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.
Warning Signs (1/3)
Title framework: Warning Signs to Watch for When [Specific Activity]
Why this works:
- desire — the audience of the channel is people above 50 and they would love a video like this
- specific audience— since the video is talking to a specific audience, this would get their attention, and YouTube would push this to more people like that.
- negative — warnings are negative and people will be curious to know it.
Examples of titles:
- Warning Signs to Watch for When Buying a New Home
- Warning Signs to Watch for When Starting a New Job in Your 40s
- Warning Signs to Watch for When Gymming After 60s
- Warning Signs to Watch for When Investing in Crypto
Best and Worst (2/3)
Title framework: Best and Worst [Product] of [Year]… TESTED!
Why this works:
- comparison — comparing the Best and Worst things or one entity vs another entity tends to work well.
- authority — the word TESTED makes the viewer feel like the creator is credible and there is value in the video.
Examples of titles:
- Best and Worst Smartphones of 2024.. TESTED!
- Best and Worst Travel Destinations for Adventurers in 2024.. TESTED!
- Best and Worst Home Workout Equipment of 2024.. TESTED!
- Best and Worst Electric Bikes of 2024.. TESTED!
Show, Not Tell.
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 20 million views on YouTube and 500K+ views on Instagram. Today, we are going to see why it went viral.
Do me a favor 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: Someone asked why firewood axes are always parallel to the axes instead of perpendicular. Let’s do an experiment.
Hook Framework: Someone asked [an obvious question in your niche]. Let’s find out.
How to use it?
Here are some variations of the hook framework that may work. Find similar ideas in your niche.
- Someone asked how to lose weight without dieting. Let’s do some math.
- Someone asked if investing $100 can make you rich. Let’s find out.
- Someone asked if electric cars save more money than gas cars. Let’s find out.
- Someone asked if electric cars save more money than gas cars. Let’s try an experiment.
Why does this work?
- Building Curiosity with a Relatable Hook
The hook used is relatable to the creator’s audience and the general audience. Making it reach a wider audience and gain more views.
Also, the part where the creator says “Let’s find out“ or “Let’s do an experiment“ makes the viewer hooked to the video. Because they are now curious to know the answer to the creator’s question.
How can you do it?
Well, come up with some obvious but not-so-well-answered questions in your niche or experiments in your niche and make a video about that.
Now take note of what the creator has done after the hook.
- Show, Not Tell.
This is the number one rule of good content. Even movies follow this.
The audience will understand a point better if you show them something rather than talking and trying to convince them of it.
Show, Not Tell.
The creator does this with footage of the experiment starting from the axe creation and experimentation, completing a story at the end with the conclusion.
You can do something similar to this in your videos.
If you need to convey a point better, try creating graphics/ animations/ broll videos or drawing something on paper, etc.
This can make the videos simpler to consume increasing audience retention.
I Can’t sleep until…(3/3)
Title framework: I Can’t Sleep Until I [Goal] [Activity]
Why this works:
- curiosity — people who have similar aspirations will be curious to know whether the creator has achieved the goal
- extreme — the challenge is extreme, what if he doesn’t achieve the goal in a day, how many days is he going to stay awake? You see, this naturally creates an open loop in the viewer’s mind leading them to click the video
Examples of titles:
- I Can’t Sleep Until I Bake the Perfect Chocolate Cake
- I Can’t Sleep Until I Solve This Insanely Tough Puzzle Game
- I Can’t Sleep Until I Build the Ultimate PC Setup
- I Can’t Sleep Until I Master MoonWalk
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