How To Create Attention-Grabbing Videos That Drive Engagement

Sick of posting to crickets? These 3 psychology-backed strategies help you create attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement. 

In today’s fast-scrolling world, your video has just seconds—literally seconds—to stop the scroll and spark interest. 

But what makes someone pause, click and actually watch a video to the end?

It all comes down to curiosity and how well you use it to your advantage.

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The Psychology of Curiosity: Why We Can’t Look Away

Curiosity is the brain’s built-in engagement mechanism—and in video marketing, it’s your best chance at stopping the scroll. 

Psychologically, humans are hardwired to seek out missing information. When something feels off, incomplete or unresolved, our minds have to close the loop. We lean in. We keep watching. We instinctively stick around to resolve the tension. 

That’s the power of curiosity: it makes people want to know more.

If you can spark that feeling in the first few seconds of your video, you dramatically increase your odds of holding attention.

Here are three powerful curiosity tools marketers can use to create attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement: 

1. The Open Loop

Start something, but don’t finish it—yet. Pose a question, tease a story, or lead with an unresolved problem. This makes your viewer lean in to find the answer or outcome.

Example: “What’s the #1 mistake business owners make on camera?”

2. The Pattern Interrupt

Disrupt the viewer’s expectations with something visually, audibly or contextually unexpected. This snaps the viewer out of autopilot and forces the brain to re-engage.

Example: A bold statement like “Most marketing videos are a waste of money” or a sudden zoom paired with a loud clap

3. The Unexpected Juxtaposition

Combine two elements that don’t usually go together—a contradiction, a surprise or an ironic twist. It creates a mini mystery that the brain wants to solve.

Example: A serious business coach filming in a bubble bath while talking about “splashy marketing”

When you build your opening around one or more of these tools, you’re well on your way to creating attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement. 

Interested in using AI to help you create attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement? Here are three prompts to get you started.

6 Ways To Grab Attention In The First Few Seconds Of A Video

Now let’s put these principles into practice. Here are six actionable techniques to help you grab attention in the first few seconds of your video—broken down by audio, visual, textual and value-based elements—and all rooted in the three tools of curiosity.

1. Open With a Question 

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Tool: Open Loop 

Element: Textual + Value Hook

Example: 

• “Is your employee handbook actually protecting your business—or exposing it?”
• “What’s the one number strategy business owners overlook when planning for retirement?”

Permission from the video experts: You don’t always have to open your video with your name or topic. You can lead with a burning question your audience needs answered, especially one that speaks to a pain point or curiosity gap. This teases a problem and leaves the solution unresolved, pulling in the viewer.

2. Drop a Bold, Unexpected Statement

Tool: Pattern Interrupt 

Element: Textual + Audio

Example: 

• “This ‘efficient’ business practice might be killing your bottom line.” 
• “You don’t need to work out every day to lose weight.”

Use a statement that defies expectations, challenges assumptions, or sounds slightly controversial—forcing your audience to stop and reconsider. This creates a curiosity gap while also disrupting the usual tone of polished marketing advice.

3. Introduce a Visually Contradictory or Quirky Element

Tool: Unexpected Juxtaposition 

Element: Visual

Examples:

• Filming in an unexpected location (e.g. a business coach pulling dated clothes from his closet, with the caption “Still managing your practice like it’s 2010?”)
• Holding an object that seems off-topic… until the reveal (e.g. a CPA holding a magic wand with the caption “Wish taxes were this easy?”)

Give the viewer something visually unusual or ironic to process. This contrast acts as both a pattern interrupt and a mini puzzle to solve. With a little lighthearted tension, these visuals make viewers pause to figure out, “What’s going on here?”

4. Use Sound to Jolt and Tease

Tool: Pattern Interrupt + Open Loop 

Element: Audio

Examples:

• A cash register ding, followed by: “This one habit could double your margins.”
• The sound of a phone ringing, followed by a teaser clip pulled from later in the video: “…and that’s how I landed 5 new clients in a week.”

Audio can stop a viewer in their tracks—especially if it’s distinct, out of place, or hints at something worth sticking around for. Paired with a visual hook, this creates a multi-sensory pattern interrupt and sets an expectation for what’s coming next. Now you’ve combined two key strategies to create attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement. 

5. Add On-Screen Text That Supports Curiosity

Tool: Open Loop + Pattern Interrupt 

Element: Textual + Visual

Examples:

• “STOP Making These 3 Mistakes”
• “This One Detail Could Kill Your Home Sale”

Don’t rely solely on speech—especially for mobile viewers. Use bold, minimal text on screen to reinforce the hook and keep curiosity alive. This acts as a visual nudge to keep watching while reinforcing the curiosity loop.

6. Make a Clear Promise of Value—Fast

Tool: Open Loop 

Element: Value Proposition

Examples:

• “By the end of this video, you’ll know how to relieve neck tension in 90 seconds.”
• “Stick around and I’ll show you the 5-minute workout you can do anywhere.”

Let the viewer know what they’ll get if they watch till the end—and why it matters to them. Be specific, relevant, and results-focused. This not only builds trust—it keeps them watching for the payoff.

Want to learn more about creating attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement? Grab our Video Posting Checklist.

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Use Curiosity With Intention

Attention is earned in seconds—and lost just as quickly. But when you know how to use open loops, pattern interrupts and unexpected juxtapositions, you can turn casual scrollers into engaged viewers.

Whether you’re filming a quick phone video or investing in a branded shoot, these curiosity-driven tools can help you grab attention and drive the kind of engagement that leads to real business results.

Because in video marketing, it’s not just about what you say—it’s about how you hook them so they stick around to hear you say it. That’s why it’s so important to create attention-grabbing that drive engagement with intention. 

How We Can Help

At SchlickArt, we specialize in creating strategic, story-driven videos that don’t just look good—they work. Whether you’re launching your first brand video or refreshing your social media content, we’ll help you craft attention-grabbing videos that are rooted in psychology and built for engagement. From concept to camera to final cut, we guide you through every step of the process—so your videos feel easy, natural, and uniquely you. Let’s turn your message into marketing that moves the dial forward.

About SchlickArt 

SchlickArt, a luxury visual marketing company based in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy–rather than a product, service or person–SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting fractional CMO, business and strategy planning, professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt.

Have more questions about how to create attention-grabbing videos that drive engagement? We’re here to help! 

Kirsten Quinn

A lover of strong coffee and yellowed pages, Kirsten Quinn-Smith is a professional content writer and owner of WordSmith Content Marketing here in Santa Clarita. She believes great content can forge a loyal, authentic and beneficial relationship between you and your audience – and grow your business. With each piece of writing, Kirsten's goal is to position you in the content spotlight through audience-centered, strategy-based writing that actually sounds like you. Why? Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

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