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.
This is the problem (1/3)
Title framework: The Problem With [a known entity]
Why this works:
- negative — the title indicates to something negative about a well-known entity (here Elon Musk) and people are drawn more to negative and controversial points.
- social hacking— the video is related to someone popular making it one of the top-performing videos in the channel.
Examples of titles:
- The Problem With YouTube Algorithm
- The problem with Narendra Modi
- The Problem With Electric Cars
- The Problem With College Degrees Today
Secrets revealed (2/3)
Title framework: The [entity] secret to [desired result] 10x FASTER
Why this works:
- curiosity — the video is based on a “secret“ which naturally creates curiosity in viewers mind.
- desire — every student would like to learn things faster, hence they are likely to click the video. (create videos addressing the “wants“ of their target audience)
- authority — the thumbnail contains the image of Andrew Huberman and the title contains STANFORD, both are well-known entities and add to the authority of the video.
Examples of titles:
- The MrBeast secret to grow your channel 10x FASTER
- The Navy SEALs’ Secret to 10x Your Mental Toughness
- The Google Secret to Coding 10x Faster
- The Amazon Secret to Scaling Your Business 10x Faster
Here is my top 10 list.
Here is an analysis of an Instagram reel that got my attention a few days ago. The video got over 80k likes and I expect over 2 million views when writing this letter (Oh, they have also reposted the same video on their page again that got 100k+ views). Today we are going to see why it went viral.
Do me a favor and watch the above video and come back to read further (please don’t get lost in scrolling I share some important tips below).
Hook Framework: If you love [action/entity] here’s a top 10 list for you.
How to use it?
Here are some variations of the hook framework that may work. Find similar ideas in your niche.
- If you love reading thriller novels, here’s a top 10 list for you
- If you love playing games here’s a top 10 games to play in 2025
- If you love traveling and exploring hidden gems, here’s a top 10 list for you
- If you love Lionel Messi, here are his top 10 moments.
Why does this work?
- Lists:
The “top 10” list instantly piques the curiosity of the viewer. People want to know what made that list, are there anything that they love in this list?
If they agree or disagree with something in your list or if they have their favorites they will engage by commenting.
Listicles are proven formats in any social media platform.
Twitter, LinkedIn, Shorts, Reels, YouTube, TikTok you name it.
People know posts of this format would give them something valuable. But these platforms are also getting saturated with videos like this.
So you need to stand out from the crowd when using list posts.
- Social hacking:
The video starts with a shot of Christian Bale and has a lot of famous movie scenes (also some satisfying shots from those movies). This instantly adds credibility to the video, which is social hacking.
- Editing:
The ending and starting have the same shot of Christian Bale and the cuts are made to have a smooth transition between the starting and the ending.
There are also multiple cuts in the beginning and throughout the video, I can see a cut every 2-3 seconds in the video. In the starting 3 seconds of the video there are more than 4 cuts, all these helps in viewer retention.
Also when each item in the list is introduced notice the list number at the top left of the video, depending on the length of an item in the list the the blue box gets filled as the video goes on.
This tells the viewer the exact wait time before they get a new recommendation from the list (a nice little psychology hack, but I don’t think that is the main reason why this worked).
- Shareability:
Since these are the lists/recommendations people who like the list or people whose favorite movies are in the list are more likely to share it someone.
If a piece of content is shareable the chances of it going viral skyrockets.
Now how to make something shareable? Understand this:
People share content that makes them look good in front of others.
For example: If you share something funny like a meme with someone, you are associating yourselves with that content and want the other person to think that you are funny too.
Next time you share something, think about this. Look deep into your thoughts to figure out your intentions.
We call this Social Currency.
So if your content can make some one look good among their peers that makes it more sharable.
Rich vs poor (3/3)
Title framework: [Entity A] vs [Entity B] [Location/Scenario/Key Difference]
Why this works:
- comparison — comparison between two things tends to work well in general because this automatically creates an open loop in people’s minds and they need to figure out which is better. (in this particular video there is also the desire to be rich and to see how rich people live their lives)
- beauty— anythingof beauty, like a beautiful girl or place, tends to get more clicks. I know this might be a controversial take, but that is how the human mind works. My job is to tell you why I think it worked based on my experience. Don’t fight human psychology.
Now, the psychology part is beyond the scope of this letter, if you are interested you can ask ChatGPT more about this.
Examples of titles:
- iPhone 16 Pro vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: Camera Comparison in Low Light
- Yoga vs Weightlifting: Best Workout for Fat Loss
- Ferrari SF90 vs Porche 918 (Drag Race)
- Street Food vs Restaurant Dining in Mumbai
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