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.
Cheaper Alternative
Title: Are Bedsheets Cheaper Than Fabric by the Yard?
Framework: Are (Alternative Option) (Desirable Trait) Than (Typical Choice)?
Hook score: +425
Why this works:
Desire – This creator’s audience would love to find cheaper fabric.
Curiosity – This builds curiosity by asking a question. It’s also a bit counterintuitive because you would assume fabric by the yard is the cheapest fabric.
New Opportunity – A new opportunity, like this potential common, yet cheaper alternative, is exciting and offers hope, which often makes for a great video idea.
How you can use this framework: Ask if something common, but unexpected is better than the existing option.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Is this cheap steak better than Filet Mignon?
- Is renting a house smarter than buying?
Keep It Crispy
Title: The Crispiest Smashed Potatoes That Will Change Your Life
Framework: The (Superlative Adjective) (Entity) That Will Change Your Life
Hook score: +553
Why this works:
Desire – This creator’s audience is into smashed potatoes. Plus, the word “crispiest” makes you almost taste and feel them in your mouth.
Extreme – Extreme things (like “Crispiest Smashed Potatoes”) often make for good video topics because they’re unique and interesting.
“Change Your Life” – I’ve seen this phrase work a lot in YouTube titles, so it’s worth mentioning here.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about an extreme thing that will change their life.
Examples of this framework in action:
- The Scariest Horror Movie That Will Change Your Life
- The Smoothest Opening Line That Will Change Your Life
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Don’t Tell Them I Told You
Title: PLUMBERS HATE me for sharing their SECRET
Framework: (Professionals or Authority Figures) HATE me for sharing their SECRET
Hook score: +734
Why this works:
Curiosity – “Secret” makes you feel like you’re getting insider information here.
Negativity – “Hate” brings some drama here and increases the value of the secret.
Authority – Plumbers represent authority figures here, which also increases the value of the secret.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that a particular profession or authority figure hates you for sharing their secret.
Examples of this framework in action:
- RV Dealers HATE me for sharing their SECRET
- PGA Instructors HATE me for sharing their SECRET
We’re All Struggling
Title: I can’t get a job to save my life (1500+ applications) | Tech 2024
Framework: I can’t (Achieve Goal) to save my life ([Proof of Effort])
Hook score: +1136
Why this works:
Negativity – Admitting a problem lots of people are struggling with is a great way to grab your audience’s attention.
Credibility – This isn’t just him complaining after submitting a few applications. He says he submitted 1500+, which increases the magnitude of this problem.
Timeliness – It’s well known that the job market is tough right now, plus this creator emphasizes that by dropping in “Tech 2024” at the end.
How you can use this framework: Get vulnerable about a big problem you’re facing that many others are also currently facing and prove that you’ve done a lot to try to solve it.
Examples of this framework in action:
- I can’t lose weight to save my life (counting calories and working out every day)
- I can’t draw faces to save my life (1,000+ portraits)
Rags to Riches
Title: How the Most Underrated High School Recruit made the NFL
Framework: How the Most Underrated (Entity) (Achieved Big Goal)
Hook score: +11947
Why this works:
Curiosity – There’s contrast between “Most Underrated High School Recruit” and “made the NFL”, and it’s counterintuitive this would happen, too.
Underdog – People love stories about underdogs.
How you can use this framework: Tell the story of how the most underrated person achieved a big goal.
Examples of this framework in action:
- How the Most Underrated High School Band Sold 50,000,000 Albums
- How the Most Underrated High School Swimmer made the Olympics
A/B Test of the Week
Title B adds a bit more drama and curiosity to get a higher CTR here.
It opens a loop and makes you want to know what the 1 problem is.
“Beautiful Caves” and “Problem” provide contrast for even more curiosity.
And switching the focus of the title from “Not Learning My Lesson” to “1 Problem” makes it more tangible, specific, and dramatic.
To use a similar framework for your channel, talk about a good thing that has 1 problem.
If you want to see 100+ other test results like this, you can get the 103 YouTube AB tests ebook here.
And if you want to run your own A/B tests, I used thumbnailtest.com to run this test (affiliate link).
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.