Why Your YouTube Titles Suck (And How to Fix Them)

If your titles aren’t getting clicks, your video is dead before it starts.

Creators obsess over gear, editing, and scripts… then slap on a title like “Day in My Life” or “Vlog #27.” That’s not a title — that’s a tombstone.

Your title is the first promise to the viewer. And if the promise isn’t clear, exciting, or different — it’s ignored.


✅ 1. 

A Good Title Creates Curiosity, Not Confusion

You don’t need clickbait. You need click-interest. There’s a difference.

MrBeast says the key to a great title is creating an open loop. You’re giving them a question they can only answer by watching.

❌ Bad:

“My Morning Routine at 5AM”

(no mystery, no reason to click)

✅ Better:

“I Tried Waking Up at 5AM for 30 Days — Here’s What Happened”

(curiosity, stakes, payoff)


✅ 2. 

You’re Not Writing a Title — You’re Writing a Headline

Hormozi says: “You’re not competing with other YouTubers — you’re competing with everything else on their phone.” Your title has to interrupt.

Example:

Compare these:

  • “How to Grow on YouTube” ← generic, low stakes
  • “Why You’re Still Stuck at 100 Subs (Do This Instead)” ← specific, confrontational, interesting

The best headlines call out a problem, promise a result, or challenge the viewer’s beliefs.


✅ 3. 

Make One Promise. No More. No Less.

A mistake beginners make is cramming too much into the title.

MrBeast titles are short and punchy:

  • “I Gave $1,000,000 To Random People”
  • “I Survived 50 Hours in a Prison”Each makes one clear promise.

❌ Don’t do this:

“How to Grow Fast on YouTube With Titles, Thumbnails, Shorts, and SEO”

✅ Do this:

“How I Got 1,000 Subs From One Video Title”


✅ 4. 

Your Title Is a Setup — The Video Must Be the Punchline

Nothing destroys trust faster than a title that over-promises and under-delivers.

MrBeast says the title and thumbnail should be a mini version of the video. If you title it “I Spent 24 Hours in a Haunted House,” and then it’s mostly you eating snacks and talking to the camera — you’re finished.

The best content fulfills the promise of the title. Over-delivers, even.


✅ 5. 

If You Wouldn’t Click It, No One Else Will

You’re not the exception. You’re the rule. Look at your last video title and be brutally honest:

Would you click that if it came from someone with 100 subs?

If not, it’s not a title problem — it’s a self-awareness problem.

Application:

Study viral titles in your niche. Copy the format, not the words.

Use tools like TubeBuddy or vidIQ to see top-performing titles.

And when in doubt — test, test, test.


🚀 Final Word:

A great title is not clever. It’s not poetic.

It’s clear, specific, and curiosity-driven.

If your title doesn’t sell the click, your content doesn’t matter.

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