← Back to Docs
Recipe

YouTube Title + Thumbnail Copy

Generate high-CTR video titles and thumbnail text that hook viewers in the first scroll. Built for creators who want predictable performance without guesswork.

Ingredients

  • Your video topic or niche (1–3 words)
  • Target audience pain point or desire
  • One strong emotional hook angle
  • Competitor title examples (optional)

Steps

  1. Define the hook.

    Paste your topic and the core emotion — curiosity, fear, desire, urgency. Meridian maps this to proven title patterns.

  2. Generate title variants.

    Run the prompt. You will get 5–7 titles ranked by predicted CTR. Each includes a breakdown of why the pattern works.

  3. Draft thumbnail copy.

    Feed the winning title back in. Meridian outputs 3–5 word thumbnail overlays optimized for mobile readability.

  4. A/B test live.

    Export the top two combos. Run them as YouTube thumbnail tests. Keep the winner, iterate next week.

Pro Tip

Pair this recipe with the Thumbnail Design recipe. Titles and thumbnails are one unit — the best copy flops on a weak visual.