After you make an engaging video, your work is not over; next, you have your video’s title to consider. Though it may be a small piece of your video’s content, it is a powerful piece. The title heavily influences whether your video is clicked on or not. Think about all those newsfeeds, friends’ profile pages, and blogs, where your video will scroll by viewers’ eyes — the first piece of content they will read is your title. Needless to say, you want to pick a title that ensures the highest amount of clicks from your target audience.
To write a good title requires that you know the type of content your audience wants, (i.e., a complete breakdown of a topic, a condensed tutorial, a fun quiz, etc.,) and to then package your content accordingly. Here are the top four popular title styles to get your viewers clicking and tips on how to make your title pop.
The Handbook
Ex: Writing Clickable Video Titles From A-Z
Every question or curious thought we have can be Googled within seconds from the palm of our hand, so it stands to reason that we’ve grown accustomed to consuming our information rapidly. Titles that advertise a step-by-step guide or an A-Z breakdown of a topic are such wildly clickable titles for this reason. Even if the viewer isn’t the target audience for the content, the promise of attaining a new skill or receiving a thorough lesson on a new topic–all in the span of time it takes to watch one video–is enticing enough for a click.
If you think that your video content isn’t dense enough to warrant such a hefty title promising an A-Z breakdown, you’re probably selling your video content short. To fit your content into this type of title, you simply need to break down the content into bullet points or list form. This tactic alone will warrant the use of a title that contains the words “Handbook” or “Breakdown.”
The “How To”
Ex. How To Construct The Best Title For Your Video
We love information. On any given day, we might want to learn anything from how to cook teriyaki chicken to learning the basics of car mechanics. Platforms like Pinterest have made it incredibly easy to find a tutorial for literally anything. That is why including words like “Tutorial” or “How To” in your video title will ensure interest. The catch to implementing these words in the title is that your audience will want the content to be concise and simplified. They clicked to learn something quickly and clearly. Unlike the words “Handbook” or “Breakdown” that convey an in-depth discussion on a topic, “How To” titles convey that your content will provide the drive-thru version on the topic.
The “Inside Look…”
Ex. A Look Inside What Makes A Great Video Title
Thanks to social media, today’s Internet users share literally everything about their experiences, and viewers love it. Any title that promises to let the viewer receive news that they would otherwise not be privy to is a very clickable piece of content. It’s all about the “exclusive.” If you make your content sound exclusive, viewers will click just to make sure. Words like, “Here is an Inside Look,” or “Take a Gander At,” etc., work to convey exclusivity. Intrigue alone can garner a click onto your video.
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The “Do You Know..?”
Ex: Do You Know The Four Most Popular Titles For Video Content?
Everyone loves to learn about themselves; it’s a narcissistic tick in the human makeup. It’s also a big reason for Buzzfeed‘s success because who doesn’t want to know which Game Of Thrones character they would be? So when your video’s title promises that viewers will be leaving with new information about themselves, you’ve heightened their interest tenfold. Titles like these are normally attached to content that quizzes the viewer in some way, but it isn’t necessary. Wording the title in a way that asks the viewer how much they know about themselves can cover just about any video content that promises to teach new information. Almost any piece of content can be formed into a personalized question about the prospective viewer.
Utilize these popular title styles and see increased engagement in your videos instantaneously. If you’re running video ads, they A/B testing to see which gets more clicks; that will give you insight on how to title your videos in the future.
