Why the awful video titles?

[Aniallation]

Though I haven't been on the forum much if at all the past few years, I still continued to keep up with the main channel and videos that I thought were interesting. The video titles and thumbnails started to contain catchy taglines, but still clearly explained what the product is and the video was about (ex. "I'm DONE covering for NVIDIA - RTX 3070 Review"). However, as of the past few months, there were more and more videos with absolutely nothing in the title or description that explains what it is about, and more and more often they are just downright clickbait.

 

Who came up with this idea, and are we going to go back to clear titles and thumbnails that actually tell the viewer what they're clicking on before watching the video?

[Kilrah]

Youtube algorithm happened...

 

Seeing the same evolution from most creators I follow. 

[Middcore]

Clickbait works, and Linus has people's salaries to pay. All the time relatively successful YouTube channels go down the tubes just because the Almighty Algorithm nobody at YouTube could actually explain suddenly decides to disfavor them. If your livelihood and the livelihoods of your staff depended on YouTube revenue (which is a perfectly balanced game with no exploits), you would be dumb not to use every trick available to you to maximize it.

 

In short, don't hate the player (Linus), hate the game (YouTube algorithms). 

[Aniallation]

1 hour ago, Middcore said:

Clickbait works, and Linus has people's salaries to pay. All the time relatively successful YouTube channels go down the tubes just because the Almighty Algorithm nobody at YouTube could actually explain suddenly decides to disfavor them. If your livelihood and the livelihoods of your staff depended on YouTube revenue (which is a perfectly balanced game with no exploits), you would be dumb not to use every trick available to you to maximize it.

 

In short, don't hate the player (Linus), hate the game (YouTube algorithms). 

While I do understand this, a lot of other large content creators on YouTube (including in tech) do as well, and they still haven't felt the need to resort to clickbait titles and thumbnails. Yes there's overhead and revenue, but there's still having respect for your audience and viewers. As with everything there should be a line between ethics and profit, even if it swings a lot more towards the latter, rather than just being greedy as possible. 

[kelvinhall05]

Just now, Aniallation said:

but there's still having respect for your audience and viewers

Are you aware that multiple LMG members including Linus himself have mentioned on several occasions that they hate doing clickbait titles but are pretty much forced to by the YouTube algorithm?

[Middcore]

1 minute ago, Aniallation said:

While I do understand this, a lot of other large content creators on YouTube (including in tech) do as well, and they still haven't felt the need to resort to clickbait titles and thumbnails. Yes there's overhead and revenue, but there's still having respect for your audience and viewers. As with everything there should be a line between ethics and profit, even if it swings a lot more towards the latter, rather than just being greedy as possible. 

This is not an ethical issue. Chill out.

[LogicalDrm]

Linus talked about this in some recent livestream. They were supposed to rename videos after the critical window has gone past, so some 1-3 months later. He said he would remind the people to do it more. Buts its unlikely you will see good video titles unless you are willing to pay for them (Floatplane).

[Mark Kaine]

22 hours ago, Middcore said:

Clickbait works

Its often not even clickbait, its just bad. And i dont really understand why yt would prefer bad over normal, same for the thumbnails. I mean did LTT really lose viewers with "normal" titles? Or is it just a trend everyone just does and there's no real benefit?

[Kilrah]

13 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

yt would prefer bad over normal

YT doesn't prefer, it only observes what people click on more and promotes that - and while techy users cringe at this it doesn't change that the vast majority of people do get attracted by those titles and click on them more. The world we live in....

[tkitch]

5 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

Its often not even clickbait, its just bad. And i dont really understand why yt would prefer bad over normal, same for the thumbnails. I mean did LTT really lose viewers with "normal" titles? Or is it just a trend everyone just does and there's no real benefit?

If I see a title that's boring as hell?  I probably won't click on it, unless I'm actively looking for that exact topic.

 

Catchy titles catch more views.

[Mark Kaine]

5 hours ago, Kilrah said:

YT doesn't prefer, it only observes what people click on more and promotes that

 

Right, still other channels do just fine without this stuff, Im just wondering if it isnt a peer pressure thing because some other "tech channels" do it also...

 

20 minutes ago, tkitch said:

Catchy titles catch more views.

yeah, sure. problem is they arent catchy.

 

20 minutes ago, tkitch said:

If I see a title that's boring as hell?  I probably won't click on it

Precisely.

 

[EricX2]

I think the most obvious issue is that it's not "Youtube" that clickbait works on it's humans. Headlines in newspaper as long as there has been print have been written to get people to purchase the newspaper. Add in the algorithm that says "others like this so you will to" and you get the most views from the worst clickbait titles. It takes magic for something else to make a video go viral.

 

Now the issue I don't understand is why do we want to get people clicking videos that once they get past the "bait" they don't like or understand the content? If they stick to the demographic that is into computers their growth will plateau and that's a failure in a business. Meh, it's linus. If we want to understand him it should always be "what will get more views" and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Kilrah]

1 hour ago, EricX2 said:

Now the issue I don't understand is why do we want to get people clicking videos that once they get past the "bait" they don't like or understand the content?

Becasue that doesn't happen, they will typically like them...

 

 

[LAwLz]

On 5/14/2021 at 6:47 AM, EricX2 said:

I think the most obvious issue is that it's not "Youtube" that clickbait works on it's humans. Headlines in newspaper as long as there has been print have been written to get people to purchase the newspaper. Add in the algorithm that says "others like this so you will to" and you get the most views from the worst clickbait titles. It takes magic for something else to make a video go viral.

 

Now the issue I don't understand is why do we want to get people clicking videos that once they get past the "bait" they don't like or understand the content? If they stick to the demographic that is into computers their growth will plateau and that's a failure in a business. Meh, it's linus. If we want to understand him it should always be "what will get more views" and there is nothing wrong with that.

Exactly. 

Everyone who keeps blaming "the algorithm" clearly has no idea what they are talking about and just want a scapegoat. 

There are plenty of YouTube channels that thrive without using awful titles.

 

MKBHD also makes tech videos and has very clear and easy to understand titles. He doesn't need to "appease the algorithm". 

 

It just depends on what type of content you make, what audience you want to attract and how many views you want. 

When you tubers say they need to "follow the algorithm" or do things "because the algorithm" they aren't saying "I need to do this or else my channel will die". They are saying "I do this because it's an easy way to make more money, and I care more about money than appeasing my fans". 

 

You can liken it to real journalism. 

The channels that constantly try to "play the algorithm" are the Vox media and Buzzfeed of YouTube. Their primary goal isn't to make good content. It's to maximize profits. 

 

Meanwhile, channels that just do whatever they want because it's what results in the best content (in their eyes and often time the viewers eyes) are like more serious news outlets like let's say Reuters, or whatever. 

They don't get as many clicks, but their content quality is way higher because that's their focus. 

[NineEyeRon]

It’s just a title/thumbnail, it won’t hurt you

[Rex Hite]

There may be a disconnect between the thumbnail/title and how seriously they claim they want to be treated by the audience and the companies when items are submitted for review.

Claims of ethical standards are strained when before the video is even seen the viewer is confronted with a compromise made for the sake of revenue.

If it's understood that thumbnail/title is not to be taken seriously because it's just  gaming an algorithm, then maybe it's fair to question what else is being gamed.

 

LMG is not doing PR for pharmaceutical companies and the health industry or, food, water or air so, I wouldn't want to overstate any ethical concerns. They do PR mostly for "toy" and lifestyle companies and so that should be kept in perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Aniallation]

On 5/15/2021 at 1:29 AM, LAwLz said:

Exactly. 

Everyone who keeps blaming "the algorithm" clearly has no idea what they are talking about and just want a scapegoat. 

There are plenty of YouTube channels that thrive without using awful titles.

 

MKBHD also makes tech videos and has very clear and easy to understand titles. He doesn't need to "appease the algorithm". 

 

It just depends on what type of content you make, what audience you want to attract and how many views you want. 

When you tubers say they need to "follow the algorithm" or do things "because the algorithm" they aren't saying "I need to do this or else my channel will die". They are saying "I do this because it's an easy way to make more money, and I care more about money than appeasing my fans". 

 

Thank you, finally someone who gets it.

 

It's honestly disappointing to see all the people blaming it on the yOuTuBe AlgOriThM to defend the practice. It has nothing to do with the algorithm. I personally know people who were actually affected by the algorithm, which turned off commenting on their videos, drastically reducing their audience, and they're no longer able to make enough off YouTube for a living, actually having to change their career path and only doing YouTube as a hobby for their remaining fans and small Patreon supporter group. THAT'S being affected by the algorithm. 

 

Intentionally making clickbait because you want to make more money, isn't something that you can blame them for as a business, but saying that it's YouTube's fault for it, who have LMG's back as a major content creator, is just complete BS. 

 

You can be a good tech content creator without having to resort to doing so.

 

On 5/13/2021 at 11:31 AM, LogicalDrm said:

Linus talked about this in some recent livestream. They were supposed to rename videos after the critical window has gone past, so some 1-3 months later. He said he would remind the people to do it more. Buts its unlikely you will see good video titles unless you are willing to pay for them (Floatplane).

 

Public image.

[Kilrah]

1 hour ago, Aniallation said:

You can be a good tech content creator without having to resort to doing so.

You can, but if you want to become an even bigger one this helps. It's obviously the choice they've made and as you said

 

1 hour ago, Aniallation said:

isn't something that you can blame them for as a business

 

Basically if you don't like, don't watch?

[Avocado Diaboli]

They've addressed this a few years ago already in a video

 

[thrasher_565]

On 5/12/2021 at 6:09 PM, kelvinhall05 said:

Are you aware that multiple LMG members including Linus himself have mentioned on several occasions that they hate doing clickbait titles but are pretty much forced to by the YouTube algorithm?

at one time he promised he didn't have to give in to company's he did not like.  ya maybe he wouldn't be so big today but he broke his promises....i mostly stopped watching his videos. last one i looked at "how to build a rgb pc" but what i got was pike these argb parts and slap it in there on top of that was how to build a pc...

 

i thought for once there be and informative video on the rgb mess that thousands com-plane on HIS forms about but nop.

[thrasher_565]

On 5/13/2021 at 8:39 PM, tkitch said:

If I see a title that's boring as hell?  I probably won't click on it, unless I'm actively looking for that exact topic.

 

Catchy titles catch more views.

but when you watch the video and find out its not about the title you get mad right?

[thrasher_565]

On 5/15/2021 at 12:29 AM, LAwLz said:

When you tubers say they need to "follow the algorithm" or do things "because the algorithm" they aren't saying "I need to do this or else my channel will die". They are

this linus dosnt need to do anyhing as he said he pays his people what he can even if things go bad so he just doing it for the money...

[thrasher_565]

On 5/15/2021 at 7:15 AM, NineEyeRon said:

It’s just a title/thumbnail, it won’t hurt you

wastes my time. i value my time thx

[thrasher_565]

6 hours ago, Kilrah said:

You can, but if you want to become an even bigger one this helps. It's obviously the choice they've made and as you said

 

 

Basically if you don't like, don't watch?

who was saying that linus need to go bigger? i didn't for one i use to watch his stuff because it was the truth.

[BondiBlue]

9 minutes ago, thrasher_565 said:

wastes my time. i value my time thx

How on earth does a clickbait title waste your time? Also, using the MultiQuote feature would be nice.