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 has 5 videos worth modeling to help you write great titles and save time on research.
P.S. If you want to see all of the titles and thumbnails from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Dirty Pop
Title: EDM Producer VS POP Producer (EPIC BATTLE feat. Alex Rome)
Formula: [Position] VS [Position] (EPIC BATTLE)
Hook score: +327
Why this works:
X vs. Y – Everybody likes a little competition and this is interesting because people want to know what the differences between these two styles are.
Great example of a collab – These two creators are similar, but different, and this is a fun way they got in front of each other’s audiences.
How you can use this hook: Show your audience a competition between two different, but similar styles. You could do a collab with another creator, or manufacture a competition between the two styles yourself.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Crossfitter VS Power Lifter (Epic Fitness Battle)
- DIY Dad VS Professional Handyman (Epic Fix-It Challenge)
City Slickers
Title: Affordable Cities: 10 US Metro Areas With Underrated Livability, Walkability and Transit
Formula: (Desired Object): 10 (Places or Tools) With Underrated (Traits)
Hook score: +464
Why this works:
Curiosity – The word “underrated” makes this title more fun and interesting, and “absurdly undervalued” in the thumbnail reiterates that.
Desire – Many people would love to move to a more affordable city, or one with better livability, walkability and transit.
Timeliness – With a recession looming and housing prices sky high, everybody has the word “affordable” on their mind right now.
List – People like clicking on list videos.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about a list of desirable objects that are underrated.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Hot Stocks: 10 Undervalued Stocks That Are Recession-Proof
- Date Night: 10 Underrated Date Night Ideas That Are Simple & Fun
Coding Decoded
Title: How I Would Learn To Code (If I Could Start Over)
Formula: How I Would Learn To [Activity] (If I Could Start Over)
Hook score: +892
Why this works:
Beginner tips – People love “if I could start over” stories. It meets your audience where they’re at. It’s mostly for beginners, and beginners are the biggest and hungriest subset of any audience.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience what you would do if you could start over.
Examples of this hook in action:
- How I Would Learn To Be Confident (If I Had To Start Over)
- How I Would Buy My First Apartment (f I Had To Start Over)
Training Day
Title: 5 Dog Training Exercises You Should Do EVERY DAY At Home!
Formula: 5 (Exercises) You Should Do EVERY DAY At (Convenient Location)!
Hook score: +950
Why this works:
List – People love clicking on list videos.
Daily tips – People love things they can do every day because they’re easy to just plug into your routine.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about exercises they should do every day at home (or another convenient location) to help them achieve their goals.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 5 Guitar Exercises You Should Do Every Day!
- 5 Super Foods Kids Should Eat Every Morning For Breakfast!
MySpace Top 8
Title: TOP 8 Dividend ETFs For Passive Income in 2022 (High Yield)
Formula: Top 8 (Tools) For (Goal) In (Current Year)
Hook score: +1425
Why this works:
List – Another list video here!
Desire – Almost everyone in the world loves passive income.
Timeliness – “In 2022” lets you know these dividend ETFs can give you passive income right now.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about the top tools they can use right now to reach their goals.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Top 8 Mountain Cities To Visit In Summer 2022
- Top 5 Cameras For YouTubers in 2022
Flop of the Week
Title: Teaching Abused And Terrified Dog To Stop Jumping In One Session
Hook score: -81
Why this flopped: This title is too wordy. When you read it, it takes you too much time to understand what the video is about because the hook is buried behind too many words.
This creator should’ve used “abused” or “terrified” in the title to make it shorter, not both of them.
Plus, the thumbnail is confusing. I would’ve expected the jumping dog to be on the left and the well-behaved dog on the right.
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.