How to Make Someone Actually Watch Your Vlog

Attracting Engagement: A hand uses a magnet to draw in social media icons and miniature figures, symbolizing the pull of digital influence.

Imagine this:

You’re scrolling through your feed, half-asleep, and a video pops up. Will you watch it or fling your phone across the room like it personally offended you? That, my friends, is why the first few seconds of your vlog are kind of a big deal.

You need an attention getter

Something that makes a total stranger who has no clue who you are decide, “Yeah, I’ll give this person 10 seconds of my life.”

Here’s the secret most creators miss:

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be a metaphor. A personal story. A weird visual. The point is to do something just different enough from the endless parade of scrolling content that people pause and lean in.

Stop overthinking the “perfect” shot or line

The magic is in being simple, specific, and slightly unexpected.

Change the location.

Say something surprising.

Drop in an unusual visual.

Interrupt the feed.

Get them to notice.

The facts, for those who like numbers with their advice, humans now have an average attention span of 8 seconds, according to Microsoft. Viewers decide in the first 3 to 5 seconds whether to keep watching. Personal stories, metaphors, and unusual visuals increase retention. Wistia’s 2024 data shows videos with strong openings keep viewers up to 30 percent longer.

Attention is the doorway. Once you earn it, you can actually deliver value.

For more, check my original LinkedIn post here.