Everyone steals ideas.
That shot you saw in the movie, that idea you heard somewhere, that product that solves a problem, even this newsletter.
Most creators draw inspiration from which they create something new.
There is no shame in that.
So, here are some Viral YouTube titles, thumbnails, and Instagram reels from which you can take inspiration.
Title framework: How to [start/grow/make…] a [project] (starting with [limited resources])
Why this works:
- curiosity — this is a normal “how-to” title. What makes it interesting is that the project is done with limited resources. That makes the video a bit extreme and hence interesting.
- desire — people want to make $10k/month. I want to make that money. And in this thumbnail, they say that it is possible in 6 months.
- thumbnail — this thumbnail seems to be inspired by similar thumbnails that worked well on YouTube. I’m serious when I say copying ideas that already worked well on a platform and giving it your unique perspective works well for growth in any platform. Check the thumbnail of this video for example
Examples of titles:
- How to start a freelance career (starting with no clients)
- How to learn web development (starting with no coding skills)
- How to grow a garden (starting with small space)
- How to do a DIY home renovation (Starting with $100)
Title framework: [desired result] is shockingly [adjective]
Why this works:
- power words— the use of words like “shocking“ grabs people’s attention. Want more power words to use? just ask chat GPT this: “Suggest some power words that grab attention“. You are welcome.
- desire — again, this video talks to a specific group of people with a desire (to communicate effectively)
- swear — f*ck, sh** – words like this get people’s attention because of various obvious reasons. Every word you choose to express something can make or break the video. So choose carefully and test different versions to see what works.
Examples of titles:
- Saving money is shockingly effortless
- Learning piano is shockingly not difficult
- LinkedIn networking is shockingly simple
- Getting better grades is shockingly achievable
Repost your videos to get more views. But…
Here is an analysis of two Instagram reels that got my attention from the same account. They are both the same videos. The first time it got 12 million views and when it was posted again (the second video) with a couple of changes it got 24 million views (doubled the views)
Do me a favor and watch the above videos and come back to read further (please don’t get lost in scrolling I share some important tips below).
Hook Framework: Social hacking and curiosity building.
Why does this hook work?
In the second video, they used the name of a famous person like Michael Jordan to get people’s attention but there is no such thing in the first video.
Also, both videos ask the viewer to wait for the 4th dog by the text that appears on the screen at the beginning, this builds curiosity.
progression — letting people know that something crazy/extreme is going to happen in the end and slowly building up your video. Finally, you reveal the thing that they have been waiting for. This is what I meant by progression.
You can see this in both of the videos. People will stick around to see the end but also count the number of dogs that are running through the screen, till they see the fourth one.
This makes the video satisfying, rather than showing only the fourth dog in the video.
How you can achieve this?
- Introduce problems in your videos that you should solve before revealing the conclusion or the climax.
- Tell the viewers that they should wait for something at the end of the video (like: “The 4th point is my favorite”).
Here is a reason why the second video worked well apart from the hook:
change of angle — the only major change between the first and the second video is the angle from which the video is shot.
In the second one, we are closer to the dogs and the dogs fill the screen at the beginning. In the first video, it is a bit hard to see (only the beginning).
That is it for this week, if you found this helpful, here is the previous letter.
Or check out all my letters from here. See you next Monday, God willing.
– Sayar