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 see all of the titles and thumbnails from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Steppin Into Next Month
Title: I Tried Getting 20,000 Steps a Day for a Month, Here’s What Happened
Formula: I Tried (Goal) (Time Frame), Here’s What Happened
Hook score: +317
Why this works:
Curiosity – “Here’s What Happened” opens a loop and makes you want to click to find out what happened.
Time Frame – “for a Month” makes the video feel more tangible and more relatable/achievable. You can try something for a month, right?
Daily – This video about is about getting 20,000 steps every day, and people love hearing about things they can plug into their daily routine.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about how you tried to do something every day for a month and what happened.
Examples of this hook in action:
- I Visited A New State Every Day For A Month, Here’s What We Saw
- I Crocheted A New Shirt Every Day For 30 Days, Here’s What Happened
17 Hour Power
Title: 17 hours in SINGAPORE CHANGI AIRPORT
Formula: (Time Frame) in (Place)
Hook score: +350
Why this works:
Time Frame – People love time frames because they make videos feel more tangible. You can envision exactly how the video will go, which makes you more likely to click. (Note: just because you can envision how the video will go doesn’t mean you can envision what will happen. There’s still curiosity there that makes you want to watch.)
These next two click triggers are theories, and I may be stretching it a bit…
Curiosity – This video is counterintuitive. Nobody willingly spends 17 hours in an airport — why would you do that? This makes people click.
Negativity – There’s fear here: nobody wants to spend 17 hours in an airport. This also makes you click.
How you can use this hook: Tell the story of how you spent a significant, specific period of time somewhere.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 24 Hours Banned from Instagram
- 3 Hours On The Worst Date Ever
Car Loan Clues
Title: The Car Loan Bubble Just Popped (HUGE Recession Indicator)
Formula: [Negative Event Just Happened]([Sign Of Future Event])
Hook score: +593
Why this works:
Timeliness – The word “just” makes this video feel like news, and people love news.
Negativity – This video is all about scary events: recessions and popping bubbles.
Curiosity – Talking about the future builds curiosity, and this title ends by talking about the future.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about a negative event that just happened and what it means for the future.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Google Just Announced A New Algorithm Update (HUGE Shift For SEO)
- Snook Just Started Leaving The Beaches (Fall Fishing Is Here)
Blurry Blunders
Title: 6 Reasons Your Photos are not SHARP
Formula: 6 Reasons (Pain Point)
Hook score: +1055
Why this works:
List – Lists make a video feel more tangible and add some curiosity.
Negativity – If you’re a photographer, you definitely don’t want your photos to look “not SHARP.” This creator does a great job at grabbing her audience’s attention by calling out a specific pain point.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about the 6 reasons they’re struggling.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 6 Reasons You’re Broke
- 6 Reasons Your YouTube Channel Sucks
Tis The Season
Title: 2 Products I Sell Every Christmas To EXPLODE My Etsy Store Sales (Holiday Print on Demand)
Formula: 2 [Activity] Every [Season] To [Achieve Goal] ([Keywords])
Hook score: +1345
Why this works:
List – Lists make a video feel more tangible and add some curiosity.
Desire – Everyone in this creator’s audience would love to explode their Etsy store sales.
Timeliness – Christmas is just around the corner and Etsy store owners are looking to prep for it.
How you can use this hook: Give your audience tips for nailing an upcoming event.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 2 Habits I Start Every Holiday Season To AVOID Gaining Weight
- 3 Amazing Fall Festivals New Residents In LA Will Love (Things to do in Los Angeles)
Flop of the Week
Title: Can this machine help save the world?
Hook score: -80
Why this flopped: Here are some of the other videos on this channel:
- We Tried 7 Simple Exercises to Strengthen our Relationship
- How to Eat Less Sugar, Realistically
- I Worked Out for 700 Days, Here’s How it Changed Me
The audience is here because they want to save themselves, not save the world.
There’s nothing wrong with that, of course.
But as a creator, you need to know why your audience watches your channel and, if you want to avoid having your videos flop, make sure you’re delivering on that.
Alright, that wraps up this week’s Creator Hooks!
Have any questions about the hooks in this edition?
Reply to this email and let me know!
And if you know a fellow creator who needs help with writing better titles, please send them to creatorhooks.com.
Here’s to the war on boring content.
– 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.