Sometimes a title that works well for getting people to click on a video explainer, isn’t always good at getting them to share it.
Consider this book, titled “An Idiot’s Guide to the Middle East Conflict.” Using the framing of “Idiot’s Guide…” is great because it reassures the reader that the topic will be explained simply and clearly.
However, this framing works less well if you hope for it to be shared on social media because it says (subtly) that the sharer is… well, an idiot.
I call this the “idiot signalling problem” and it’s especially relevant when we’re making explainers.
However, if you can find a different framing for your explainer — for example using the misconceptions or myth-busting formula — the same content can become a lot more shareable.
