Video Title, Thumbnail and Content Retention Check

Professional check capability for video titles, thumbnails and content retention based on MrBeast cases, to improve click-through rate and watch time.

When to Use This Skill

This skill will be loaded automatically when the following scenarios are detected:

Users say "check title and thumbnail", "check content retention"
After the first draft of the video script is completed
Users mention "low click-through rate", "short watch time"
Need to optimize video title or thumbnail

Core Objectives

Improve click-through rate: Titles and thumbnails attract users to click
Improve watch time: Good content retention keeps users watching till the end
Build reusable formulas: Standardized title, thumbnail and retention strategies

Check Dimensions

1️⃣ Title Check (Strong Contrast Strategy)

2️⃣ Thumbnail Check (Result Display Priority)

3️⃣ Content Retention Check (Opening Confirmation → Mid-section Surprise → Ending Delivery)

1️⃣ Title Check: Strong Contrast Strategy

Core Principle

Focus on the strongest contrast, do not list all content

5 Strong Contrast Formulas

Formula 1: Quantity Contrast

Format:

Small quantity vs Large quantity

Examples:

✅ "1 Prompt wrote 1000 lines of code"
✅ "3 people vs 300 people team, who will win?"
✅ "Replace 10 tools with 1 tool"

Applicable to: Tutorials, efficiency content, tool content

Formula 2: Price Contrast

Format:

Low price vs High price

Free vs Paid

Examples:

✅ "What's the difference between 200-yuan AI and 20,000-yuan AI?"
✅ "What can free AI do? I tested 10 tools"
✅ "Is Claude 10 times more expensive than GPT worth it for the same function?"

Applicable to: Review content, comparison content

Formula 3: Result Contrast

Format:

Low achievement vs High achievement

Before vs After

Examples:

✅ "300k followers vs 0 followers, I only did one thing right"
✅ "I used 3 tricks to get from 0 to 1000 views"
✅ "The same video got 10 times more views after changing the title"

Applicable to: Experience sharing content, growth content

Formula 4: Strength Contrast

Format:

Novice/Underdog vs Expert/Top player

Examples:

✅ "Novice vs Cursor: Who can write this function faster?"
✅ "I asked AI to compete with programmers, the result shocked me"
✅ "Beginner challenges to develop an App with AI"

Applicable to: Challenge content, experiment content

Formula 5: Time Contrast

Format:

Short time vs Long time

Fast vs Slow

Examples:

✅ "3 minutes vs 3 hours: Is AI programming really faster?"
✅ "I finished a week's work in 1 day"
✅ "It only takes 10 minutes to learn and get started with Cursor"

Applicable to: Tutorials, efficiency content

Title Type Selection Table

Content Type	Recommended Title Type	Example
Tutorial	Result contrast, time contrast	"One Cursor feature doubled my efficiency"
Review	Price/performance contrast	"What's the difference between free AI and paid AI?"
Challenge	Strength/quantity contrast	"Beginner challenges to develop an App with AI"
Experience Sharing	Result contrast	"The same video got 10 times more views after changing the title"

Title Types to Avoid

❌ List type: "5 common features of Cursor"

Problem: No conflict, no suspense
Improvement: Focus on 1 strongest feature → "One Cursor feature doubled my efficiency"

❌ Plain type: "Cursor usage tutorial"

Problem: No attraction, no specific value
Improvement: Add result contrast → "Get started with Cursor in 3 minutes, 5 times efficiency improvement"

❌ Abstract type: "Future trends of AI programming"

Problem: Too abstract, hard to imagine scenes
Improvement: Specific scenario → "I have been writing code with AI for 3 months, and found these problems"

Title Check List

When performing title check, confirm the following items:

Does the title have clear contrast/conflict? (Quantity, price, result, strength, time)
Does the title focus on 1 core point? (Do not list multiple points)
Can people imagine the picture/scenario from the title?
Does the title create suspense? (Make people want to know the result)
Is the title length appropriate? (15-25 Chinese characters, no more than 30)
Is the title authentic? (Can be delivered in the video)

2️⃣ Thumbnail Check: Result Display Strategy

Core Principle

Choose thumbnail strategy according to follower count and content type

Applicable Conditions for Face Thumbnails (Use with caution)

✅ Applicable scenarios:

Follower count > 100k (Face has brand value)
Content type: Challenge, Vlog, high-emotion content
Extreme and consistent expressions (Surprise/excitement/shock)
Fixed thumbnail style has been established

❌ Not applicable scenarios:

Follower count < 100k (Face has no brand value, results are more direct)
Technical tutorial content (Results are more important than emotions)
Different expressions in each issue (Cannot build memory points)

Applicable Conditions for Result Display Thumbnails (Recommended to test first)

✅ Applicable scenarios:

Tutorials: Before/After contrast
Reviews: Product close-up + core data
Technical content: Code/interface screenshot + result display
Follower count < 100k (Results are more direct than faces)

Thumbnail Design Elements

1. Strong contrast

Color contrast: Cold and warm color contrast (Blue + orange)
Size contrast: Enlarge core elements, reduce secondary elements
Number contrast: Large number vs small number (300k vs 0)

2. Visual focus

1-2 core elements: Do not put too many elements
Clear visual center: What users see at first glance

3. Concise text

0-5 characters: Vision is information, use less text
Unified font: Fixed font to build brand

4. Consistent style

Fixed color system: E.g. blue + orange
Fixed layout: E.g. result on the left, number on the right
Fixed font: Consistent thumbnail style for each issue

Thumbnail Type Suggestions

Content Type	Recommended Thumbnail Type	Example
Tutorial	Before/After contrast	Original code on the left, optimized version on the right
Review	Product close-up + data	Product interface + performance numbers
Challenge	Extreme scenario + emotion	Face optional (if the effect is good)
Experience Sharing	Data contrast	Views change curve

Thumbnail Designs to Avoid

❌ Pure text thumbnail: Too much information, no visual impact ❌ Too many elements: Visual confusion, no focus ❌ Different style for each issue: Cannot build memory points

A/B Test Suggestions

Prepare 2 thumbnails for the same video

A: Face thumbnail (if you want to test)
B: Result display thumbnail
Record click-through rate data, keep the one with better effect

Thumbnail Check List

When performing thumbnail check, confirm the following items:

Does the thumbnail type match the content and follower count? (Result display first)
Does the thumbnail have strong contrast? (Color, size, number)
Does the thumbnail have clear visual focus? (1-2 core elements)
Is the thumbnail text concise? (0-5 characters)
Is the thumbnail style consistent? (Color system, layout, font)
Does the thumbnail echo the title? (Dual attraction of vision + text)

3️⃣ Content Retention Check: Suspense Postponement Strategy

Core Principle

Build suspense at the beginning, exceed expectations in the middle, deliver promises at the end

Standard Retention Structure

标题/封面：核心悬念（最强对比/冲突）
    ↓
开头（前30秒-1分钟）：
- 确认标题内容存在（建立信任）
- 建立悬念："到底能不能做到？"
- 预告后续："但在那之前，先..."
    ↓
中段（主要内容）：
- 主要教学/演示内容
- 加入"意外惊喜"（超出预期）
- 持续提醒悬念："快了，马上就到..."
    ↓
结尾（最后1-3分钟）：
- 兑现标题承诺（展示核心内容）
- 总结要点
- Call to Action（关注/点赞/评论）

Duration Control Guide

Total Video Duration	Opening Confirmation	Mid-section Content	Ending Delivery
3-5 minutes	30 seconds	2-3 minutes	1 minute
5-10 minutes	1 minute	6-7 minutes	2 minutes
10-15 minutes	1-2 minutes	8-10 minutes	3 minutes

Retention Check Example

Example: Tutorial Video

Title: One Cursor feature doubled my efficiency

✅ Correct Retention:

Opening (30 seconds):

"Cursor has a feature that saves me 3 hours per project.
What feature? I'll demonstrate later.
But before that, let's quickly go through the basic usage of Cursor,
so you can understand why this feature is so powerful."

← Confirm the promise exists, build suspense

Mid-section (5-8 minutes):

- Basic function introduction
- Installation and configuration
- Common problems
(Audience: Oh, there are these things, I learned a lot)

← Unexpected surprise, exceed expectations

Ending (2 minutes):

"Okay, now let's talk about that core feature.
This is it (demonstrate)... Look, isn't it powerful?
I have used it for 3 months, and it saves 3 hours per project..."

← Deliver the promise, complete the closed loop

❌ Wrong Retention:

Opening does not mention the title content at all:

"Today I will teach you to use Cursor. Cursor is an AI programming tool..."

Problem: Audience doesn't know when the "efficiency doubling feature" will appear → Drop off halfway

Tell everything at the opening:

"Cursor has a feature called XX that doubles efficiency. Use it like this..."

Problem: No suspense later → Short watch time

Title says A, video is all about B:

Title: "One Cursor feature doubled my efficiency"
Video: Full of basic Cursor usage, no mention of "efficiency doubling feature"

Problem: Sense of deception → Lose followers

Suspense is delayed too long:

10-minute video, only mention the "efficiency doubling feature" at the 8th minute

Problem: Audience loses patience → Drop off halfway

Common Mistakes (Must Avoid)

Mistake Type	Consequence	Correct Practice
Opening does not mention title content at all	Audience doesn't know when it will appear → Drop off halfway	Confirm the promise in the first 30 seconds to 1 minute
Tell everything at the opening	No suspense later → Short watch time	Postpone suspense to the end
Title says A, video is all about B	Sense of deception → Lose followers	Title promises must be delivered
Suspense is delayed too long	Audience loses patience → Drop off halfway	Allocate reasonably according to duration

Content Retention Check List

When performing content retention check, confirm the following items:

Is the core content of the title mentioned within the first 30 seconds to 1 minute of the opening?
Is clear suspense built? (Make audience want to watch till the end)
Is there an "unexpected surprise" in the mid-section? (Content exceeding the title promise)
Is the title promise delivered at the end?
Is the duration of suspense postponement reasonable? (Will not make the audience wait too long)
Is the suspense reminded continuously? ("Almost there, coming soon...")
Is there a Call to Action at the end? (Follow/like/comment)

Complete Check Process

Step 1: Title Check

Identify title type (5 contrast formulas)
Check if it focuses on 1 core point
Check if suspense is built
Check title length (15-25 Chinese characters)

Step 2: Thumbnail Check

Choose thumbnail strategy according to follower count and content type
Check if there is strong contrast (color, size, number)
Check visual focus (1-2 core elements)
Check concise text (0-5 characters)
Check style consistency

Step 3: Content Retention Check

Check if the opening confirms the title promise (30 seconds to 1 minute)
Check if there is unexpected surprise in the mid-section
Check if the promise is delivered at the end
Check if the suspense postponement duration is reasonable
Check if there is a Call to Action

Step 4: Comprehensive Evaluation

Are title, thumbnail and content consistent?
Can they attract users to click?
Can they make users watch till the end?
Is there a clear value proposition?

Reference Resources

/视频创作/_knowledge_base/MrBeast视频封标与承接策略-2025年10月.md

- Detailed analysis of MrBeast cases

/自媒体经验梳理/内容策略/封面标题与内容承接-MrBeast案例.md

- Practical experience summary

Success Cases

A certain AI programming tutorial video: Used "3 minutes to get started vs 3 hours to learn" contrast title, click-through rate increased by 40%
A certain product review video: Used result display thumbnail, watch time increased by 25%

Last Updated: 2025-11-07 Applicable Project: Video creation Maintainer: Hua Sheng

Produced by Uncle Hua | AI Native Coder · Independent Developer Official Account "Uncle Hua" | 300k+ Followers | AI Tools & Efficiency Improvement Representative works: Kitten Fill Light (Top 1 on AppStore Paid List) · "Master DeepSeek in One Book"

huashu-video-check

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content (Chinese)

Video Title, Thumbnail and Content Retention Check

When to Use This Skill

Core Objectives

Check Dimensions

1️⃣ Title Check (Strong Contrast Strategy)

2️⃣ Thumbnail Check (Result Display Priority)

3️⃣ Content Retention Check (Opening Confirmation → Mid-section Surprise → Ending Delivery)

1️⃣ Title Check: Strong Contrast Strategy

Core Principle

5 Strong Contrast Formulas

Formula 1: Quantity Contrast

Formula 2: Price Contrast

Formula 3: Result Contrast

Formula 4: Strength Contrast

Formula 5: Time Contrast

Title Type Selection Table

Title Types to Avoid

Title Check List

2️⃣ Thumbnail Check: Result Display Strategy

Core Principle

Applicable Conditions for Face Thumbnails (Use with caution)

Applicable Conditions for Result Display Thumbnails (Recommended to test first)

Thumbnail Design Elements

1. Strong contrast

2. Visual focus

3. Concise text

4. Consistent style

Thumbnail Type Suggestions

Thumbnail Designs to Avoid

A/B Test Suggestions

Thumbnail Check List

3️⃣ Content Retention Check: Suspense Postponement Strategy

Core Principle

Standard Retention Structure

Duration Control Guide

Retention Check Example

Example: Tutorial Video

Common Mistakes (Must Avoid)

Content Retention Check List

Complete Check Process

Step 1: Title Check

Step 2: Thumbnail Check

Step 3: Content Retention Check

Step 4: Comprehensive Evaluation

Reference Resources

Success Cases