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.
SEO News
Title: SEO is Changing – How to Win in 2023
Formula: (Niche) is Changing – How to Win in (Current Year)
Hook score: +320
Why this works:
Timeliness – This video was published at the end of 2022 when 2023 was on everyone’s mind.
Curiosity – “Changing” is open-ended. It could be good change or bad change, but either way it’s unknown, so the audience needs to click to find out what’s changed. It also talks about the future (because this was published at the end of 2022), which is another great way to build curiosity.
Desire – This creator’s audience wants to win with SEO.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience that your niche or a platform your audience uses is changing in the upcoming year, and promise to show them how to win even with these changes.
Examples of this hook in action:
- The Music Industry is Changing – How to Win in 2023
- Investing is Changing – How to Win in 2023
Take The Red Pill
Title: these things helped me escape the matrix
Formula: these things helped me escape (Negative Place)
Hook score: +356
Why this works:
Curiosity – “These things” builds curiosity because she mentions them, but doesn’t specify what they are, so you need to click to find out.
Negativity – This video is all about escaping a scary place.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience the things that helped you escape a scary place.
Examples of this hook in action:
- these things helped me escape poverty
- these things helped me escape my sugar addiction
Write Better YouTube Titles In 1 Hour
I A/B tested 103 YouTube Titles and put all the results into an ebook.
Here’s a sample page:
If you want to see all 103 test results and breakdowns, get the book here.
Butter Bath
Title: I Ate 100 TBSP Of BUTTER In 10 Days: Here Is What Happened To My BLOOD
Formula: I (Activity) in 10 Days: Here Is What Happened To My (Possession)
Hook score: +402
Why this works:
Time Frame – “In 10 Days” makes this video feel more tangible.
Curiosity – “Here Is What Happened To My Blood” builds curiosity because it’s a cliff-hanger. You want to click and see what happened.
Negativity – This title is about doing something many people think is unhealthy, it’s not about how he ate an apple a day for 10 days.
Credibility – This video feels very legit because he’s measuring blood, not just sharing how he feels.
How you can use this hook: Do something scary for a specific amount of days and then share with your audience what happened.
Examples of this hook in action:
- I Applied For 100 Jobs in 10 Days: Here Is What Happened
- I Ran 100 Miles in 10 Days: Here Is What Happened To My Heart Rate
Cabin Check
Title: Do These 12 Things as Soon as You Get Into Your Cruise Cabin
Formula: Do These 12 Things as Soon as You (Action)
Hook score: +685
Why this works:
List – Lists make videos feel more tangible (you know exactly what the video will be about) and they add some curiosity.
Curiosity – “Do These 12 Things” opens a loop because it doesn’t specify what the things are, so you need to click and find out.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about things they need to do as soon as something happens or as soon as they do something else.
Examples of this hook in action:
- Do These 3 Things as Soon as You Wake Up Every Morning
- Do These 5 Things Before You Choose A New Home
Cake Walk
Title: 11 Hacks to Make Your Cakes Look Professional
Formula: 11 Hacks To Make Your (Possession) Look (Desired Adjective)
Hook score: +1120
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 want their cakes to look professional and they want hacks to do it.
How you can use this hook: Tell your audience about hacks that can help them achieve a goal.
Examples of this hook in action:
- 11 Hacks To Make Your Car Look Brand New
- 11 Hacks To Sound Like A Native Spanish Speaker
Flop of the Week
Title: Dangers of Dry Fasting & Dehydration
Hook score: -88
Why this flopped: This topic just seems obvious (and therefore boring) to me.
Of course there are dangers associated with dehydration!
If this was about the dangers of Keto or intermittent fasting, which many people are passionate about and assume is good for you, then I bet it would do better.
That being said, there could be some health trend that I don’t know about where people think dehydration is good for you.
Anyway, this week’s lesson is this: obvious topics don’t normally work well.
Be contrarian, challenge your audience’s assumptions, talk about their fears and desires.
Just don’t be obvious.
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 with 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.