Chapter 9 Exercises: Short-Form Video

Exercise 9.1 — Hook Dissection Lab (Individual or Group)

Objective: Develop practical ability to identify, categorize, and produce effective hooks by analyzing real high-performing content.

Time: 60–90 minutes

Instructions:

Part 1: Collection (20 minutes)

Open TikTok or Instagram Reels and spend 20 minutes watching content in your niche — or a niche similar to yours. Every time a video successfully stops your scroll and makes you watch past the 3-second mark, take note of it. Try to collect at least 10 examples.

For each one, document: - Creator name or video description - The first 3 seconds: what exactly happened? - Hook type: Pattern Interrupt / Question / Emotional Trigger / Visual Shock / Authority/Credentials / Other (describe) - Did the video deliver on what the hook promised? (Yes/Partially/No) - Your completion rate: did you watch to the end?

Part 2: Analysis (20 minutes)

Looking at your 10 examples: 1. Which hook type appeared most frequently among high-performing content in this niche? 2. Were there any hooks that stopped your scroll but ultimately felt like bait-and-switch? How did that affect your response to the creator? 3. Which one hook, from your entire collection, do you think was the most skillfully executed? Why?

Part 3: Creation (30 minutes)

Write hooks for three pieces of content you could create in your niche. For each one: - State which hook type you're using - Write the exact opening line or describe the exact opening visual - Explain why this hook would stop someone mid-scroll in this specific niche - Identify what specific promise the hook makes that the content must fulfill

Optionally: film one of them right now (one take, no pressure) and save it for comparison with your future content.

Exercise 9.2 — The Anatomy Breakdown (Analysis)

Objective: Develop fluency in recognizing the structural DNA of high-performing short videos.

Time: 45 minutes

Instructions:

Choose three short videos that meet all of these criteria: - Posted within the last 6 months - At least 100,000 views - Not from a creator with more than 2 million followers (so the reach isn't primarily explained by celebrity) - In or adjacent to your content niche

For each video, complete a full structural breakdown using this template:

Video 1: - Creator name and video title/description: - Platform and length:

Hook (seconds 0–3): - Describe exactly what happens visually and auditorily - Hook type and what promise it makes: - Would you have swiped past this? Why or why not?

Build (seconds 3–[X]): - What information or experience is delivered? - What keeps you watching? (Unresolved question, escalating stakes, narrative pacing, etc.) - Is there a moment you almost swiped away? What was it?

Payoff (final 5–10 seconds): - What is the payoff? (Reveal, CTA, emotional peak, cliffhanger) - Does it deliver on what the hook promised? - Does it make you want to re-watch or share?

Re-watchability assessment: - On a scale of 1–5, how likely are you to watch this again? - What specifically makes it (or doesn't make it) re-watchable?

The lesson: - In 2–3 sentences, what can you take from this video and apply to your own content?

After completing all three breakdowns, write a 300-word synthesis identifying the patterns you noticed across all three. What structural choices did they share? What did they do differently?

Exercise 9.3 — The Content Idea Engine Build (Individual)

Objective: Build a sustainable, replicable system for generating content ideas rather than relying on inspiration.

Time: 75–90 minutes to build; ongoing maintenance

What you need: A notes app (Notion, Google Keep, Apple Notes, Obsidian — any will work), TikTok and YouTube search access

Instructions:

Step 1: Keyword library (20 minutes)

Identify the 10 core keywords or phrases that define your content niche. These should be specific enough to generate useful autocomplete results (not "fashion" but "thrift fashion for college students"; not "finance" but "investing for first-generation professionals").

For each of your 10 keywords, run them through: - TikTok search autocomplete - YouTube search autocomplete - Reddit search (by relevant subreddit)

Record every autocomplete suggestion. You should end up with 50–100+ potential search queries. These represent real questions real people are asking right now.

Step 2: Comment mining (15 minutes)

If you have existing content: read through comments on your 10 most-viewed pieces. Write down every question asked. Group similar questions together.

If you don't have existing content: find three creators in your niche whose audience closely resembles your target audience. Read their comment sections. Write down the questions their audience is asking.

Step 3: Idea categorization (15 minutes)

Sort your collected ideas into three buckets:

Aim for at least 20 ideas in Evergreen Core. This is your content reserve.

Step 4: Queue creation (10 minutes)

From your Evergreen Core and Trending buckets, select your next 5 content ideas. Write a one-sentence description of each (the equivalent of a video title), categorize them, and note a rough production timeline.

Step 5: Maintenance protocol (15 minutes to design)

How will you keep the idea engine running? Design a simple weekly ritual: What do you check? How often? Where do you store new ideas? How often do you review your queue?

The goal is an idea engine that runs without you having to think about it — a system embedded in your routine, not a creative task that competes with your other work.

Deliverable: A completed idea database with at least 20 Evergreen Core ideas, at least 5 Trending ideas, and a written maintenance protocol. Share your top 3 content ideas with a classmate and get feedback on whether the ideas would stop their scroll.

Exercise 9.4 — Zero-Budget Production Sprint (Hands-On)

Objective: Prove to yourself that you can produce competent short-form content right now, with what you have, in under 60 minutes.

Time: 60 minutes total

What you need: Any smartphone, any free editing app (CapCut preferred), a piece of content from your Exercise 9.3 idea list

Rules: - You may not spend money on any equipment for this exercise - You have 60 minutes total: planning, filming, editing, export - The video must be 30–90 seconds - It must have a clear hook in the first 3 seconds - It must have on-screen text at least once - It must end with a clear CTA (even if just "follow for more")

Process:

Minutes 0–10: Plan - Select one idea from your Evergreen Core list - Write down (not memorize — write down) your hook line, your 3 main points, and your closing CTA - Decide your setting and check your lighting

Minutes 10–25: Film - Test your framing and audio by recording 5 seconds and playing it back with headphones - Film at least 3 takes of each section (you'll select the best in editing) - If something goes wrong technically, fix it and keep going; if something is emotionally "off," keep going anyway

Minutes 25–50: Edit - Import to CapCut - Trim dead space at the beginning and end of each clip - Cut between takes to use your best performances - Add at least one text overlay (your main point, your hook, or your CTA) - Add captions (CapCut can auto-generate these) - Add background music at a volume that doesn't compete with your voice

Minutes 50–60: Review and export - Watch the full video once with headphones - Ask: does the hook do its job? Is the content clear? Does it deliver on the hook's promise? Is the CTA legible? - Export and save (don't post if you're not ready — the point is to have made it)

Reflection (after the sprint): - What surprised you about the process? - What took longer than expected? - What was harder technically than you anticipated? - What would you do differently on take two?

You now have real production experience. The first video is always the worst and always the most important.

Exercise 9.5 — Link-in-Bio Funnel Design (Individual)

Objective: Design a complete conversion pathway from short-form view to business outcome.

Time: 45–60 minutes

Instructions:

Map out your conversion funnel from scratch. This is a planning document — you don't have to build everything today, but you need to understand what you're building toward.

Part 1: Define your business goal (10 minutes)

What is the #1 business outcome you want short-form video to drive? Options include: - Email list subscriptions - Sales of a specific digital product (specify: ___) - Sales of a specific physical product - Consultations/discovery calls booked - Podcast listens or YouTube subscribers - Community membership sign-ups

Write down your #1 goal. Commit to one. Everything else is secondary for now.

Part 2: Design the funnel (20 minutes)

For each stage, write what you have now and what you need to build:

Part 3: Write the bio (15 minutes)

Write three versions of your profile bio using this structure: - Version A: Who you are + who it's for + what they get - Version B: Lead with the problem you solve - Version C: Lead with the social proof or credentials you have

Test your three bios: read each one aloud and ask "If I had never heard of this person and saw this in a profile, would I click their link?" Have someone else evaluate all three and pick their favorite.

Part 4: CTA for your next 3 videos (15 minutes)

Write the closing CTA for your next three short videos. Each CTA should: - Be specific ("click the link in my bio for my free thrift guide" beats "follow for more") - Match what's on your link-in-bio page - Take 5 seconds or less to say

Exercise 9.6 — Cross-Platform Comparison Audit (Research + Analysis)

Objective: Develop platform-specific strategy instincts by directly comparing how the same creator performs on TikTok vs. Instagram Reels.

Time: 60 minutes

Instructions:

Find a creator who posts content on both TikTok and Instagram Reels. The creator should have meaningful followings on both platforms (at least 20,000 on each) and should be posting similar content to both.

Data collection (look at the last 10 posts on each platform):

Analysis questions:

1. Which platform is driving more new discovery for this creator (views from non-followers)? How can you tell?

2. Does the creator modify content for each platform, or do they post identically? If differently, what changes do they make?

3. Does one platform seem to generate more engagement per view? What might explain this?

4. If you were advising this creator on where to focus their energy, what would you recommend based on the data? Why?

Write a 400-word strategic recommendation for this creator based on your analysis. Be specific: what should they continue, what should they change, and why does platform-specific strategy matter for their specific situation?