Hook structure, captions and pacing that keep viewers past the point most drop off.
Short video is decided almost entirely in the first second. Everything after that only matters for the people who did not swipe.
Open on the payoff, not the setup
Introductions, logo animations and slow establishing shots are where audiences leave. Start with the result, the surprising statement or the visual that raises a question, then explain. The context can come second because curiosity buys you the attention to deliver it.
Design for sound off
A large share of viewers watch without audio, at least at first. Burned-in captions, clear on-screen text and visuals that carry the meaning on their own are not accessibility extras here; they are the difference between being understood and being skipped.
Pace and retention curves
Watch the retention graph rather than the view count. A cliff at three seconds means the hook failed. A steady decline means the pacing is slow, usually because a single shot ran too long. A rise near the end means people rewatched, which is worth studying and repeating.
Make several openings for the same content and test them. The edit that works is rarely the one the team liked most in the room.
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