5 YouTube title mistakes that make viewers ignore you

Hi - It's Rory.

I want to share my "success of a YouTube video" rule with you:

• 80% of your success comes down to the packaging

• 20% comes down to the video

How did I come to this conclusion?

Because if you can't get the viewer to click, your video doesn't matter.

The viewer won't be watching it.

Yet, one of the biggest mistakes I see YouTubers make is that they neglect their packaging and treat it as an afterthought.

Then they wonder why their views are low.

In reality, the packaging is what you should be spending the most time on.

Today, I’ll break down 5 common title mistakes that are costing you views.

And how to fix them.

Let's do this.

1) Your titles are too long

You have less than a second to capture the viewer's attention.

If your title takes too long to read, they'll scroll past without even considering it.

This is because long titles overwhelm the viewer with too much information and create mental overload.

If they are overloaded with too much information, they won't be intrigued enough to click.

And they'll move onto the next video.

So here's what I want you to do:

• Keep your titles under 55 characters

Each word in your title should be fighting for its place.

If it doesn't add value, cut it.

One other problem.

If your title is longer than 55 characters, it may also be cut off on mobile devices.

Just like this:

A cutoff title confuses the viewer because they don't get the full context.

And confusion = no clicks.

Here's an exercise for you.

I want you to look at this title and think about how you'd rephrase it:

Get creative, but make sure you keep it under 55 characters.

2) Your titles are too generic

A good title creates curiosity or promises value.

A generic title does neither.

Remember, you're competing against millions of videos.

Why should someone click on yours?

Specificity adds intrigue.

Think about what sets your video apart and convey that in the title.

Let's look at some examples:

•  Generic: "My Daily Routine"

• Specific: "My 5AM Routine That Doubled My Productivity"

• Generic: "How I Make Money"

• Specific: "How I Make $10,529/Month Working 2 Hours a Day"

• Generic: "How I Grew My Arms"

• Specific: "I Grew My Arms By 6 Inches (Without Lifting Weights)"

3) Your title & thumbnail don't match

Your title and thumbnail should work together, not against each other.

The first thing a viewer notices is the thumbnail.

Your title should reinforce it and build on the curiosity it creates.

If they send mixed signals, it creates confusion.

And, as we've established:

Confusion = no clicks.

4) Your wording is too complicated

Another mistake I see a lot of YouTubers make is using complicated wording in their titles.

They believe that if they use complicated wording, it'll make them seem more intelligent and more knowledgeable in a certain topic.

Here's the truth:

It doesn't make you look intelligent.

It just makes your video harder to understand.

It also makes the viewer feel dumb, which you don't want.

If you make them feel dumb, they won't be interested in watching your video because they'll think it's out of their depth.

Simplicity wins.

Keep your wording clear, direct, and concise.

Here are some examples:

• Overcomplicated: “An In-Depth Analysis of the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Productivity”

• Simplified: “How Sleep Deprivation Is Killing Your Productivity”

• Overcomplicated: "A Comprehensive Guide to Enhancing Your Efficiency at Work"

• Simplified: "How to Boost Your Productivity at Work (5x Increase)

You tell me, which titles spark more curiosity?

5) Using meaningless words

This mistake is the one that annoys me the most:

Adding words like "vlog" or "episode" in your title.

Nobody is clicking on your video specifically because it's a vlog.

They click because they're curious about the value or the story.

You have to remember that when you are starting out, viewers aren't familiar with you.

So why would they be interested in a vlog about your life?

I'm not telling you to stop posting vlogs. I watch vlogs all the time.

I'm telling you to reframe the title around the intriguing thing that happens in the vlog.

One other thing:

Labelling a video with something like "episode 32" at the end is actually repelling viewers.

Why?

Because it makes them feel like they need to start from "episode 1" to be caught up.

Just like you wouldn't start a Netflix series from the 5th episode.

However, unlike Netflix, the viewer isn't invested enough in your content to scroll back and find "episode 1."

It's much easier for them to just move onto someone else's video.

Make your title about the value, not the format.

I'm looking for 3 creators who are serious about growing their YouTube channel in 2025.

I will help you transform your YouTube channel through:

• Weekly 60-minute consultation calls

• Help with brainstorming video ideas, thumbnails, and titles that are proven to attract loyal viewers

• Detailed analysis of each upload

• 24/7 access to my personal phone number

• Analysis of channel metrics

Basically, I will become your own, personal YouTube coach.

And I'm so confident I can help you grow your channel that I offer a 2-week money back guarantee if you aren't satisfied with my service.

Because I've been able to achieve results like this:

As each channel requires my full attention, there are only 3 spots available.

That's why I'm only working with creators who are serious about growing their channel.

If you're interested in working with me, reply to this email with a link to your YouTube channel and I will be in contact.

This opportunity closes March 30th.

See you next Sunday,

Rory