How to Make Engaging Videos: 6 Psychology-Based Hacks

What do you think makes an engaging video? I used to think that a video under 10 minutes couldn’t provide real value or be truly engaging. Short videos? This was for people with short attention spans.

Then I happened upon a four-minute video about productivity hacks. I almost scrolled past it, but something about the thumbnail caught my eye. After watching it, I replayed it, took notes, and shared it with friends.

That confused me. How did such a short video grab my attention? I noticed that the videos I liked the most, regardless of their length, had certain qualities.

They started with a hook, told a story, and were visually dynamic. Videos with experts or social proof are also easier to share.

I realized that when it comes to video engagement, it’s not the length that matters, but the psychology. And since video marketing is constantly evolving, this change in perspective opened my eyes to the psychology behind creating engaging videos.

I’ll cover these insights in this guide to help you drive more engagement and increase the impact of your video.

6 psychology-based hacks for engaging video content

1. Arouse curiosity.
2. Captivate your audience.
3. Make it visual.
4. Tell a story.
5. Use social proof.
6. Break pattern.

1. Arouse curiosity.

As I delved into research on attention and engagement, I discovered something fascinating: Curiosity isn’t just a casual interest—it’s a powerful force that shapes the way we process information.

In their study: “Curiosity and the attention economy“Zachary Wojtowicz and George Loewenstein illuminate this powerful force. As I studied their results, I was impressed by how they captured the mechanisms behind human attention.

They argue that “curiosity, as one of the most important psychological forces related to the allocation of attention, is playing an increasingly important role in the modern economy.”

But what makes curiosity so powerful? According to Wojtowicz and Loewenstein, it’s all about the brain’s constant search for meaning.

“The brain is constantly engaged in simplification and modeling to process a flood of incoming sensory information into an actionable form,” they explain. This drive for understanding makes curiosity a compelling force that directs our attention.

I find this next finding particularly compelling because it explains so much about our information-seeking behavior.

Curiosity is based on a dual reward system. The researchers note: “With Curiosity, too, there is both a carrot and a stick. Thinking for a long time about a difficult puzzle can be a torturous experience, but finding the solution is often a great pleasure.”

This push-pull dynamic is what makes curious content so engaging.

Through my analysis of this research, I have identified three key ways to harness the power of curiosity.

• Create captivating titles. Create headlines that highlight valuable information without giving everything away. For example, “Good Isn’t Good Enough: CMO Secrets to Improve Your Team | DIRECTIONS 2024“ suggests a valuable insight but leaves the details tantalizingly out of reach.
• Use the novelty inverted U-curve. The intensity of curiosity follows an inverted U-curve in response to the novelty of the stimulus. Low exposure stimulates curiosity, but too much information can saturate it. To maximize curiosity, strike a balance between the familiar and the novel. For example, this “Spread too thin“HubSpot’s commercial is short and to the point, but leaves a lot unsaid. It provides just enough information to pique interest without overwhelming the viewer.
• Create strategic information gaps. Ask questions or present partial information that your content will clarify later. This draws on what George Loewenstein calls the “information gap theory of curiosity.”

By implementing these strategies, you’re not just creating video content, you’re tapping into a fundamental human drive.

As Wojtowicz and Loewenstein’s study shows, curiosity is not just a fleeting feeling; It is a powerful tool in the attention economy.

2. Captivate your audience.

Gaining and retaining an engaged audience quickly is critical. When creating engaging video content, your hook determines whether viewers stay or scroll. I’ll show you a perfect example of how this works in practice in the following video.

As I watched this video, I saw several hooks at work that make it extremely effective. Let me break them down:

• Emotion triggers. The casual “All right” opening and the playful “Boom, nice little happy marriage” create an accessible, positive tone that draws in viewers. What fascinated me about this hook is how it creates an instant emotional connection. I’ve noticed that engagement usually increases when the content balances professionalism with such a personality.
• relevance. Phrases like “If you are a business owner or marketer” and “Increase traffic and sales” immediately identify the video’s audience and goal. What I find particularly clever is the way it then broadens its appeal to include “services, software, or soy lattes,” showing viewers that this content is relevant regardless of their specific business.
• Immediate value. What stands out to me most is the way it communicates value. In just 22 seconds, viewers know exactly what they’re about to learn and why it’s important to their business.

What particularly fascinated me about this case was how it confirmed my theories about psychological hooks in a real-world setting.

Ibis Budgetan international budget hotel chain, has created a series of Reels ads for Facebook and Instagram that illustrate the same psychological hooks:

• Visual impact and novelty. They used stunning visuals and unexpected elements, such as a hotel “disagreeing” with a guest, to cut through the noise of typical advertising.
• Relevance and immediate value. The ads quickly showcased key hotel features (food, bathrooms, beds) and immediately demonstrated value for budget travelers.
• Emotion triggers. By making the content “entertaining” and “relatable,” they used positive emotions and humor.
• Platform-optimized innovation. I’ve noticed that platform-specific content performs significantly better. Ibis Budget has proven this by creating content specifically for the Reels format.

The results confirmed what I observed about well-made hooks:

• 25% increased reach for campaigns with Reels placement compared to traditional placements without Reels
• 17% lower cost per booking when using Reels placement compared to traditional non-Reels placements

Through studying these examples and their results, I came to the conclusion that effective hooks are not just about grabbing attention, but also about creating an immediate connection between the viewer’s needs and your solution.

Whether you’re creating a simple introductory video or a full marketing campaign, these psychological principles will always be effective.

3. Make it visual.

When studying interaction patterns, I discovered that visuals play a far more important role than we realize.

What fascinates me is not only their aesthetic appeal, but also how fundamentally consistent they are with the way our brains process information.

The HubSpot team conducted a survey of 328 video marketers early in the fourth quarter that showed the growing importance of visual content.

Similar, Research by Mayer and Moreno on multimedia learning presents a convincing argument for the strategic use of images.

When I first delved into her research, my perspective on the power of images to promote learning and engagement completely changed

Her Cognitive theory of multimedia learning argues that “people learn more deeply from words and images than from words alone.” This is not just about preferences, but also about cognitive processing.

Mayer and Moreno explain that our working memory has two channels for acquiring and processing information: a visual channel and an auditory channel.

If we leverage both channels simultaneously through well-designed visuals and complementary audio, we can significantly improve learning and engagement.

Here are three critical implications for engagement:

1. Cognitive load management. Visuals help distribute information processing across both channels, reducing cognitive load and making content easier to digest.
2. Double coding. When information is presented both visually and verbally, two mental representations emerge that enhance recall and understanding.
3. Emotional resonance. Visuals have the unique ability to quickly evoke emotions and foster a deeper connection to the content.

To take advantage of these insights, I recommend the following tactics.

Use complementary visual elements

When creating a YouTube video or explainer video, make sure your visuals are highlighted, not just repeating your narrative.

For example: In an instructional video about time management, the video might not only show a talking head explaining tips, but also visualizations of a ticking clock, turning calendar pages, or checking off a “to-do list.”

Why it works: These visual elements complement the narrative by adding context and reinforcing the concept, allowing the abstract idea of ​​“time management” to become more concrete and relatable to the viewer.

Use visual metaphors

I have observed that abstract concepts can also be made more concrete through careful selection of visual representations.

For example: If a video is about “business growth” rather than just presenting statistics or facts, images such as a growing plant or an expanding balloon can represent that growth.

Why it works: Visual metaphors transform abstract ideas (such as growth, transformation, or innovation) into something tangible, stimulating the viewer’s imagination and helping them make a stronger conceptual connection.

Balance complexity

Use visuals to simplify complex ideas, but avoid overwhelming viewers with too much visual information at once.

For example: Show a simplified, animated flowchart instead of a complicated screen full of data points in a video explaining data analysis. Visuals can introduce one element at a time, with each step building on the previous one.

Why it works: This gradual progression helps viewers follow the logic without being overwhelmed by details. Simplifying complex ideas makes the information digestible and engages viewers without causing cognitive overload.

These visual strategies will help you connect with audiences more effectively, whether you’re creating short video content or longer presentations.

Pro tip: I’ve found that there are many tools that can be used to create balanced, professional images. For example with Clip creatorYou can turn a simple text description into a full video, automatically balancing visual elements with customizable slides and transitions.

The tool handles the complexities of visual design—from font style and image placement to audio tracks—while giving you creative control.

4. Tell a story.

In my research on audience engagement, I discovered that storytelling isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s fundamental to the way we process information.

As I explored the work of Matthew Dicks Story worthyhis assertion that “we are wired to tell and listen to stories” resonated deeply with my insights about creating lasting impact with content.

Let me analyze a video that beautifully demonstrates these storytelling principles in action.

What struck me most about this creator’s approach was her masterful blend of personal experience and practical insights.

Here are three key principles I have identified for effective storytelling.

Focus on emotions.

I noticed how the author’s genuine enthusiasm for business class travel and feature demonstrations creates an authentic emotional resonance. This authenticity consistently exceeds the enthusiasm for the script.

Create conflicts and solutions.

What I find particularly effective is the way the video structures its narrative arc. The creator introduces the algorithm challenge and then methodically walks through five strategic solutions, each supported by real-world examples.

This clear problem-solution structure ensures that the audience is involved in the story.

Show transformation through specificity.

In my opinion, the most compelling aspect is how the creator demonstrates the transformation using concrete examples. From specific DM strategies to actual customer testimonials, they shows instead of told their journey.

5. Use social proof.

I first learned about social proof when I noticed that I tend to check reviews before buying something online.

Social proof as defined by Robert Cialdini Influence: The Psychology of Persuasionis a psychological principle that encourages people to adapt to the actions and beliefs of others, especially in situations of uncertainty.

When we are unsure about the best course of action, we instinctively look to others for advice and assume that behavior that many people exhibit is probably right.

This phenomenon is illustrated by examples such as laugh tracks in television shows, which increase the likelihood that viewers will laugh themselves based on the perceived behavior of others. I’ve found myself laughing more at shows with laugh tracks, even when I try not to.

Social proof taps into our deep-rooted survival instincts. Throughout human evolution, adapting to group behavior often led to better outcomes in uncertain situations.

This tendency is still relevant today, as we often base our decisions on the behavior of those around us. Cialdini supports this with findings from well-known studies:

• Solomon Asch’s conformity experiment:In Asch’s experiment on conformityIndividuals often gave incorrect answers to simple questions when they saw others doing the same. This shows how social proof can influence people to conform to group behavior, even against their own better judgment.
• Experiment with hotel towels: In a study by Cialdini, hotel guests were more likely to reuse towels when shown a message to do so “75% of guests at this hotel reuse their towels.” This simple social proof message increased towel reuse and demonstrated how awareness of others’ actions motivates similar behavior.

Social proof is particularly powerful under conditions of uncertainty and similarity:

• uncertainty. If you are unsure what action to take, you are more likely to follow others’ lead. I notice that social proof works particularly well when faced with complex or unknown situations.
• Similarity. You are more likely to follow someone else’s lead if you feel like they are similar to you – whether because of your situation, your needs, or your background. For example, when you see testimonials from customers who are similar to you, you can identify more strongly with their stories.

Use social proof when creating engaging videos to increase engagement and build trust.

Here’s how to integrate it.

Customer testimonials

Representing real customers who share positive experiences creates a relatable and credible recommendation. Testimonials create a powerful narrative that resonates with potential buyers by providing concrete examples of positive outcomes.

Presenting a series of testimonials can make the content more inclusive so that different audience segments can identify with the stories shared.

Statistics and numbers

Highlighting metrics like user numbers or satisfaction rates provides tangible evidence of value. Visual elements like animated numbers that show growth or trends grab attention and reinforce the message of widespread adoption.

Expert recommendations

Using respected industry representatives or influencers increases the credibility of social proof. Expert recommendations combine the persuasive power of group trust with the authority of specialist knowledge. Showcasing their credentials can reinforce the value of their recommendation.

User Generated Content (UGC)

When videos contain real social media clips or customer reviews, I find them more credible. It’s like getting recommendations from real people instead of just looking at a polished ad.

By thoughtfully incorporating these social proof elements into video content, you can create a compelling narrative that taps into your audience’s psychological tendencies.

This strategy increases the credibility and trustworthiness of your message and leads to more engagement and conversions.

6. Break patterns.

Pattern interruption is a powerful psychological technique that can significantly increase the impact and memorability of video content.

At its core, it’s about breaking expected patterns or routines to capture and maintain the audience’s attention.

Related to creating engaging videos Pattern breaks serve as a way to combat viewer fatigue and information overloadto ensure key messages cut through the noise of constant media consumption.

When we encounter familiar patterns, our brains often go into autopilot, potentially leading to reduced attention and engagement.

However, when an unexpected element disrupts this pattern, it triggers a surge of attention as our brains scramble to process and understand the new information.

In video content, a pattern break can take many forms, each designed to move viewers from passive consumption to active engagement.

Check out this video:

When Jamal interrupts the instruction and says: “Oh look, memes, that’s what you’re competing with.” (3:46), it immediately grabs attention again by acknowledging the viewer’s real experience.

We also see this when Jamal deviates from the standard tutorial format “Often when I log in to Facebook, i.e. every hour on the hour” (0:28) – forcing our brains to step out of learning mode to engage in this admission.

Here are some great ways to incorporate this concept into your videos.

Visual transitions

Unexpected visual transitions are also one of my favorite methods to recommend.

Switching from one style to another – for example, from live-action footage to animation – piques the viewer’s interest and can be used strategically to highlight key points or highlight different sections in the message.

Interruptions in the audio pattern

Audio pattern breaks also work well. Sudden changes in music, sound effects, or even narrative style can recaptivate the audience.

Imagine an important message where the background music abruptly stops – this shift in tone immediately grabs attention and emphasizes the message. Changing the narrator or adding unexpected voice-overs also keeps viewers on their toes.

Playing with the video structure

I also like that changing the structure of a video can make it memorable.

In the same tutorial video, Jamal uses the Meatball Menu sequence in a playful way. He introduces the horizontal three-point menu as a “meatball menu” (5:25) and later jokes, “Looks good, doesn’t it?” “Uh, the page, not the meatballs” (5:34).

This type of running gag combines different elements together to create something humorous and memorable.

Humor and the unexpected

The use of humor or surprising elements can also serve as an effective pattern breaker. The video demonstrates this using several techniques:

• Breaking the fourth wall: “Looking at you, Jeremy” (4:30).
• Self-deprecating humor: “There are no friend requests to process, which is good for me because no one has sent me one of those in a long time” (0:59).
• Unexpected literary allusions: “We don’t want to hear the whole monologue you prepared from Pyramids and Thisbe” (1:46).

Add interactive elements

Interactive elements represent an innovative approach to pattern breaking in videos. By incorporating choose-your-own-adventure style choices, clickable hotspots, or other interactive features, you can turn passive viewers into active participants.

This level of engagement not only breaks patterns, but also creates a personalized viewing experience that can significantly improve retention and message impact.

When implementing pattern breaks in videos, it’s important to find a balance. While interruptions can be very effective at maintaining engagement, overuse can lead to confusion or frustration.

The key is to use these techniques strategically and ensure that each interruption serves a purpose and enhances the overall message or viewing experience.

Turn ordinary videos into must-watch content

Understanding these psychological principles has changed my relationship with engaging video content.

I discovered why certain YouTube videos engage me but not others, and how masterful YouTubers use strategic techniques to maintain audience engagement.

What fascinates me most is recognizing these elements in action – from hooks that stop my scrolling to pattern interruptions that hook me into explainer videos and short video content.

These psychology-based strategies help creators create engaging videos that truly resonate with their audience, whether they’re YouTube videos, explainer videos, or short-form content.

The key takeaway? These psychological principles shape the way we absorb and store information in video content.

Understanding them will help you get the most out of your viewing experience—and learn how to create videos that keep viewer engagement high.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been updated for completeness.