Hooking your audience is a superpower.

Unfortunately, most people don't know how to write a good hook.

Let's change that:

Here's 3 examples of videos before and after they changed titles and thumbnails...to help you master how to hook your audience.

- Tyler 📈

One Million Views In ONE VIDEO

Old Title ‣ I Played Every God Of War Game Ever !
New Title ‣ I Played Every God Of War In ONE VIDEO!

Old Thumbnail▾
​Man sitting in center frame,
Holding up God of War game cover,
Tall stacks of games on left and right.

New Thumbnail▾
​God of War 1 on left with "2005" white text,
God of War Ragnarok on right with "2023" white text.

Views boost ‣ 1,399,867+

Clickable factors▾

Clear

• The title and thumbnail for "I Played Every God Of War Game Ever" sounds like a talking head video telling you about the journey.
  
  But "I Played Every God Of War In ONE VIDEO!" is a much clearer hook and will interest more people to watch.
  
  Making your video immediately clear increases the chances of a click.

Number

• Adding a number to your title and/or thumbnail makes the videos goal more believable and tangible to the viewer.
  
  Saying "in One Video" guarantees the viewer will see the journey from beginning to end.
  
  Putting the years "2005" and "2023" shows the time jump viewers can expect when watching.

Transformation

• Showing the change or evolution of something displays visible progress, which can be personally satisfying for the viewer.

How to copy this packaging▾

1. Try split-screen thumbnail formats that show before and after an event. ​ ​

2. Use bigger imagery in thumbnails. The game cover in the first thumbnail is way too small to see at a quick glance. ​ ​

3. Show, don't tell. In this example, using a screenshot between the oldest and newest game is more effective at raising curiosity than holding the game with a blank expression on your face.

_______________

Views On A Budget

Title ‣ Make your VIDEOS look like MOVIES - 5 tips for CINEMATIC VIDEO (on a budget)

Old Thumbnail▾
​Sideview of woman in black touching glass,
reflection of hand on glass,
"NETFLIX on a budget" text.

New Thumbnail▾
​Front view closeup of woman in white,
"NETFLIX on a budget" text.

Views boost ‣ 243,900+

Clickable factors▾

Clear

• The new thumbnail is a much better choice to catch people's attention. ​
  
  Good quality, lighting, and the front-facing close-up shot of a beautiful woman's face paired with this title makes the video much more desirable.

Benefits

• Showing the benefits of watching makes the video more achievable to the viewer.
  
  The thumbnail implies that the viewer can replicate this shot on their own.
  
  Creators are always trying to improve their video quality and shot layouts, so this gives a realistic example of what they can achieve.

Easy

• "Netflix On A Budget" is an eye-catching, yet broad statement that attracts many aspiring creators or filmmakers.

How to copy this packaging▾

1. Always design your thumbnail with good quality and bright lighting. ​ ​

2. Contrast. Contrast. Contrast. ​

A blonde woman wearing white against a dark background is much easier to see than a brunette woman wearing black against a dark background. ​ ​

3. Try selecting still frames that appear to be captured during the actual video when creating your thumbnail, so viewers know what to expect.

_______________

It's Not About Luck

Old Title ‣ How to create a killer YouTube edit (to blow up your channel)
New Title ‣ How To Create a Killer YouTube Edit (From a Video Editor)

Old Thumbnail▾
​Wide angle shot,
Man wearing hoodie holding laptop,
sitting on yellow couch,
"It's not about luck" white text with YouTube logo.

New Thumbnail▾
​Man in white t-shirt pointing over shoulder,
background showing Premiere Pro editing timeline,
"DELETE THIS" white text with red arrow pointing at timeline.

Views boost ‣ 32,898+

Clickable factors▾

Open loop

• The new packaging generates instant curiosity that will drive the viewer to click.
  
  A red arrow pointing at the editing timeline with the text "DELETE THIS" creates a wide range of questions that need to be answered. ​ ​
  
  e.g., "What is that clip I should delete?", "Am I doing something wrong?", "What else am I missing from my edits?", etc.

Clear

• Vague or confusing packaging takes viewers too long to figure out what your video is about, and they will keep scrolling. ​
  
  "It's not about luck" in the thumbnail can be confusing and doesn't align with the title. ​
  
  Many creators might already think it's not about luck, so you're alienating potential viewers by answering the title question poorly. ​
  
  A red arrow pointing with text "DELETE THIS" is a more forceful answer to the title question.

Target audience

• The new packaging is more related to the viewers interests. ​
  
  Showing the editing software timeline is instantly more recognizable to video editors.

Authority

• Boost your videos credibility by including your expertise and credentials in the title. ​
  
  "From A Video Editor" makes the video more trustworthy to people who don't identify as a professional editor, and they will be interested in what you have to say.

Benefits

• Again, a red arrow pointing with text "DELETE THIS" is a cheat code. ​
  
  Showing the potential benefits of watching makes the video outcome more realistic to the viewer.

How to copy this packaging▾

1. Instead of using a generic image of yourself, focus your thumbnail on the most impactful part of the video. ​ ​

2. Select still frames captured during the video's key moments when creating your thumbnail. ​

​3. Write a hook more related to your target audience and viewers interests.​ ​ ​

4. Don't use confusing language in your thumbnail that refutes the title. ​ ​

5. Reuse popular thumbnail designs from top channels in your niche. ​

Various channels in the creator education niche have used arrows pointing with actionable text for many successful videos.

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P.S. Follow me on Twitter for more strategies @TylerShuman.