πͺ Half your viewers are gone before the 30-second mark β and most creators waste those seconds saying "hey guys, welcome back, don't forget to subscribe."
π The intro is the most expensive real estate on YouTube. Every second you spend on logos, "what's up everybody," and a 20-second backstory is a second viewers use to leave. Retention early = the algorithm shows it to more people. It's that direct.
The hook formula that works: restate the promise of the title, then raise the stakes. No throat-clearing. George Alexander grew with videos like "Brutally Honest Advice About YouTube Growth in 8 Minutes" β the title makes a promise, and the video opens by delivering on it immediately. No runway. The value starts at second one.
Try this opening structure: "In the next [time], I'm going to show you [exact outcome] β including [the part they didn't expect]." Then go.
π― Action: rewatch your last intro. Time how long until real value starts. If it's over 10 seconds, you found your leak.
β How long is your typical intro before you get to the point β 5 sec, 15 sec, or "β¦I don't want to know"