YouTube vs Instagram – don’t post on the wrong platform!

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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.

The truth (1/3)

Title framework: [Entity 1] vs [Entity 2] – [Warning]!

Why this works:

  1. negative — warnings in the title play with the people’s fear of making the wrong decision.
  2. comparison — comparison formats have worked on the platform for a long time, making people feel like they are getting an unbiased opinion when they have to choose between two things. Also, this adds a natural conflict to the video.
  3. revelation/novelty — The phrase on the thumbnail “truth about ram“ indicates there is a lesser-known truth when it comes to this topic. And there might be something new that the viewer will be getting from this video.

Examples of titles:

  1. Investing in Stocks vs Real Estate – Avoid This Costly Strategy!
  2. iPhone 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S24 – Don’t Buy the Wrong One!
  3. Freelancing vs Full-Time Job – Avoid This Career Trap!
  4. YouTube vs Instagram – Don’t Post on the Wrong Platform!

Study hard (2/3)

Title framework: How I [Extreme Action/Result] at [Place/Context]

Why this works:

  1. extreme — out of 24 hours it is almost impossible to study 16 hours. This creates intrigue and the viewer wants to know how he did that.
  2. curiosity — the words “trick myself“ create an open loop as this result can’t be achieved normally.
  3. authority — the use of “IIT Madras“ in the title adds a “sense of authority” to the creator. Since he is in one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, what he says may be true (trust).

Examples of titles:

  1. How I Lost 30 Pounds in a Month While Eating Pizza
  2. How I Worked 100 Hours a Week at Google
  3. How I Mastered Coding in 3 Months Without a Computer Science Degree
  4. How I Quit My Job and Built a 7-Figure Business in 6 Months

How to have a great visual hook in your videos?

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 13 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: This is how you are gonna get your resume actually seen by recruiters.

Hook Framework: This is how you are gonna get [desired result]

How to use it?

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

  1. This is how you are gonna get a date without using dating apps.
  2. This is how you are gonna get six-pack abs in just 3 months.
  3. This is how you are gonna build your dream house on a budget.
  4. This is how you are gonna get a high score on your SATs

Why does this work?

  1. Strong visual hook.

The video’s hook is so powerful, both the audio and visual hook.

In the visual hook, he uses those stones to convey the point of the video in a visual format. (How the white stone stands out from the black)

Note how he does it.

He just doesn’t take the white stone directly from the pack, he creates a little bit of tension and surprise by taking the time to spread the stones and find the white stone.

Combining the tension in the visual hook with an audio hook that uses the audience’s desire to get attention is a killer way to start your videos.

Now anything you do visually in your video constitutes the visual hook:

  • the graphics
  • the a-rolls (the main footage)
  • the b-rolls (the footage you add over the a-rolls)
  • the texts

Here are some ways to create visual hooks that come to the top of my mind:

  • tossing a coming
  • trying to solve a Rubix cube
  • sitting in a chair or walking around
  • adding texts that show what the video is about or texts that add tension

If you can connect the visual hook with the video topic (like the creator did) that is even better.

Now I will let your creativity come up with some more ideas for you (if you want to use them)

Let’s see some more reasons why this hook worked.

  1. Shareability:

As he starts to go to the main body of the video, he asks the viewers to send the video to themselves (share) and gives a reason for that too (to refer to the prompts).

This increases the shares that the video gets, meaning it will get pushed more by the algorithm.

  1. Step-by-step-guide

the video is a step-by-step guide that is somewhat fast-paced. This creates a natural flow for the video as the viewer hooked by the intro would probably stay till the end to see the results.

Also, this video is based on AI tools, which is a trending topic right now.

Stop this (3/3)

Title framework: Stop [negative action]. [call to action]

Why this works:

  1. timing — this video is published at a time when the search volume for the keyword brain rot is trending (don’t believe me? Search “brain rot“ in Google trends for the past 12 months)
  2. pain — by addressing a pain point (mindless scrolling and consuming low-quality content) this video connects with an audience who are looking for a solution.
  3. desire — people want to get out of their negative habits

Examples of titles:

  1. Stop binge-watching. Take control of your time
  2. Stop losing clients. Stop using FB ads
  3. Stop Bad Posture. Fix Your Back
  4. Stop Fear of Rejection. Build Your Confidence

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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