{"id":11230,"date":"2019-08-06T14:05:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T12:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/?p=11230"},"modified":"2025-07-21T14:23:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T12:23:22","slug":"how-to-create-effective-video-titles-to-win-clicks-and-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powtoon.com\/blog\/how-to-create-effective-video-titles-to-win-clicks-and-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create Effective Video Titles to Win Clicks (& Customers)"},"content":{"rendered":"Read Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes <\/span><\/span>\n

Titles. Six letters. Two vowels. And a whole lot of judgement. No matter if we\u2019re talking about a title for a book, a job position, or your next big video, crafting an effective title can be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing about titles is that they give people a first impression of who you are, even before they click on your thumbnail<\/a> or hit play. Titles are the essence of your video\u2019s message and creating an effective<\/em> video title is to create the ultimate clickbait for your video content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how can you, as a video marketer, create the most effective titles for your videos<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get to the bottom of it, our Chief Evangelist, Renee Teeley, met up with the Director of Video at TubeBuddy<\/a>, Andrew Kan. Get ready to talk all about how you can craft the most effective titles that get people clicking on your content<\/strong>. Hint: It\u2019s all about knowing your limits. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s fly! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Effective Title Is a Title That Teases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When creating video content, and the titles that go along with them, it\u2019s important to think about what your target audience needs to know. Too often, video marketers are so in the mindset of what they already know and take for granted. When this happens it can be hard to zoom out<\/a> and envision the knowledge gaps of their audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So before you start filming or deciding how you\u2019ll frame a video with a title, think about that gap and what your viewers want and need<\/em> to know. Create content and effective video titles that play into the expertise itches they can\u2019t seem to scratch. Do that, and you\u2019re looking at a lot of prospective customers and clients eager to dive into your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Titles that best highlight viewer weaknesses are just about guaranteed to win the click. Think of it as a mini teaser to your video. Here are some ways to do this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Include numbers (especially prime or odd numbers)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Place your SEO keywords at the beginning of the title so it won\u2019t get cut off accidentally<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Create FOMO by using words like \u201csecret\u201d or \u201cexclusive\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Show brand expertise with by including phrases like \u201cexpert advice\u201d or \u201cpro-tips\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Use emotional words (but more on this soon)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Do all this and you\u2019ll be able to tee-up what your video is about, while creating real excitement for your audience to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Playing the YouTube Game\u2026to a Point <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve said this before in this blog series, and we\u2019ll say it again: YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world!<\/em> So once you know what your video is going to be about and the need it fills for your audience, it\u2019s time to figure out how to make that searchable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To do this, you\u2019re going to need to do some research. See how<\/em> your target audience would ask that question about the gap in their knowledge base. There are a number of great ways to do this<\/a>, but don\u2019t get caught up in trying to appease the YouTube algorithm. At the end of the day, you\u2019re audience isn\u2019t the YouTube gods; it\u2019s human beings! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Remember that effective video titles aren\u2019t a hard SEO science, but an art that tugs at the heartstrings of human viewers. That\u2019s why bringing emotion to a title is equally important to searchability. By telling your audience how they will be affected by your video in the title, you will help them envision a future version of themselves, with you at the Wiz that got them there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Handle Character Limits <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We can\u2019t talk about effective video titles without talking about their character limits. We just suggested a lot of different ways to create effective titles for video. But even teasers, algorithms, and human emotions need to be put into check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    YouTube has a limit of 70 characters (including spaces) to tell your audience everything they need to know to entice them to click. If you\u2019re new to video, this may not seem so bad, but trust me, those characters run out fast! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use tools like TubeBuddy<\/a> or others to optimize your titles, while still keeping within the 70 character boundary limit. Once you do that, you\u2019ll be all set to upload your video to YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Remember That Content Is Key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Think of titles as a book’s cover, but they\u2019re not the book<\/a>! Remember that content is key, so don\u2019t mislead viewers with a title that doesn\u2019t deliver that value in your video. Your title should align with what your video is about. It’s best to reaffirm this in the first 15 seconds<\/a> of your video.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s the result of telling a little white lie in your title? Well, your viewer ends up feeling tricked, and you end up hurting the very trust your looking to build with your videos. If the video doesn\u2019t meet your title’s expectations, it will lead viewers not to take your video thought leadership seriously. The consequence? There\u2019s a good (but sad) chance they\u2019re not going to entrust you with their business needs. It\u2019s as simple as that.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Repurposing Your Video Titles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re anything like me, Season 3 of Stranger Things has taken over so much of my headspace recently. I recently saw a \u201cTitle Teaser\u201d Netflix put out that goes through the names of the episodes fans can look forward to during the summer of 2019. It\u2019s crazy simple, but watch for yourself how gripping it is.<\/p>\n\n\n