This video got:

- 150k+ views

- 1/10 (ranking by views)

- 100x outlier

The title and thumbnail (packaging) played a huge role in this video’s success.

Here’s why the packaging worked and 7 strategies you can steal:

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The Title:

“The Secret Company That Owns 30% of ALL YouTube Subscribers”

1) Curiosity: The text “Secret Company” induces curiosity

- Creates an information gap:

Something important is hidden, and people are naturally motivated to fill that gap. It makes them wonder,

“what is this company? and why don't I know about it?”

- Creates Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Knowing there's a "secret" can trigger FOMO. Viewers may feel that if they don’t watch the video, they'll miss out on crucial information that could affect them in some way

- Creates an Emotional Appeal:

The idea that viewers may be unknowingly controlled or influenced by this "secret company" could create emotions like frustration, curiosity, or even fear of being manipulated.

People often click when they feel there’s something they should know but don’t.

2) Scale & Shock Factor: The text “30% of ALL” brings in scale and a subtle shock factor.

- Total Subscriber Base:

There are over a billion total subscribers on Youtube. Saying "30% of ALL" refers to a massive chunk of Youtube. It's not 30% of a small segment or niche…it's 30% of billions…instantly bringing the scale to the viewer's mind.

The word “subscribers” also directly addresses anyone that is familiar with Youtube. It targets creators & viewers.

- Shock Factor:

The idea that a single company could own 30% of all subscribers is shocking, which hooks people into wanting to know more details about this claim.

The title:

- is short and simple

- instantly triggers curiosity

- shows scale/influence

- directly address a specific audience

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The Thumbnail:

1) Curiosity Gap:

The faceless figure is the biggest source of the curiosity gap. It makes you start asking questions, that can only be fulfilled by CLICKING the video.

“Who is the company?”

“Who is this person behind the company?”

“How can they own 30% of YouTube subscribers?”

“Is this some kind of YouTube secret nobody talks about?”

“Is it even possible for one company to control that much of YouTube?”

2) Social Hacking:

This thumbnail effectively uses social hacking.

But you need to understand Familiarity Bias first:

Our brains are naturally drawn to what we are familiar with, specifically to who we know, like, and/or trust.

This thumbnail uses two of the biggest creators’ faces to its advantage as the familiarity bias, MrBeast and Ryan Trahan.

You are naturally attracted to the video because of familiarity bias and now you want to click as those two familiar faces only create more curiosity.

“Are big Youtubers involved with this company?”

“Is this company behind the success of top channels?”

“How deep is this company’s influence on popular creators?”

“Could my favorite Youtubers be connected to this?”

3) Tension/Emotion:

Tension/Emotion is super important in thumbnails because it induces more curiosity.

- The duct tape on both MrBeast and Ryan Trahan immediately signals something is wrong. It represents silencing or censorship, which creates emotional tension because viewers are left wondering why these well-known creators are being “silenced.” This taps into emotions like frustration, fear of suppression, or curiosity about what they’re not allowed to say.

- Both MrBeast and Ryan Trahan’s eyes are focused toward the viewer, creating a sense of direct engagement. This eye contact draws the viewer in, making them feel as if they are part of the situation. It's almost like they’re being involved in the secret or conspiracy being hinted at in the thumbnail.

- The wide open, almost blank white eyes could show fear/surprise. This creates an emotional hook because the audience is left wondering what these creators are witnessing or what they are part of.

4) Text:

The thumbnail uses text effectively to add more to the thumbnail. It complements the title. It is direct/powerful. It is also legible and bold.

5) Colour Psychology:

Every colour has a meaning.

The thumbnail uses red and black.

Red represents:

- Danger

- Bad

- Urgency

- Destruction

Black represents:

- Dramatic

- Suppression

- Mystery

- Power

The thumbnail also follows simple composition rules like a simple background, simple layout & leading lines.

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This is how you can nail your next video’s packaging.

But remember, the success of every video also depends on the idea behind it.

Your thumbnail and title can only go so far…if the video idea isn’t good, even great packaging won’t save it.

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Thanks for reading! Hope you learned something from this and follow me for more of these breakdowns!