I uploaded what I thought was just a GENERIC reaction video.
Seven days later? Five views. Brutal.
Instead of sulking, I pulled the data and dissected every mistake i made from a lifeless title to a thumbnail that basically says “guy reacts to a cartoon.”
Here’s the full autopsy and what I’m changing next.
Here’s the raw data: the video is called “TRUE Night Horror Stories.”
Not exactly a scroll-stopping headline.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned on YouTube so far is simple but brutal:, make it ridiculously easy for the algorithm and real people to know what your video is about. Your title is the hook, the SEO, and the first impression all in one.
With that in mind, here’s the autopsy and the change I’m implementing.
Current Title Is Too Generic
“TRUE Night Horror Stories” is bland.
It’s not searchable enough, and people aren’t typing exactly that into YouTube.
It doesn’t spark curiosity or urgency.
It buries the hook, “TRUE” isn’t the emotional trigger; the creep factor is.
You Missed the Intrigue Play
The best titles either solve a question or provoke a reaction.
Examples from the TubeBuddy suggestions are decent (not the best but better than what i had):
“3 Creepy Night Stories That Will Keep You Up!” (fear + specific number)
“Can You Handle These True Night Horror Animations?” (direct challenge)
Your title doesn’t create that “I have to click” tension. But here is the thing, though, with the rise of AI, spotting an AI title is easier than ever before. Use this carefully, don’t be rash with this. What i’ll be doing in this specific situation is, I’ll be taking inspiration from the AI titles and adding my own twist on it.
Placement & Pacing
Important words need to be front-loaded: “Creepy,” “Scary,” “Can You Handle” all hook the reader immediately.
“TRUE Night Horror Stories” starts slow and reads like filler text, now that i think about it.
Thumbnail and Title Synergy
My thumbnail is solid for reaction (face + animation + “wtf?”) again not the best but we’ll get into that later in this post, but the title doesn’t amplify it.
Pairing my dramatic reaction face with a neutral headline wastes that visual energy.
Analytics Confirm It
Five views and flat watch-time = no click-through. Low CTR usually means the packaging (title/thumbnail) isn’t pulling people in.
That being said, let’s talk about the thumbnail.
Ooof…
Anyways,
Here are all 3 of my thumbnails. I mean, I know for a fact that I am not taking advantage of YouTube’s Thumbnail Test here.
Reason being, it’s apparent that I have not changed anything here but the colours in the thumbnail.
Let’s see. On all three thumbnails, we have the text ‘REAL STORIES’ written in white with a black drop shadow, which makes the text stand out. The image of the animated man is good, but there is no context for what it is, who he is, what he represents, or why he looks that way. There is no intriguing element in this thumbnail besides the “wtf?” element.
There is no Narrative Clue. The viewer can’t tell why it’s scary. There’s no hint of the actual story, no shadow, no creepy text, no danger signal. It’s plain.
Static Visuals: It’s just my face + a cartoon. Horror thumbnails thrive on motion or implied action (a hand reaching, a door opening). Or something along those lines.
One-Note Emotion: My reaction is surprise, but we don’t know if it’s fear, shock, or disgust. It’s vague.
Right now, the thumbnail says, “guy reacts to a cartoon.”
So, that being said here is my to-do list,
Change the title (so much work to do here)
Change the thumbnail (add more intrigue to it)
If im being honest, get a better video topic idea
Let me know what you guys think about this! Comment down below!
P.S. there is a correct answer for the poll above, you dont have one without the other.
Talk Soon,
Sid