7 psychological strategies

to get 34 billion views

1. Novelty Effect

MrBeast Headline: “I Put 100 Million Orbeez In My Friend's Backyard”

Here’s your takeaway:

Consider breaking the reader/viewer’s scrolling pattern by adding some novelty to your headlines.

Here are two ways:

Find the unique angle in your content

Find an unusual character in your content

Examples:

“How Moonlight Walks Skyrocketed My Productivity”.

“Meet the Artist Who Paints With Wine and Chocolate.”

Headlines like these catch the eye without requiring 100 million Orbeez.

2. Costly Signaling

MrBeast Headline: "Last To Leave $800,000 Island Keeps It"

Here’s the 3-step click-through process at play here:

MrBeast lets you know he’s invested a very significant amount of time and money into his content.

This signals to whoever reads the headline that it's probably valuable and worth their time.

They click to find out more.

Here are two examples with a little more subtlety:

“I built a full-scale botanical garden in my backyard”.

“I used only vintage cookware from the 1800s for a week”.

3. Numerical Precision

MrBeast knows that using precise numbers in headlines just work.

Precise numbers are tangible.

They catch our eye, pique our curiosity, and add a sense of authenticity.

“The concreteness effect”:

Specific, concrete information is more likely to be remembered than abstract, intangible information.

“I went through the same drive thru 1000 times” is more impactful than “I went through the same drive thru countless times”.

4. Contrast

MrBeast Headline: "$1 vs $1,000,000 Hotel Room!"

Our brains are drawn to stark contrasts and MrBeast knows it.

Here are a few ways you could use contrast in your headlines effectively:

Transformational Content:

"From $200 to a $100M Empire - How A Small Town Accountant Took On Silicon Valley"

Here you’re contrasting different states or conditions of a single subject.

Transformation stories and before-and-after scenarios.

You’ve got the added benefit of people being drawn to aspirational/inspirational stories.

Direct Comparison

“Local Diner Vs Gourmet Bistro - Where Does The Best Comfort Food Lie?”

5. Nostalgia

MrBeast Headline: "I Built Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory!

Nostalgia is a longing for the past.

It’s often triggered by sensory stimuli - smells, songs, images, etc.

It can feel comforting and positive, but sometimes bittersweet.

Subtle examples of nostalgia at play:

“How this [old school cartoon] is shaping new age animation”.

“[Your favorite childhood books] are getting major movie deals”.

6. Morbid Curiosity

MrBeast Headline: "Surviving 24 Hours Straight In The Bermuda Triangle"

People are drawn to the macabre and the dangerous.

Morbid curiosity explains why you’re drawn to situations that are disturbing, frightening, or gruesome.

7. FOMO And Urgency

MrBeast Headline: "Last To Leave $800,000 Island Keeps It"

Creators, writers, and marketers can tap into FOMO with their headlines without being so extreme.

“The Hidden Parisian Cafe To Visit Before The Crowds Do”

“How [Tech Innovation] Will Soon Change [Industry] For Good”