewer to pause and re-watch. Or, not giving the viewer ample time to read the caption forces them to watch again for the answer. This is great for fast-paced and educational content.
Top tip: Add text or video clip changes to the beat of a sound. You can use Instagram reel templates to upload a video, and then adjust the clips as necessary.
- Use a Template
Is it possible to create 30 reels in 24 hours? Yes. With the right tools. (Hint: Canva or Capcut.)
Scroll through 100s of reel templates, find your favourite and sub-in your media which takes seconds. Done!
Bulk-creating content will save you both time and energy, whilst keeping up with your posting schedule.
Top tip: experiment with adding a screenshot of a question asked in your comments or a “Tweet” template with a powerful message. This adds a visual aid and is super engaging.
- Voiceover
Don’t want to feature in the video? No problem. Record a voiceover and use it as audio. This is an effective interaction – great for a tutorial or running commentary.
You can record this straight on Instagram by tapping the “mic” button. Simples!
Top tip: Type out prompts or a mini script on what to say. Use a mic for clear sound!
In Sum
Most of your editing can be done in-app. Simply open Instagram, click the reels tab, and play around with the features. You can search here for effects like “green screen” or add pre-saved audio. But, using free tools are game-changing for editing and makes the process smooth!
