Most creators struggle with their retention stats from time to time. Fortunately, drop offs can usually be tied back to one, easily fixable thing: storytelling. A compelling storyline shapes your video, guiding your viewer from the first click right the way through to the end. And if you want to improve your storytelling, there’s one hack that’s almost guaranteed to keep people watching.
The power of the unexpected.
It sounds obvious, but doing the unexpected keeps viewers on the edge of their seat. Think of Game of Thrones and how it turned ‘killing your darlings’ into a bloody artform. No-one could predict when their favorite character might get the cut (often literally), and so they’d stick around chapter after chapter to see.
Each of these five creators have been chosen for the way they subvert their audience’s expectations in unique ways. Whether that’s building tension from a video title, like Rocco does with ‘The girl I’m not supposed to get’, or completing flipping the script on popular truths like Ryan Bednar in ‘The most beautiful beach in Japan isn’t Okinawa’, there’s so much to be learnt about storytelling from what keeps us hooked, and watching more. Let’s get into it.
Rocco: Play with fictional tropes
What do all the best coming-of-age movies have in common? A likeable main character, a love interest, a snappy storyline. Singer-songwriter Rocco has clearly studied the classics, because when it came to crafting promo around his new album release – A Romantic Comedy – he directed an entire short film series based on those foundations. The internet is hooked.
The video → The girl I’m not supposed to get. Episode 1 of Rocco’s Romantic Comedy.
Why I love it → Rocco’s deadpan narrative is perfectly placed in a story of unrequited love. And by syncing up visuals (frozen yogurt, polaroids, guitar strums) to his script, he’s able to flesh out a full story in just under 2 minutes.
Get inspired → Cliffhangers aren’t just for the realm of fiction. Finishing your video without resolution (like how Rocco introduces the real ‘Lucy’ as credits roll) is an easy trick to push viewers over to your next upload.
Ryan Bednar: Go beyond your niche
Most creators have some sort of content niche, but that shouldn’t restrict you. Ryan knows this well. His channel documents his life in Japan after quitting his 9-5 in real estate and could be classified as travel content. And yet, within each video he incorporates a variety of interests from photography and tech reviews, to thoughts van-life-ing and travel itineraries.
The video → What Japanese island could be better than Okinawa? In this video, we’re introduced to the beautiful isle of Yoron.
Why I love it → Instead of ‘just’ showing pretty beaches, Ryan adds layers to his travel vlog by crafting smaller stories within the greater whole. As a result, you feel deeply immersed in his world… which makes it hard to leave!
Get inspired → Compare your subject with something well-known and popular. It instantly fosters recognition and gets people curious about what hidden information you might share.
Let Them Cook: Invite your audience for dinner
A common misconception is that audiences expect perfection. They don’t – but they do appreciate authenticity. Kath and Arun’s home cooking channel is founded on exactly that. Through anecdotes on family heirlooms to cosy vlogs detailing the messiness of getting better at a skill, Let Them Cook turns the idea of a traditional cooking channel on its head. Their kitchen isn’t a sterile, perfect place, but instead a warm and inviting corner of the internet that really makes you want to pull up a chair.
The video → This is not a meal prep video. It’s something so much better.
Why I love it → The mix of natural banter with real textured sounds straight from the kitchen (even as detailed as the sound of eggs peeling!) deeply immerses you in their world. It’s the perfect example of what sound can do, when it’s done well.
Get inspired → Shatter expectations by showing the reality of trying hard to get better at something. Your audience will love you for it.
Bri Anora: Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable
“To be vulnerable is to be free,” says Bri Anora and she would know best. Her short films invite a special kind of vulnerability. The simple visuals of sweet, captured moments are paired with subtle ambient sound – laughter, falling rain, wind in leaves – and tied together with Bri’s poetic voiceover. Each video feels like a love letter to life, her words resonating long after you click away.
The video → A love letter to the people and places that “have her heart.”
Why I love it → Bri jumps between moments with a pacing that mirrors the feeling of a fading memory. She is capturing footage to keep them alive.
Get inspired → By using simple text overlay, Bri is able to keep her audience’s attention on her words when they could easily have been lost amidst the beautiful visuals. A great trick for when your script is the star of the show.
The Majime Chronicles: Do the unexpected
A former chef, Max Albert fell in love with the process of knife making and now is on a quest to gift some of the best chefs out there, their own personal knives. Niche – I know! – but there’s something universally satisfying about watching the process of such a beautiful craft. And by interviewing and getting to know chefs in person, he adds a human layer to the craft of cooking too.
The video → Max meets Michelin-starred Chef Gilberto Cetina, and surprises him with his own personalized knife.
Why I love it → The very title of the video (‘I Told a Michelin Chef I Was a Filmmaker. I Actually Made Him a Knife’) lets us into a secret plot where every second builds to this moment of complete joy and surprise at the end.
Get inspired → Documenting the unexpected is always fun… so why not let your audience in on it? Film a shock moment and the steps leading up to it. It’s a masterclass in audience retention.
Create the unexpected
I’ve shared five creators who are building audiences and keeping them hooked simply by doing the unexpected. So why not do the same? If your storytelling feels like it’s lacking a spark, ask yourself, what does my audience expect me to do next? Then do the complete opposite. It’s an easy way to boost retention… and have some fun too.
If you want more inspiration, check out previous month’s Cuts (like this one on authenticity!) or head over to my Instagram The Creator’s Cut (@the.creators.cut) where I share content you won’t want to skip a second of. See you there!
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