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.
Price Gougers
Title: Things That Are Stupidly Expensive But Cost Nothing To Make
Framework: Things That Are Stupidly (Attribute) But (Opposite of what you’d expect)
Outlier score: 3.5x
Why this works:
Curiosity – This builds curiosity because of the contrast between “stupidly expensive” and “cost nothing to make”.
Negativity – There’s also a bit of outrage here because people hate stupidly expensive things that could be sold cheaper, and they feel like they’re getting ripped off.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about contrasting things.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Videos That Are Stupidly Easy To Make But Always Go Viral
- Guitar Songs That Sound Incredible But Are Stupidly Easy To Play
Behold…
Title: I Found it: The Perfect Incremental City Builder
Framework: I Found it: The Perfect (Entity)
Outlier score: 6.9x
Why this works:
Desire – This creator’s audience is into games like this.
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you want to know what game this is.
“I Found it:” also has a kind of excited, conversational vibe that I like here.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that you found the perfect version of something they’re interested in.
Examples of this framework in action:
- I Found it: The Perfect Family Neighborhood In Seattle
- I Found it: The Perfect Healthy Weeknight Dinner
Organize All Your Video Notes In One Place
When you’re planning your next video, you can save all you need to make your video successful in Projects in Creator Hooks.
Save your:
- Title and thumbnail text options
- Video notes and script
- Inspiration videos
- Title & thumbnail combinations
Try Projects in Creator Hooks here.
Gifts from Grandma
Title: Before You Start Sewing: 12 Smart Tips From My Grandmother
Framework: Before You Start (Activity): 12 Smart Tips From (Authority figure)
Outlier score: 7.6x
Why this works:
Moment – Talking about specific moments, like “Before You Start Sewing” does a great job of building curiosity and interest.
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about), and they add some curiosity.
Authority – When it comes to sewing, Grandmothers are authority figures.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about 12 tips from an authority figure for before they start to do something.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Before You Start a Garden: 12 Smart Tips From a Farmer
- Before You Start Job Hunting: 12 Smart Tips From a Recruiter
Hold please
Title: THESE 5 Isometric Holds Build Strength Faster Than Lifting Weights
Framework: THESE 5 (Underrated entities) (Achieve goal) Faster Than (Normal/popular/common activity)
Outlier score: 8.7x
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about), and they add some curiosity.
Curiosity – This builds curiosity in two ways:
- It makes you wonder what these isometric holds are.
- It’s counterintuitive because most people would assume lifting weights builds strength faster than isometric holds.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about unexpected, underrated, or underappreciated things that achieve a goal faster than the typical things that achieve that goal.
Examples of this framework in action:
- THESE 5 Jobs Will Get You Richer Than Banking, Lawyer, or Doctor
- THESE 3 Breathing Exercises Reduce Anxiety Better Than Any Medication
Claude & Canva Creations
Title: I Created 32 Social Media Posts in 10 Minutes Using Claude + Canva
Framework: I (Achieved specific goal) in (Short time frame) Using (Popular tools)
Outlier score: 28.5x
Why this works:
Experience – Sharing personal experience is a great way to stand out from people who just talk about things.
Desire – This channel’s audience would love to create a bunch of social posts in a short time frame using AI. This promises a lot for a little.
Time frame – People love time frames because they make videos feel more tangible, and, in this case, it adds to the desire.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience how you achieved a big, specific goal in a short time frame.
Examples of this framework in action:
- I Planned The Best USA Roadtrip in 10 Minutes Using ChatGPT
- I Added 20 Yards To My Driver in 10 Minutes Using This Simple Drill
Flop of the Week
Title: The Only 5 exercises You Need To Get Jacked Without a Gym
Outlier score: .08x
Why this flopped: I actually love this title. It’s a proven format and uses some great psychology. So why did it flop?
Honestly, I’m not sure.
It could be because of the script, the thumbnail, the audience doesn’t want to hear about this topic from them, etc.
But since it did flop, what could we do to try to improve it? Here are some ideas:
Focus on the problem: “The Real Reason You’re NOT Jacked Yet (even if you work out hard)”
Change the angle: “Do This Every Day To Get Jacked At Home”
It might also be the case that “At Home” works better than “Without a Gym”.
In Creator Hooks, I filtered by the fitness niche and searched “at home” and found a bunch of successful outliers:
But when I searched “without a gym” I didn’t find any.
Now, when I searched “without gym” there were three that did great, but still much fewer examples than “at home”.
So it could just be that “At Home” speaks to the audience’s desires better than “Without a Gym”.
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 write better titles and grow your channel, check out Creator Hooks.