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.
Mr. Fixer Upper
Title: This Fixes EVERYTHING!
Formula: This (Activity) Fixes EVERYTHING!
Hook score: +310
Why this works:
Curiosity – This title builds curiosity by not telling you exactly what it fixes. This opens a loop, which builds curiosity and makes you want to click and find out.
Desire – This creator’s audience wants to be more mobile and probably has injuries they’d like to be fixed. The title and thumbnail cater to those desires.
Thumbnail – Since the title is a bit vague, a lot of the success of the video can be attributed to the thumbnail. The shirtless hairy man with his legs spread is a little awkward and very bold, which catches your attention. But he’s also in an intriguing position that works well with the title.
How you can use this hook: You could just use this very same title with a bold thumbnail related to you niche, or you could talk about an activity that fixes everything.
Examples of this hook in action:
- This Farming Hack Fixes EVERYTHING!
- This iPhone Trick Fixes EVERYTHING!
Hot Hot Habits
Title: 3 Feminine Habits Men Find WILDLY Attractive (Make His Heart RACE with Naturally Seductive Behavior)
Formula: 3 [Contrasting] Habits [Achieve Goal] ([Achieve Goal])
Hook score: +637
Why this works:
Curiosity – There’s contrast between “feminine” and “men” which builds curiosity and makes you do a double take.
List – Lists make videos more tangible and add some curiosity.
Desire – Women would love to know what these habits are that men find attractive.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about 3 habits that can help them achieve their goals. But the real magic here is giving some contrast to those habits to build curiosity.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 3 Eating Habits To Starve Fat (Get Shredded Fast By Eating)
- 3 Spending Habits That’ll Save You Money
Blazing Bus
Title: Van Camping in a Heat Wave 111°F
Formula: (Activity) in (Extreme Environment)
Hook score: +1123
Why this works:
Extreme – 111°F increases the stakes in this videos, which makes for a more interesting story.
Negativity – People love watching videos about scary things, like camping in a dangerous heatwave.
How you can use this hook: Do an activity in an extreme environment and let your audience live vicariously through you.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Getting a Job in a Recession
- Becoming a Crypto Millionaire during the Crypto Crash
HODL
Title: I Bought 96 Stocks, Then Did Nothing for 816 Days…
Formula: I (Activity), Then (Activity) for (Time Frame)…
Hook score: +1083
Why this works:
Curiosity – This title opens a loop because you want to know what happens after the 816 days. Also, the thumbnail opens a loop, too, by saying, “I Didn’t Expect This…” but not specifying what “this” is.
Time Frame – Time frames make videos feel more tangible, which makes them more interesting.
How you can use this hook: Tell the story of how you took action, then took subsequent action for a time frame.
Examples of this hook in action:
- I Bought This New Fishing Lure, Then Fished for 3 Hours…
- I Bought This Mystery Meat, Then Smoked It for 12 Hours…
that new new
Title: This NEW Approach to Photography Will Change Your Career FOREVER!
Formula: This NEW Approach to (Activity) Will Change Your (Possession) FOREVER!
Hook score: +2718
Why this works:
New opportunity – People love new opportunities because they offer hope.
Curiosity – “Change your career forever” is open-ended, so it opens a loop and builds curiosity.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about a new approach that will change their lives forever.
Examples of this hook in action:
- This NEW Approach to Real Estate Will Change Your Life FOREVER!
- This NEW Approach to YouTube Will Change Your Channel FOREVER!
Flop of the Week
Title: We ALL SUCK as BEGINNERS… (The Reality of Becoming a Professional Photographer)
Hook score: -94
Why this flopped: This title used two of my favorite click triggers: negativity and calling out beginners.
So why did it only get 2.8K views, while her video about a new approach to photography got 299K views?
Keywords.
But not in the way most people think about keywords…
“We All Suck As Beginners” is too vague. It needs a keyword to let the audience (not the algorithm) know what her video is about.
It could probably be better worded as “Why We All Suck As Beginner Photographers.”
To add to this confusion, she’s holding a guitar and a camera in her hand. Which one is this video about?
The guitar is obviously much bigger than the camera, so at first glance you might think this video is about sucking as a beginner guitar player, which is not what her channel is about.
To avoid this mistake, be crystal clear on what your video is about and who it’s for, and make sure both of those align with your channel’s audience.
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 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.