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 save more time and use a title generator that uses all the titles ever featured in Creator Hooks, check out Creator Hooks Pro.
Big & Bold
Title: Why You Can’t Build Muscle With Calisthenics
Framework: Why You Can’t (Achieve Goal) With (Popular Solution)
Hook score: +345
Why this works:
Negativity – If you’re doing calisthenics and trying to build muscle, this grabs your attention because you’re scared you might be wasting your time.
Curiosity – This is counterintuitive to what many people believe.
Bold – Strong opinions like this often work well on YouTube.
How you can use this framework: Make a big, bold statement that a common solution to a problem doesn’t actually work.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Why You Can’t Get Rich With Ecommerce
- Why You Can’t Meet A Good Guy On Hinge
Forever Food
Title: 5 Perennials to Plant Once that will Feed You Forever…
Framework: 5 (Entities) to (Activity) Once that will (Benefit) You Forever…
Hook score: +373
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 title promises a lot for a little: plant once, and get food forever.
How you can use this framework: Tell your audience about things they can do once and get a benefit forever.
Examples of this framework in action:
- 5 Stocks to Buy Once and Make Money Forever…
- 5 Skills to Learn Once to Change Your Career Forever…
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Legends Never Lie
Title: NBA Legends Explain Why It’s So Hard To Guard Stephen Curry At 35
Framework: (Authority Figures) Explain Why It’s So Hard To (Action)
Hook score: +957
Why this works:
Authority – The video is more credible and interesting because it’s “NBA Legends” explaining why it’s so hard to guard Steph, not some random YouTuber’s opinion.
Curiosity – There’s a bit of counterintuitiveness here because you might assume that at 35, Steph is easier to guard, but that’s not the case. Despite his age, he had a very good year this year.
How you can use this framework: Show legends in your niche explaining why something a little counterintuitive is so hard.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Gaming Legends Explain Why Super Mario 64 Is So Good 30 Years Later
- Native English Speakers Explain Why It’s So Hard To Learn The World’s Most Common Language
Pop & Stop
Title: Why I stopped using Procreate
Framework: Why I stopped using (Popular Tool)
Hook score: +1324
Why this works:
Negativity – Telling people you stopped doing something grabs people’s attention because there’s a bit of fear that if you are using Procreate, you’re doing something wrong.
Authority – Procreate is one of the most popular animation tools, so stopping using it grabs people’s attention.
Curiosity – There’s a bit of counterintuitiveness here because this is such a popular tool. Why would you stop using it?
How you can use this framework: This video is actually a review video, so if you’re reviewing a tool not many people know about, frame the video as why you’re not using a popular tool anymore, so you can get more attention.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Why I stopped wearing Asics
- Why I stopped using to-do lists
Hopeful Hutch
Title: Nobody Wanted this Hutch 😢 I had an idea…
Framework: Nobody Wanted this (Object) I had an idea…
Hook score: +2066
Why this works:
Curiosity – This title makes you wonder what will happen to this hutch.
Negativity – “Nobody Wanted this Hutch” adds conflict and sets this video up for a great story.
How you can use this framework: Tell the story of something nobody wanted, but there was more to the story.
Examples of this framework in action:
- Nobody Wanted this dog 😢 I knew what she could do…
- Nobody Wanted this Guitar 😢 they didn’t know what it was…
Flop of the Week
Title: Katie Scott on Her Furniture Flipping Journey & Being a YouTuber
Hook score: -84
Why this flopped: There are several potential reasons why this video flopped:
Content Misfit: Most of the successful videos on this channel are 10-20 minute videos showing the audience DIY tips. This 45 minute interview doesn’t really fit what the audience likes and expects from this channel.
Title: The title also doesn’t really go with what the audience likes and expects. Do they care about being a YouTuber? Do they even care about somebody else’s furniture flipping journey? Most of the titles are about benefits for the audience.
Also, I know Kate Scott has a big channel, but how much interest does she actually bring here? If I were to write this title, I’d test leading with a benefit for the audience, not Katie’s name.
Thumbnail: The thumbnail is similar to the title — “Katie Scott” is the most prominent thing. You probably don’t need to lead both the title and thumbnail with her name. Also, “let’s chat” is boring. I’d probably stick a benefit to the audience here, or add curiosity or fear.
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 see all of the videos from Creator Hooks in one place, check out Creator Hooks Pro.