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.
Sleeping Slipups
Title: They Got It ALL WRONG About Sleeping Bags
Framework: They Got It ALL WRONG About (Entities)…
Hook score: +432
Why this works:
Negativity – Getting something “ALL WRONG” brings some controversy and conspiracy here and makes for an interesting video.
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you wonder what they got wrong about sleeping bags.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that “they” got it all wrong about something they’re interested in.
Examples of this framework in action:
- They Got It ALL WRONG About Growing Potatoes In Your Backyard
- They Got It ALL WRONG About Learning Spanish
hardest test ever
Title: I took an “entry level” CIA test
Framework: I took a (“easy” version of hard thing)
Hook score: +727
Why this works:
Tension – The tension of doing something hard, like taking a CIA test, makes for an interesting and exciting video.
Contrast – The contrast between “entry level” and the extremely elite CIA builds curiosity and interest.
How you can use this framework: Do the easy version of something hard.
Examples of this framework in action:
- I tried the “easiest” Navy SEAL Hell Week Workout
- I took an “entry level” Google AI engineering test
Introducing The New Thumbnail Text Generator
Big news — we just launched our thumbnail text generator in Creator Hooks Pro.
Now you can easily generate thumbnail text ideas that grab your audience’s attention and complement your video’s title.
You can learn more about it here.
P.S. Here’s a win from one of our early testers:
Bot Brand
Title: I Designed a Full Brand Using ONLY ChatGPT, here’s what happened
Framework: I (Action) Using ONLY ChatGPT, here’s what happened
Hook score: +1466
Why this works:
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you want to know what happened.
Constraint – The constraint of using “ONLY ChatGPT” makes this more challenging and interesting.
How you can use this framework: Do something using only ChatGPT (or another tool) and share what happened.
Examples of this framework in action:
- I Designed a Full Bible Study Plan Using ONLY ChatGPT, here’s what happened
- I Designed a Full Week’s Meal Plan Using ONLY ChatGPT, here’s what happened
Silent Severance
Title: They’re Forcing You Out of Your Job—But Not Saying It!
Framework: They’re (Controversial action) —But Not Saying It!
Hook score: +1686
Why this works:
Negativity – Controversy and conspiracy like this do a great job of grabbing people’s attention, riling them up and getting them interested in your video.
Curiosity – The “But Not Saying It” part makes you feel like there’s a secret going on.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about how someone is doing something controversial, but not saying it.
Examples of this framework in action:
- They’re Making You Sick — But Not Saying It!
- They’re Changing The Laws — But Not Telling You!
Retirement Reality
Title: If I Claimed Social Security Again, I’d Do This Instead
Framework: If I (Action) Again, I’d Do This Instead
Hook score: +10607
Why this works:
Specific Audience – This calls out the right audience by mentioning a specific situation.
Curiosity – This opens a loop and makes you want to know what he would do instead.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience that if you were doing something again, you’d do something else instead.
Examples of this framework in action:
- If I Moved To Florida Again, I’d Move Here Instead
- If I Was Learning Golf Again, I’d Do This Instead
Flop of the Week
Title: Gore-Tex Sued for Lying to their Customers
Hook score: -92
Why this flopped: This is some spicy drama, which people normally love. So what happened?
Well, “They Cut Down The World’s Tallest Tree!” (819K views) is a similar title and did really well for this channel, but this one is slightly different.
Gore-Tex getting sued feels like the corporate drama we tree huggers are trying to avoid, while cutting down a massive tree feels like an attack on something we deeply care about.
It’s a slight, but significant difference that can have a big impact on views.
Here are some questions to avoid a flop like this:
- Does this match why my audience watches my channel?
- Has this topic done well for my channel (or at least my competitors) before?
- Is this topic something my target audience is interested in?
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.