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.
P.S. If you want to save more time and use a title generator that uses all the titles from this newsletter, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Genius + New = $
Title: The GENIUS new shower curtain idea people are using in their living room!
Framework: The GENIUS new (Entity) idea people are using in (Unexpected entity)
Hook score: +583
Why this works:
Desire – This creator’s audience loves genius DIY home decor ideas.
New – Everybody loves new things.
Curiosity – This builds curiosity two ways:
- It gets you interested in the idea, but doesn’t give any details, so you have to click to see what the idea is.
- It’s counterintuitive – aren’t shower curtains supposed to be used in the bathroom, not the living room?
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about a genius new counterintuitive idea.
Examples of this framework in action:
- The GENIUS new TikTok strategy people are using on YouTube!
- The GENIUS new dinner recipe people are using for breakfast!
Senior Slap
Title: Beware of The HUGE Medicare Penalty for Selling Your Home After 63
Framework: Beware of The HUGE (Problem) for (Activity)
Hook score: +854
Why this works:
Negativity – Warnings like this do a great job of grabbing the audience’s attention.
Specific Audience – Calling out a large, but specific audience, like people selling their home after 63, can work well because it makes them feel like you made the video specifically for them.
How you can use this framework: Warn a specific part of your audience about doing a certain action.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Beware of The OUTRAGEOUS Charge for Booking Flights on Weekends
- Beware of The SEVERE Security Risk for older iPhones
- Write better YouTube titles
- Grow your channel
- Save time
Check out Creator Hooks Pro here.
P.S. Here’s a big win from a Creator Hooks Pro customer:
“I got this title directly from Creator Hooks Pro’s title generator. It’s a 1 of 10 and it’s brought in 5 clients worth over $25k in less than 3 weeks”
– Jeff Hampton, Hampton Law, 360K Subscribers
The One and Only
Title: The ONLY way to become fluent in ENGLISH
Framework: The ONLY way to (Achieve Goal)
Hook score: +1331
Why this works:
Desire – This creator’s audience wants to be fluent in English.
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you want to know which way he’s talking about.
Constraint – The constraint of the “ONLY way” makes this video so much more challenging and interesting.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about the ONLY way to achieve a goal.
Examples of this framework in action:
- The ONLY way to ask a girl out
- The ONLY way to swing a golf club
Stranger Things
Title: Something Strange is Happening in China
Framework: Something Strange is Happening in (Entity)
Hook score: +1339
Why this works:
Curiosity – This simple title builds curiosity two ways:
- Talking about “strange” things builds curiosity.
- It opens a loop and makes you wonder what exactly is happening.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that something strange is happening in your niche.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Something Strange is Happening in the Stock Market
- Something Strange is Happening in Minecraft
Youthful Yummies
Title: 🔥 I’m 52 But Feel 32—This Is the Lunch I Eat Every Day
Framework: I’m (Actual state) But Feel (Better state)—This Is the (Entity) I (Activity) Every Day
Hook score: +1616
Why this works:
Desire – Most 52-year-olds would love to feel 32. Plus, they’d love to know which lunch can help them achieve that.
Credibility – This one might be a bit of a stretch because it’s not exactly verifiable, but by claiming he feels 32, it makes him sound more credible, so you’re more interested in his opinion and habits.
Contrast – The contrast between “I’m 52” and “Feel 32” builds interest and curiosity here.
Daily – Talking about things you do every day makes the video feel more tangible and interesting.
Specific – This isn’t about vague health tips, this is about something specific: the lunch he eats every day.
How you can use this framework: State why you’re worth listening to, then tell your audience about something specific you do every day to help keep you in the state they want to be in.
Examples of this framework in action:
- 🔥 I’m 23 But Worth $10 Million —This is the Speaking Trick I Use Every Day
- I’m 56 But Look 36—This Is My Daily Natural Skincare Routine
Flop of the Week
Title: Is Waymo About to Dethrone Uber?
Hook score: -83
Why this flopped: This is a good title.
In fact, it’s so good that a video by this channel using the same exact format got 405K views: “Is Chipotle About to Dethrone McDonald’s?”
So why did this one flop, but the Chipotle video went viral?
Here’s my best guess: most of us love Chipotle. We read that title and think, “Yes! Go Chipotle!” and then watch the video to see how they’re going to dethrone McDonald’s.
But do people feel the same way about Waymo? Would you describe yourself as being on Team Waymo?
Maybe I’m just a simple Florida man, but I don’t think so. And since nobody has strong emotions about Waymo, this title just doesn’t excite you as much as the Chipotle video.
So, how else could we title this video?
Well, we might not need to use Waymo in the title. We might be better off using an easily understood label instead and adding some more drama:
“This Small Startup Is About To Ruin Uber”
(Yes, I know Waymo isn’t small, but compared to Uber it is. We could also leave out the “small” if we wanted.)
Or, we could focus the title wholly on Uber:
“Uber Is About To Collapse”
The lesson: modeling proven formats is the best way to come up with great video ideas, but ideally, you know exactly why the original video did so well, and your idea matches those conditions.
Oh, and have a few backup titles just in case.
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 Pro.