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.
When Clever > Clear
Title: Your Articulation is Connected to Your Compensation
Framework: Your (Activity) is Connected to Your (End Goal)
Hook score: +363
Why this works:
I typically don’t like clever titles like this (I prefer being clear instead of clever), but here’s why I think this worked so well anyway:
Desire – This creator’s audience wants to make lots of money and both the thumbnail and title promise this video will help with that.
New Opportunity – If you’re not making as much money as you want and you see this title, you might think that if you learn to articulate well, then you’ll make more money. This new opportunity of focusing on learning to speak better gives you hope that you can make more money so now you’re excited to watch this video.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that an activity is connected to their end goal, but make it rhyme. (And don’t forget to have your thumbnail make it clear what your video is about, too.)
Examples of this framework in action:
- Your Address is Connected to Your Success
- Your Expectation Drives Your Motivation
Ha, Gotcha
Title: pretending I SUCK at drawing, then drawing them
Framework: pretending I SUCK at (Activity), then (Activity)
Hook score: +539
Why this works:
Curiosity – This builds so much curiosity because you want to see how the people will react once they realize this creator is actually a pro at drawing, and not a scrub like they originally thought.
The drastic difference of the expectation of the audience (this creator sucks at drawing) vs. reality (they’re excellent) convinces us that their reaction will be entertaining.
How you can use this framework: Pretend that you suck at something you’re actually excellent at, then reveal your skills.
Examples of this framework in action:
- pretending I SUCK at the piano, then playing for them
- pretending I SUCK at basketball, then dunking on them
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Happy Accident
Title: We Accidentally Started A Chocolate Company — Now It Brings In $162 Million A Year
Framework: We Accidentally (Activity) — Now It (Achieves Huge Goal)
Hook score: +612
Why this works:
Desire – This channel’s audience would love to start a business that makes $162 million/year. Plus, doing it with a chocolate company (instead of something boring, like plumbing) makes this story even more appealing.
Curiosity – It’s counterintuitive to “accidentally” do something really hard, like starting a business that makes $162 million/year, so this builds curiosity and interest.
How you can use this framework: Tell the story of how you or someone in your niche accidentally achieved a really big goal.
Examples of this framework in action:
- We Accidentally Started A YouTube Channel — Now It Has 350,000 Subscribers
- She Accidentally Became a Professional Chef — Now She Has A Michelin-Star Restaurant
Simple Solution
Title: 👕 Quick T-Shirt Tricks to Tighten a Loose Neckline
Framework: Quick (Entity) Tricks to (Solve Problem)
Hook score: +2483
Why this works:
Negativity – This is about solving a problem — loose necklines. And the thumbnail drives a lot of this video’s success because it shows an easy-to-understand solution to a common problem.
Desire – Not only does this creator’s audience want tricks to solve a problem, but people love speed, so “quick” adds to the desire here.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about quick tricks to fix a problem, and make the thumbnail clearly show a simple solution.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Quick Dinner Tricks to Use Dry Leftovers
- Quick Mind Tricks to Stop Being Nervous On Dates
This You?
Title: 7 Signs of Undiagnosed Autism in Adults
Framework: 7 Signs of (Unrealized Trait) in (Specific Audience)
Hook score: +3446
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Confirms Suspicions – A lot of people are suspicious they might have autism, and this video invites them to watch and confirm (or refute) their suspicions.
Negativity – In addition to confirming suspicions in some people, there might also be an element of fear for others. They might see this title and think, “Omg, do I have undiagnosed Autism? I need to watch this!”
Specific Audience – By saying this is about “Autism in Adults” it makes it clear who this video is for, which makes adults who think they might have autism feel like this video was made just for them.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about the signs of an undiagnosed or unrealized trait or problem that a specific group of them might have.
Examples of this framework in action:
- 7 Signs of Unforgiven Trauma In New Parents
- 7 Signs a Man is Skinny Fat
A/B Test of the Week
The original title does a good job at opening a loop and being clear, but there’s one thing title B does a lot better.
First off, lists often do well in educational content like this.
And I’ve seen “Every Day” work well often — I think it’s an underrated phrase that not enough people use in their titles.
But the thing that these two click triggers (list and daily) do so well is they make the video more tangible.
People love tangible titles because they tell you exactly what you’re going to learn.
If you’re making educational content, you can use this strategy by telling your audience about the skills they should practice every day.
If you want to see 100+ other tests like this, you can get my 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.