Boost Reel Engagement: Master the Crucial First SecondBoost Reel Engagement: Master the Crucial First Second
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Tyler van der Berg
pro
• Jul 10
Your reels are getting 200 views. Here's the usual reason.
It's not the algorithm. It's the first second.
We audit a lot of founder-run accounts, and the same pattern shows up every time: the video opens with a logo, a slow pan, or someone saying "hey guys". By the time the point arrives, the viewer left.
The fix costs nothing:
Open on the outcome. The finished dish, the product in hand, the before-and-after. Then explain.
Cut the greeting. Nobody has ever watched a reel because it said hello first.
Put the hook in text on frame one. Most people watch on mute in a queue somewhere.
Try it on your next three posts and watch the retention graph change shape.
What's the worst opening second you've seen this week? Drop it below. ⬇️
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