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.
Complete Guide (1/3)
Title framework: Definitive Guide to [desired action] (and [solution to objections])
Why this works:
- desire — people watching this want to buy a Mac mini.
- curious — the thumbnail compares similar setups but one having significantly lesser cost. Answering the objections in the title (NOT Wasting Money) makes the viewer curious about what the creator says.
Examples of titles:
- Definitive Guide To Starting a YouTube Channel in 2025 (and NOT fail)
- Complete Guide To Learning Guitar (and NOT waste time)
- Definitive Guide To Start and Grow an Online Business (from SCRATCH)
Worst to Best (2/3)
Title framework: I Turned a [Poorly Rated Entity] [New Rating]
Why this works:
- negativity & curiosity — people want to see how bad the 1-start-rated train is. That creates a lot of tension.
- transformation — the title and thumbnail indicate a transformation from the initial bad state. Which again adds to people’s curiosity and they want to know how he did it.
Examples of titles:
- I Turned a 1 Star Rated Restaurant 5 Star
- I Turned a 1 Star Rated Mobile App 5 Star
- I Turned a 1 Star Rated Airbnb 5-Star
How to make them watch till the end
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 6 million views on Instagram. Today, we will 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: 1 scene – 10 angles
Hook Framework:
1 [subject] – X [different ways of doing]
How to use it in your videos?
This is so easy to do. Find something that can be done in many different ways in your niche and show them how it is done.
Here are some variations of the hook framework that may work. Find similar ideas in your niche.
- 1 reel, 5 hooks
- 1 business, 10 revenue streams
- 1 vacation, 4 places to go
Note: you don’t need to make sure that you strictly follow this hook framework, you can change it a bit based on your needs
for eg: “1 vacation, 4 places” to go can also be “visit these 4 places in this Diwali vacation“ or “4 places to visit this Diwali “
Why does this work?
- Listicle
This is, basically, a listicle post. The creator used certain tricks to make us feel like it is not a list of things.
He uses no vocal audio (show-not-tell technique) to make the viewer pay attention to what is happening on the screen.
Heck, I even watched it to count if he is actually showing the 10 angles.
The cuts also have an adequate pace, are not too fast to confuse the viewer, and are not too slow to make the video boring.
- Curiosity
The main target of this hook is to make people curious as to how the creator would do this in X different ways
Once the hook opens a loop in their mind they need to know how it is done.
Expectations vs Reality(3/3)
Title framework: If you’re [desired trait] but [undesired trait], please watch this video…
Why this works:
- curiosity — the title makes people curious to know more. It is like an unfinished one or a cliffhanger. You can do this by saying who this video is for, and what problem it solves, but then end it without saying how.
- negative — being lazy is negative for most people, the video calls them out on their pain point which helps get their attention.
- target audience — most of the people in the world consider themselves lazy (even if they don’t say it out loud) so the video can have a huge audience and it talks directly to them.
Examples of titles:
- If you’re creative but lazy, please watch this video…
- If you’re hardworking but broke, please watch this video…
- If you want six-pack abs but don’t diet, please watch this video…
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