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.
10,000 hours rule(1/3)
Title: What I Learned After 10,000 Hours of Editing
Title framework: What I Learned After [Action with proof of work]
Why this works:
- credibility — the proof of action in the title (“the 10,000 hours rule”) helps position the creator as a credible source of information.
- curiosity — the audience would want to know what the creator learned after investing a huge amount of time.
How to use:
Use this title to share tips and lessons based on your personal journey.
Examples of titles:
- What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejection
- What I Learned After Building 20 Mobile Apps
- What I Learned After 10,000 Hours of Tennis
- What I Learned After 5 Years of YouTube
It sucks(2/3)
Title: Why It Sucks to Be Born as a Horse
Title framework: Why It Sucks to [unexpected subject]
Why this works:
- curiosity — people may have never thought about the life of an animal before or never thought that it would suck like humans. I have also seen a similar video with T-Rex or Tiger or Lion instead of Horse, they are the most feared predators and no one expects them to have a bad life.
- counter-intuitive — the title challenges conventional thoughts on a subject and the thumbnail amplifies it.
- fun — there is an element of humor in the title and the thumbnail which promises an entertaining video
How to use:
This title works well if you have a unique, strong, or exaggerated view of a subject that people least expect.
Examples of titles:
- Why It Sucks to Do Squats
- Why It Sucks to Be a Left-Handed Person
- Why it sucks to learn coding in 2025
- Why It Sucks to Be a YouTuber
Want To Find Viral YouTube Ideas Just Like This?
Introducing ViralVideoSpy
I have been building this application for the past two months, and I think it is ready to be released to an initial test group of 50 people.
I built this to find the best-performing videos on YouTube and analyze them for this newsletter and my videos.
Here’s how to use it (I will release a video with all the details in next week’s letter):
Use the Outlier filters to find viral videos in your niche then save the videos you want to recreate into your account, after that you can create title variations from this screen using AI.
Note: This is still a beta version, so you may encounter some bugs. Be a sport, and send your feedback using the Contact Us page.
How would you fix this?
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 1 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: How exactly would you fix this? Let’s see
Hook Framework: Using a fake/real comment to create a question and curiosity around the topic
How to use it in your videos?
You can pick a comment from your videos or use an Instagram comment generator tool on the internet to create fake comment graphics from accounts with interesting usernames.
Examples like this hook:
- What is wrong with this exercise
- Is this the best way to cook steak
- When is the next Coldplay concert
Why does this work?
- Curiosity hook
The hook is very generic and you wouldn’t expect it to get viewers’ attention, but surprisingly it did.
The comment graphics and the repeating of the exact words in the video give the viewer a consistent visual and audio experience.
The trick, I think, is to keep the comment short and open-ended so that it is easier for the audience to understand.
- Building tension
As he starts to fix the video, notice how he is pointing out every problem with that. This means that there is more burden on him to fix these points which builds tension in the video.
- Progression/flow
When he is starting to fix the video, he doesn’t do it quickly all at once but takes the viewer through each step.
He releases the build-up tension by solving each of the problems from the previous section one by one, giving the video a nice flow.
- Editing & Music
Here are the things that I liked about the editing:
- focal point — all elements like the a-roll, and the graphics used are always made to appear at a certain position in the video. So the viewer doesn’t have to look all over the screen but at a single portion in the middle where the important things related to the video appear. This improves the visual experience.
- music — using suspenseful music while building the tension was a master stroke.
I mean, these guys are retention editing geniuses so it is not much of a surprise.
Controversy (3/3)
Title: Oxford Mathematician DESTROYS Atheism In Less Than 15 Minutes
Title framework: [Authority Figure] DESTROYS [Opposing Belief/Idea] In Less Than [Time Frame]
Why this works:
- controversial— there is tension in the title and the thumbnail, (showing 2 well-known figures in the religion & atheism niche) audience is always attracted to this negativity. Both Religious and Atheists are likely to click on the video because of this.
- curiosity — people would want to know the arguments from the mathematician and even, how a mathematician can destroy Atheism.
- desire — the majority of the creator’s audience are Christians and they would love to watch something like this, as it confirms their beliefs.
How to use:
Make a list of opposing beliefs or ideas in your niche and start debunking them as an authority figure.
Examples of titles:
- Fitness Trainer DESTROYS Gym Myths In Less Than 10 Minutes.
- Designer DESTROYS Apple’s Magic Mouse In Less Than 2 Minutes.
- Pro Chef DESTROYS Viral Cooking Hacks in 8 Minutes!
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