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 here are 5 videos worth modeling to help you write great titles and save time:
P.S. If you want to see all of the titles and thumbnails from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Red Rover
Title: Color Grading 101 – Everything You Need to Know
Formula: (Subject) 101 – Everything You Need to Know
Hook score: +307
Why this works:
Beginner Tips – This video caters to beginners wanting to learn how to color grade. Beginners are the biggest and hungriest subset of any audience, so making videos for them can get tons of views.
How you can use this hook: Give your audience a 101 lesson on a popular subject and tell them everything they need to know.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Multi-Family Real Estate 101 – Everything You Need To Know
- Ecommerce 101 – Everything You Need To Know
Triplet Peaks
Title: Will The Housing Market Crash By The End of The Year? – What banks don’t want you to know
Formula: Will (Bad Event Happen) By the End Of The Year? – What (Authority) don’t want you to know
Hook score: +447
Why this works:
Curiosity – This title starts off building curiosity with a question, and then at the end opens a loop with the phrase, “What banks don’t want you to know.”
Negativity – This video is about the housing market crash and about what banks don’t want you to know… lots of fear and conspiracy in there.
Timeliness – This video does particularly well because the housing market crash is a hot topic right now.
Time Frame – By limiting the scope of this video to just the end of the year, it makes it more tangible and even gives some urgency for you to watch it.
Authority – Banks are an authority in this space, and this title makes them an enemy, which makes you want to watch it even more.
How you can use this hook: Ask the question that everybody in your industry is asking themselves right now, but put a time limit on it. Then, finish up with a conspiracy-laden open loop.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Will TikTok Implode By the End Of The Year? – What China doesn’t want you to know
- Will the Job Market Crash By the End Of The Year? – What Hiring Managers don’t want you to know
Light Work
Title: Unlocking Lightroom’s Darkest Editing Secret!
Formula: Unlocking (Tool)’s Darkest (Action) Secret!
Hook score: +523
Why this works:
Curiosity – Unlocking a secret builds a ton of curiosity, plus there’s contrast between Lightroom and darkest secret.
Negativity – “Lightroom’s Darkest Secret” has a lot of drama and conspiracy vibes.
Beginner tips – The thumbnail mentions beginners.
How you can use this hook: Unlock the darkest secret of one of the tools that your audience uses.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Unlocking Journaling’s Darkest Productivity Secret!
- Unlock Your Squat’s Greatest Strength Gains!
7th Heaven
Title: Everything I Spend Money On For My 7-Figure Blog | Blogging Expenses
Formula: Everything I Spend Money On For My (Impressive Project) | (Keyword)
Hook score: +863
Why this works:
Curiosity – You feel like you’re getting in on a secret because you’re learning about where she spends her money, which can be a taboo subject.
Desire – This creator’s audience would love to have a 7-figure blog.
How you can use this hook: Pull back the curtain and show your audience how you or someone else spend money on their end goal.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Everything I Spend Money On For My 30’ Fishing Boat | Boating Expenses
- How Much Money I Spend As A Mom of 7 | Family Money Secrets
Game Changer
Title: Voice Typing Changes Everything – So much more than Dictation!
Formula: (New Technology) Changes Everything – So much more than (Old Technology)!
Hook score: +1181
Why this works:
Curiosity – “Changes everything” opens a loop and makes you wonder how does it change everything and what changes.
New Opportunity – New technology is exciting because it promises something different. We don’t have any previous bad experiences with it, so there’s a lot of hope.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about a new technology or opportunity that changes everything and is better than the current tech.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Automated Investing Changes Everything – So much more than Gambling in the Stock Market!
- AI Thumbnails Change Everything – So much better than Photoshop!
Flop of the Week
Title: Breaking Down the Story Structure of Jurassic Park
Hook score: -77
Why this flopped: The videos that perform best on this channel are about visual effects:
- Color Grading 101 – Everything You Need to Know
- We Recreated a Shot from Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Destroyed City Effect From Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
But this video is about storytelling.
It’s good to try new things on your channel, but know that when you do, the video may flop.
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 forward this email to them and send them to creatorhooks.com.
Here’s to the war on boring content.
– Jake
P.S. Follow me on Twitter for more title tips @jthomas__
P.P.S. If you want to see all of the videos from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.