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 see all of the titles and thumbnails from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Planning Time
Title: PLAN Q4 WITH ME | Changing my relationship with time
Formula: (Timely Activity) With Me | Changing my relationship with (Entity)
Hook score: +400
Why this works:
Timeliness – This was video was published at the beginning of Q4 when everybody was thinking about planning Q4.
Desire – This creator’s audience loves planning.
How you can use this hook: Ask your audience to do something timely with you.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Christmas Shop With Me | Changing my relationship with gifts
- Plan 2023 With Me | Changing my business goals
Rental Reality
Title: My Airbnb Lost Money… Here’s The Truth About Being an Airbnb Host
Formula: My (Possession) (Negative Action)… Here’s The Truth About (Activity)
Hook score: +472
Why this works:
Negativity – People love seeing negativity, plus this is a fear many people in real estate have.
Curiosity – This builds curiosity three ways: 1) It opens a loop with “The Truth About”. 2) “The Truth About” also makes you feel like you’re getting in on a secret. 3) Many people think real estate is a great business model that you can easily make money in, so this is counterintuitive to what they think.
How you can use this hook: Tell the story of how you took a loss in a great opportunity.
Examples of this hook in action:
- My Marriage Lost Its Fire… Here’s The Truth About Marriage
- My YouTube Channel Lost Money… Here’s The Truth About The Creator Economy
The Easiest Way To Spy On Your Competitors
Two of my favorite tools for spying on my competitors:
1) vidIQ’s Trending Tool
2) vidIQ’s Competitor Dashboard
Their trending tool lets you see what videos are getting views on a channel right now (this is an awesome alternative to just sorting a channel’s videos by most popular, which may show old videos that aren’t getting views anymore).
And their competitors feature lets you add competitors to a dashboard so you can see all of their top videos in one place, instead of taking the time to go to each channel individually.
(Affiliate link)
Quick Cars
Title: The World’s Quickest Cars: Lucid Air Sapphire v Bugatti Chiron v Tesla Plaid – Cammisa’s Drag Race
Formula: The World’s (Extreme Objects): (Option 1) v (Option 2) v (Option 3)
Hook score: +533
Why this works:
Curiosity – Taking things to the extreme (“world’s quickest cars”) builds curiosity because it’s unique.
X vs. Y – People love competition and want to see how things compare against each other.
How you can use this hook: Do a competition to find the world’s best.
Examples of this hook in action:
- The Best Careers: Doctor v Lawyer v Consultant
- America’s Most Beautiful Parks: Glacier v Zion v Grand Canyon
Helpful Habits
Title: Japanese Minimalist🇯🇵: 6 Habits that help me stay minimal
Formula: (Interesting Trait): 6 Habits that help me (Achieve Goal)
Hook score: +583
Why this works:
Habits – People love habits because they’re tangible and we can envision easily plugging them into our day.
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Desire – This creator’s audience wants to stay minimal.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about habits that help them achieve their goal.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 6% Body Fat: 6 Habits that help me stay lean
- Digital Nomad: 6 Habits that help keep my life organized
No College No Problem
Title: 8 Work From Home Jobs That Are Always Hiring! (Without College)
Formula: 8 [Objects] That Are Always [Activity]! (Without [Objection])
Hook score: +893
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Desire – This creator’s audience is looking for work from home jobs.
Refute Objection – Someone might see this and think, “I can’t get a job without a college degree.” But “(Without College)” at the end gets rid of that excuse.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about a list of things that can help them achieve their goal, then get rid of their most common excuse at the end.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 8 Amazon Products That Always Make Sales! (No Experience Needed)
- 7 Home Decor Trends That Always Look Pretty! (Cheap Decorations That Look Great)
Flop of the Week
Title: How This Junkyard Chevy Del Ray Is Now Worth $75k | The Appraiser
Hook score: -90
Why this flopped: It seems like they tried to use contrast to build curiosity: “Junkyard Chevy Del Ray” vs. “Worth $75K”.
But I think that failed because it’s not abundantly clear. The thumbnail doesn’t look like a junkyard car and many people don’t know what a Chevy Del Ray is.
If I were to rewrite it, I would say, “How This Junkyard Car Is Now Worth $75,000”.
Contrast this with the title mentioned earlier about the world’s quickest car.
In just four words the idea is conveyed. You know exactly what it’s about and (if you’re a car fan) you’re excited about it.
So make your titles and thumbnails crystal clear and use simple words.
Alright, that wraps up this week’s Creator Hooks!
If you know a fellow creator who needs help with writing better titles, please send them to creatorhooks.com.
Here’s to the war on boring content.
– 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.