> The title is your **_what_**, the thumbnail is your **_how_**, and the first minute is your **_why_**[^1] If someone reads it, do they _have_ to watch it? A good title should be so catching that people have to click on it. The title doesn't live in isolation - it has to match the [[Thumbnail]] but also the timestamp on the video. If your video is 20minutes but the title is "i stepped on a bug" people won't click it. Short, simple, and so interesting people has to click. It should lead properly into the content, and explains the length of the video. ## Title Checklist - [ ] Is it under 50 characters - [ ] Is it simple and at a [5th grade reading level](https://hemingwayapp.com/)? - [ ] Is it so interesting that people HAVE to click? - [ ] Does your video deliver what the title promises? (not clickbait) ## General rules & principles #### Under 50 characters Your thumbnail should be under 50 characters to ensure readability on all platforms. Over 50 characters will give you an ellipses `...` on mobile.[^2] #### Extreme <> CTR The more extreme the opinion in the title, the higher the [[CTR]]. The tradeoff is that the more extreme you are in your title, the more extreme the payoff and actual delivery of your content is, otherwise you're click baiting. [^3] [^1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHzXv6b6m20&t=1301s [^2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DBJXRy5dvk&t=263s [^3]: https://youtu.be/9DBJXRy5dvk?si=YrMAw4KsS2ZJcDNy&t=295