A mail to help you go viral

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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.

Life tracker (1/3)

Title framework: A [tool/resource] to save you from [problem/habit]

Why this works:

  1. desire — the video addresses a common problem that people have, which helps get their attention as they need solutions.
  2. curiosity — the naming of the tool (“notebook“) creates curiosity as it is seen as an unexpected solution (it is counter-intuitive).
  3. thumbnail — it is clear and minimal. The notebook stands out because of the contrast from the background.

Examples of titles:

  1. An app to save you from phone addiction
  2. A budget tracker to save you from credit card debt
  3. A 1-page marketing plan to get 100x customers
  4. A mail to help you go viral

Restoration (2/3)

Title framework: I Bought a Cheap But [Adjective] [Item]

Why this works:

  1. curiosity — the contrast between “cheap“and the adjective “filthy“ makes people curious about the state of the car, what will happen to it, and how much they purchased it for (people love a bargain deal).
  2. thumbnail — the words like “I was shocked“ in the thumbnails add to the curiosity factor.
  3. transformation — the title and the thumbnail tease a restoration of the “filthy“ car. So people want to see how the car will be restored and its final state.

Examples of titles:

  1. I Bought a Cheap but POWERFUL PC Setup
  2. I Bought a Cheap but BROKEN PS5
  3. I Bought a Broken but RARE Watch
  4. I Bought a vintage but 4K QUALITY Camera

This is a new video analysis, and it will blow your mind.

Here is an analysis of a YouTube Short that caught my attention a few days ago. When I wrote this letter, the video had over 370k likes and 9 million 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 Used: The Walkman is back. This is the new Sony Walkman and its price will blow your mind.

Hook Framework: [Nostalgic/classic product] is Back. This is the new [Product name] [Interest peak]

Interest peak used here is: ‘and its price will blow your mind‘

How to use it?

Here are some variations of the hook framework that may work. Find similar ideas in your niche.

  1. The Game Boy is back. This is the new Nintendo Game Boy, and its features will blow your mind!
  2. This is the new Polaroid camera, and the pictures it takes will blow your mind!
  3. The high-waisted jeans are back. This is the new Levi’s retro collection, and it’s surprisingly affordable!

Note: You can even use this hook framework without a product and in any niche, for example, if I am making a travel video I would come up with an idea like: “This is the best place to visit this Diwali, and the festivals here will blow your mind”

or on a fitness page, it would be like: “Want six-pack abs? This is the best workout to get six-pack abs, and it only takes 10 mins every day“

See that you also don’t need to use the first part of the hook (“[Nostalgic/classic product] is Back”) or you can modify it to your needs (eg: “Want six-pack abs?”).

Why does this work?

The video has a nostalgia factor to it.

Mentioning a classic but beloved product can get the attention of people who have positive memories of it. (negative memories can also work as long as you fuel that emotion with the right hook)

Here are some other reasons why I think this video worked well:

  1. Interest peak:

Interest peak in any video has only one purpose to make the viewer curious and make them watch till the end.

Here the creator has used the interest peak: ‘and its price will blow your mind‘

And do you know when the creator revealed the price of the video? yes, you guessed it, at the end of the video.

So try to add an interest peak which is a reason for them to watch after your hook.

It can also be as simple as “This will blow your mind“.

Any reason is better than no reason.

  1. Editing:

Here are some editing techniques that caught my eyes

  • visual hook: the text at the start that summarises the video and what the creator is saying “The Sony Walkman is back!“
  • an editing trick called stop motion to show the product at the start with the right sound effects.

Style secrets (3/3)

Title framework: Things That Make You Instantly [Desired Trait/Result]

Why this works:

  1. desire — the video addresses a desired result directly (looking stylish)
  2. speed — people like speed, they want the results faster. So, if you tell them then can achieve something “instantly” that will get their attention.

Examples of titles:

  1. Things That Make You Instantly Attractive
  2. Things That Make You Instantly Smarter
  3. This Will Make You Instantly Better at Public Speaking
  4. Things That Make Your Business Instantly Profitable

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

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