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.
Simple Warning
Title: 3 Places I Will NEVER Travel
Framework: 3 (Entities) I Will NEVER (Activity)
Hook score: +327
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Negativity – This leverages fear to grab the audience’s attention.
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you want to know which 3 places he’s talking about.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about things you would never do.
Examples of this framework in action:
- 3 Trucks I Will NEVER Buy
- 3 Supplements I Will NEVER Take
Compelling Contrast
Title: Street Photography With “The Bigma”
Framework: (Activity) With “The (Product Nickname)”
Hook score: +418
Why this works:
Curiosity – This thumbnail is probably the main reason this video got so many views, and that’s because it builds curiosity two ways:
- The lens is enormous, which makes it unique, unexpected, and stick out on YouTube.
- There’s contrast between “Huge Lens” and “Tiny Camera” and that’s accentuated by the font size.
The title also accentuates the product’s uniqueness because it uses its funny nickname and puts it in quotes.
How you can use this framework: Find a unique-looking product, make a clear thumbnail that shows off it’s uniqueness, then do an activity your audience wants to do using the weird product.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Playing Wonder Wall With The “Octobass”
- Making Art With “Reverse Graffiti”
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Revealed From The Past
Title: Ancient Chinese Records of Jesus Change EVERYTHING We Knew About Christianity
Framework: Ancient (Entity) Records of (Entity) Change EVERYTHING We Knew About (Entity)
Hook score: +509
Why this works:
Curiosity – This title builds curiosity two ways:
- “Ancient Chinese Records” feels mysterious.
- “Change EVERYTHING We Knew” opens a loop and makes you want to know what changed.
Credibility – “Ancient Chinese Records” makes the source of this video feel a bit more credible than just some random guy’s opinion.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that ancient records change everything you thought you knew about a topic.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Ancient Roman Records of Honey Change EVERYTHING We Knew About Cooking
- Lost WW2 Records Change EVERYTHING We Knew About Hitler
Cheap but Mighty
Title: This RARE V8 Economy Car DESTROYED Everyone – The Motion Vega
Framework: This RARE (Counterintuitive Entity) (Impressive Action)
Hook score: +636
Why this works:
Curiosity – There’s lots of contrast and counterintuitiveness here that builds curiosity:
- “V8 Economy Car” is an oxymoron because normally there isn’t a V8 in an economy car.
- “Economy Car DESTROYED Everyone” is counterintuitive because normally economy cars are slow.
Desire – This creator’s audience loves to learn about rare cars.
How you can use this framework: Tell the story of how an oxymoron underdog achieved something great.
Examples of this framework in action:
- This RARE Cheap Golf Club DESTROYED My Expensive Drivers
- This Easy Work From Home Job Can Make You TONS of Money
Everyone Else Knows
Title: 4 MISTAKES Older People Believe in Street Fights that Everyone Knows
Framework: 4 MISTAKES (Specific Audience) Believe in (Entity) that Everyone Knows
Hook score: +839
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Negativity – Nobody wants to make a mistake or believe in mistakes, so this title grabs people’s attention. And it’s even more accentuated by the fact that these are mistakes “Everyone Knows.”
Specific Audience – By specifically calling out “older people” it makes older people way more likely to click. Calling out a specific group of people can be a great strategy because they’ll feel like you made the video specifically for them.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about the mistakes or myths a specific group of people believe that everyone else knows the truth about.
Examples of this framework in action:
- 4 Mistakes Beginners Believe About RVs that Experienced Glampers Know
- 4 MISTAKES Older People Believe in Social Media that Everyone Else Knows
Flop of the Week
Title: The UNLIKELY Defender… Story of OVERCOMING FEAR to Stay ALIVE!
Hook score: -94
Why this flopped: This video probably flopped for two reasons:
First, the title could be better. It’s too bland and vague.
Two things that could make it better are to add more curiosity and make it more specific. Here’s an example:
“How This Regular Guy Stopped A Mass Shooter With His Bare Hands.”
It’s counterintuitive to stop a mass shooter with your bare hands, and even more so if you’re just a “regular guy.”
Plus, it’s more specific. We know that he stopped a mass shooter with his bare hands, instead of just overcoming fear to stay alive.
Being more specific is one way to make a title more interesting.
But the second, and more important reason this video flopped is that it doesn’t fit with the rest of the videos on the channel.
Most of the videos that do well on this channel are educational videos that provide a benefit to the audience.
This is an entertainment video that tells a story.
While it’s good to experiment, you run the risk of having your video flop when you don’t give the audience what they want and expect from your channel.
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.