5 Things Successful YouTubers Do Before Every Video

I’ve asked some of the best creators on YouTube, “How do you write such great titles?”

And they’ve all said the same thing: “I just model what works.”

So this email will show you 5 videos worth modeling to help you write great titles and save time.

Btw, if you want to save more time and use a title generator that uses all the titles ever featured in Creator Hooks, check out Creator Hooks Pro.

Club Regrets

club position thumbnail

Title: I Wish Someone Had Told Me This About MY CLUB POSITION! (MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE)

Framework: I Wish Someone Had Told Me This About My (Attribute)

Hook score: +348

Why this works:

Curiosity – This builds curiosity because it makes you want to know what they wish they were told and what the impact of it is.

Desire – This creator’s audience wants to improve their golf swing and this title hints at some sort of improvement.

“I Wish Someone Had Told Me This” also makes this video feel a little more real and personal and adds a hint of regret.

How you can use this framework: Tell your audience what you wish somebody had told you about a topic related to your niche.

Examples of this framework in action:

  • I Wish Someone Had Told Me This About My YouTube Thumbnails (MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE)
  • I Wish Someone Had Told Me This About My Painting 10 Years Ago

Face Time

drawing faces thumbnail

Title: How I learned to draw better faces in a week

Framework: How I learned to (Achieve Goal) in a week

Hook score: +446

Why this works:

Desire – This creator’s audience wants to get better at drawing faces.

Time Frame – We all want to achieve our goals faster and “in a week” promises this video will do that.

How you can use this framework: Tell your audience how you learned to achieve a goal in a short time frame.

Examples of this framework in action:

  • How I learned to play the piano in a day
  • How I learned to code in a week

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Wallet Warning

warning thumbnail

Title: “What’s Coming Is WORSE Than A Recession” — Jim Rickards’ Last WARNING

Framework: “What’s Coming Is WORSE Than A (Known Bad Event)” — (Authority Figure’s) Last WARNING

Hook score: +480

Why this works:

Negativity – Warnings do a great job of grabbing people’s attention and getting them to click.

Curiosity – This builds curiosity because it opens a loop and makes you wonder what’s coming.

Anchoring – We all know what a recession is, so saying “What’s Coming Is WORSE Than A Recession” makes this feel more tangible and scary.

Authority – Although I don’t think this is as strong as the curiosity and negativity, Jim Rickards’s name brings some credibility and authority here.

Urgency – “Last Warning” brings some urgency to this video.

How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about a warning from an authority figure that claims what’s coming is worse than a really bad known event.

Examples of this framework in action:

  • “This Will Be WORSE Than Any Hurricane In History” — Jim Cantore’s Last WARNING
  • What’s Coming Is WORSE Than The Pandemic

Soil Scam

soil scam thumbnail

Title: The SCAM Bagged Soil Companies Don’t Want You To Know

Framework: The SCAM (Entity or Authority) Doesn’t Want You To Know

Hook score: +2162

Why this works:

Negativity – “SCAM” does a great job of instilling fear and getting the audience’s attention and interest (we all love hearing about a juicy scam).

Curiosity – This builds curiosity two ways:

1) “Don’t Want You To Know” makes you feel like you’re getting in on a secret.

2) It opens a loop and makes you want to know what the scam is.

Authority – “Bagged Soil Companies” gives this title rebellious “stick it to the man” vibes.

How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about the scam the authorities in your niche don’t want you to know about.

Examples of this framework in action:

  • The SCAM AG1 Doesn’t Want You To Know
  • The SCAM Home Builders Don’t Want You To Know

First 5

8 am thumbnail

Title: 5 Things Successful People Do Before 8AM

Framework: 5 Things (Aspirational Group) Do Before (Time or Event)

Hook score: +2440

Why this works:

List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.

Desire – This creator’s audience wants to be successful. Plus, our culture is obsessed with morning routines.

Authority – This title is more interesting because it’s about what “successful people” do.

Time Frame – Consider “5 Things Successful People Do” vs. “5 Things Successful People Do Before 8AM”. The second is more interesting, right? “Before 8AM” makes this video feel more tangible and, therefore, more interesting.

How you can use this framework: Tell your audience what the people they want to be like do before a certain time or event.

Examples of this framework in action:

  • 5 Things Olympic Runners Do Before Every Race
  • 5 Things Broadway Actors Do Before Every Show

Flop of the Week

princess peach thumbnail

Title: I made Princess Peach IMMUNE to Bowser

Hook score: -80

Why this flopped: Most of the successful videos on this channel are about how the audience can improve their drawing skills.

This video doesn’t follow that trend — it’s about the creator demonstrating her skills. While this may be a good topic, it might’ve gotten more views if the title and intro were positioned as a clear benefit to the audience.

To avoid a flop like this on your channel, know why your audience watches your channel and deliver on that premise in every video.

Alright, that wraps up this week’s Creator Hooks!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition and if you know a fellow creator who needs help writing better titles, please send them to creatorhooks.com.

– Jake

(@jthomas__ on Twitter)

P.S. Read previous editions here.

P.P.S. If you want to see all of the videos from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.

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