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.
YouTube advice (1/3)
Title framework: [Current stage] advice I wish someone told me!!
Why this works:
- specific audience — this video speaks to a specific audience (in high school) who wants this advice. Adding the current stage or experience of their life in the title will get their attention
- curiosity — students want to know what the important advice is and this piques their curiosity.
- emotional — the thumbnail is raw and words like “I wish someone told me“ create an emotional appeal to the video like regret or a missed opportunity. Also, it indicates that the video is gonna be advice as the title suggests (promising value).
Note: for someone to click on your YouTube videos we need to convince them they are going to get something out of the video, the more promises you can give and satisfy in your videos more views it will get.
Examples of titles:
- Internship advice I wish someone told me!!
- Relationship advice I wish someone told me!!
- Parenting advice I wish someone told me!!
- YouTube advice I wish someone told me!!
Bold predictions(2/3)
Title framework: Why [bold prediction]
Why this works:
- bold — bold predictions can challenge people’s beliefs and can be provocating, can lead to debates in the comment section.
- thumbnail — this video is targeting Liverpool fans and people who know the club so the words like “Better than KLOPP“ (KLOPP being a legendary manager of Liverpool) in the thumbnails add to the curiosity factor. Also, the images of famous players and managers in their squads can get the attention of football fans quickly. (btw, I am a Liverpool fan)
- curiosity — people want to know the reason behind the “bold prediction”.
Examples of titles:
- Why College Degrees Will Be Obsolete by 2030
- Why Real Estate Prices Will Drop in 2025
- Why Artificial Intelligence “Will Not” Replace You
- Why Small Businesses Will Dominate in 2025
3 things this reel went viral.
Here is an analysis of an Instagram Reel that caught my attention a few days ago. When I wrote this letter, the video had over 670k 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: 3 things I have learned as a 29-year-old, who’s achieved financial freedom
Hook Framework: [Number] things I have learned as a [age], who’s achieved [desired end result]
How to use it?
Here are some variations of the hook framework that may work. Find similar ideas in your niche.
- 9 things I have learned as a 50-year-old who’s raised successful children
- 12 things I have learned as a 19-year-old who’s built a social media following of 100k
- 7 things I have learned as a 30-year-old who’s lost 50 pounds and kept it off
- 5 things I have learned as a 25-year-old who’s built a successful online business
Why does this work?
It indicates that there is a clear list of lessons/advice the viewer will be getting which will help him in achieving the desired result.
The age in the hook also adds curiosity and authority.
That is, if they have achieved something unusual for their age, it creates curiosity as the audience thinks, “How did he do that?”.
if they have achieved something at a later part of their life, it makes the audience think of them as an authority as they are more experienced.
Here are some other reasons why I think this video worked well:
- Multi-tasking:
Just talking to the video can be boring at times so, the creators make use of other prompts to drive the video. In this case, it is the food he is having (he does that in almost all of his videos)
He is not just talking to a camera he is also trying to find out which is the best strawberry from the box to eat.
This subconsciously keeps the viewer engaged too.
Note: he is opening the box in the hook, so if you want to multi-task in videos do the thing that gets the viewer’s attention in the hook.
- Comment automation:
Comment “Something“ to get something
I’m sure you have heard this. This is done via a comment automation tool called Manychat (btw, they are not sponsoring this letter).
This helps in 2 ways:
- get more comments = more engagement = more views
- get leads who are interested in what you are going to sell and grow your business
US elections (3/3)
Title framework: [Number] EASY [Options] for [Target Audience] to [Action] Right Now (some will surprise you)!
Why this works:
- timing — This video was published at the time of the US election results.
- list — listicles promise exactly what they will get from the video.
Examples of titles:
- 10 EASY Side Hustles for Students to Start Right Now (some will surprise you)!
- 12 EASY Workouts for Beginners to Try at Home (some will surprise you)!
- 20 EASY Investments for New Investors to Start Right Now (some will surprise you)!
- 15 EASY Plants for Beginners to Grow at Home (some will surprise you)!
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