The Cliffhanger

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How to keep viewers hanging on moment by moment.

In 2012, YouTube made a huge update to its algorithm.

Previously, content was surfaced to a user based on the context of the content, what the viewer had watched in the past, and view count.

Then YouTube started prioritizing watch time, or how much of each video users watched.

This makes a lot of sense from a user standpoint: if someone fools me into clicking on their video they will get a view, but I will click off right away.

I had a bad experience, but they still got a view.

That creator shouldn't be rewarded with a stronger algorithmic push.

After the change, if you make clickbait titles and thumbnails, you'd better hook the viewer quickly and keep them holding on by fulfilling the promise of the initial click.

And if we've learned one thing from reality shows, it's that everything can be a cliffhanger if you make it important to the story.

Someone crying on the phone. An offended reaction. A dog running away as a camera chases. Two people leaning in for a kiss.

It can all serve to make a viewer need to know the whole story.

In other words, you don't have to hang off of an actual cliff anymore.

A cliffhanger is nothing but introducing a setup that the viewer has a strong desire to see how it resolves.

For example:

A cold open where a huge balloon full of paint pops with an immediate cut to black--

Why did someone do that? Where is the paint landing? Is this a science experiment? Is it a prank? Will someone be mad that their ground is covered in paint?

This is a one-second way to start a video. Then you restart at the beginning of the story and users will watch to understand the context.

Now here's the tricky part: you need to continually have mini cliffhangers so they stick around to the big cliffhanger.

In storytelling terms, this is simple story and character progression.

Are they getting closer to answering the big question? Are there subplots? Are the characters changing? Or not changing to their detriment? Villains and heroes? New obstacles getting in the hero's way?

By thinking in terms of cliffhangers, you can ensure that your audience is always waiting for payoffs, then receiving some relief in the form of smaller payoffs so they'll stick around to the end.

My mission for you: watch your last piece of video content and think about what questions you're introducing into your audience's mind that requires a payoff.

I don't care if it's a dramatic scene or a podcast: you should always have a reason introduced early that's paid off later.

If you don't do this naturally, don't start recording until you find a way to introduce that tension as soon as possible!

That took 2 minutes. You have 8 minutes left. Don't leave me in suspense! Go grow 1% right now!

Thank you to our sponsor BrandArmy!

About the Author

Phil Ranta, is the CEO of Spree a curated shoppable video media company and platform focused on the health and wellness space. A 2021 LinkedIn Top Voice in Innovation & Tech, Phil has been creating content for the internet and building internet businesses professionally for nearly 20 years, starting on MySpace and riding trends to the present. He was the Head of Gaming Creators, North America at Facebook, the first network lead at Fullscreen, the COO at Studio71, and spent 10 years as a working comedian (including 2 years on cruise ships). He's a husband, a dad of two littles, and an insufferable digital media wonk.

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