Evergreen The Cheat Sheet

How to unmidify
your content.

Fundamentals that haven't changed in 10 years and won't change in the next 10. Algorithms rotate. Hooks, pacing, and value are forever. Steal every line below.

Hook

25% weight

Stop the scroll in 1.5 seconds or die.

What scores high

  • Pattern interrupt in frame 1 — jump cut, zoom snap, text overlay
  • Direct eye contact with the camera (not looking off-screen)
  • Bold text overlay stating the most controversial version of your take
  • Curiosity gap — start with the RESULT, then explain how
  • Say the thing everyone else is afraid to say

What scores low (mid)

  • 4-second slow zoom of anything
  • "Hey guys welcome back to my channel"
  • Explaining what the video will be about
  • Generic intros, logos, "today we're going to..."
  • Any intro longer than 2 seconds

Cheat Codes

  1. Start mid-action. Cut the setup. You can always add context later.
  2. Write 10 hooks. Pick the one you're scared to say.
  3. If the first frame isn't a pattern interrupt, delete it and start over.
  4. Rule: if someone scrolling hears silence for 0.5s, you already lost them.

Value

25% weight

Is this video actually worth watching? Be honest.

What scores high

  • Viewer leaves with ONE specific, actionable thing
  • Fresh take — not recycled from 50 other creators
  • Genuine laugh, emotional moment, or "holy shit" realization
  • Framework, number, or receipt — not just vibes
  • You'd watch this if it wasn't yours

What scores low (mid)

  • "Just be consistent" — the most mid advice on the internet
  • Surface-level motivation with no specifics
  • Hook bait with no payoff
  • Recycled takes you heard on someone else's video last week
  • Content that exists to fill a posting schedule

Cheat Codes

  1. BEFORE filming, write the ONE thing the viewer should leave with. If you can't name it, don't film.
  2. Ask: "If they only watch this once ever, is their life actually better?"
  3. Specific > Generic. "$47K MRR from 1 cold email" beats "I got clients from cold email."
  4. If your advice has been given by 10+ other creators, find a fresher angle or don't post.

Pacing

15% weight

Every second without movement = viewers leaving.

What scores high

  • A new visual element every 2-3 seconds
  • Cuts on beats — every emphasis word gets a visual change
  • No dead air — silence between sentences is death
  • Energy maintained or building, never dropping
  • B-roll, zooms, text overlays, angle changes

What scores low (mid)

  • Talking head for 30+ seconds with no cuts
  • Dead air mid-sentence (thinking face, "um...")
  • Monotone delivery with flat energy
  • Same angle, same shot, same energy for the whole video
  • Slow-paced for a platform built for 1.5x speed

Cheat Codes

  1. Cut ruthlessly. If you pause to think, cut that second out.
  2. Vary angles even on a phone — close-up, mid-shot, text card, back to close-up.
  3. Use text overlays as "visual cuts" when you don't have b-roll.
  4. Rewatch your own video at 1x. If you get bored, your viewer already left.

Call to Action

10% weight

End with purpose or end with nothing.

What scores high

  • Specific action — "comment your take" or "save this for later"
  • Loop structure — last frame connects back to first
  • Cliffhanger — "part 2 coming" with actual intent to deliver
  • Question that begs a comment
  • Urgency — "do this before you post again"

What scores low (mid)

  • "So yeah" — signals YOU are bored
  • Video cuts mid-sentence
  • Generic "like and subscribe" at the end
  • No prompt at all, video just... ends
  • CTA nobody would act on

Cheat Codes

  1. Pick ONE action. Not three. ONE.
  2. End with a question they'd actually want to answer.
  3. Make the last frame loop back to the opening visual — algorithm counts re-watches.
  4. If your ending feels weak, cut the last 3 seconds entirely. Abrupt is better than limp.

Visual

10% weight

Bad lighting undoes great content.

What scores high

  • Face lit from the front (window, ring light, softbox)
  • Clean background — plain wall, intentional setup, or relevant b-roll
  • Text overlays on-screen for key points
  • Rule of thirds or dead-center intentional framing
  • Visible eye contact with the camera lens

What scores low (mid)

  • Underexposed face, shadow across eyes
  • Cluttered background — unmade bed, laundry, random crap
  • Off-center framing with no intent
  • No text overlays anywhere in the video
  • Looking slightly off-camera the whole time

Cheat Codes

  1. Shoot facing a window between 10am and 3pm. Free studio light.
  2. $20 ring light. Best ROI in content creation history.
  3. Clean one wall in your house. That's your set forever.
  4. Add 3-5 text overlays per video. Use bold sans-serif, high contrast.
  5. Look at the LENS, not the screen. Practice this — it feels weird but reads as confidence.

Trend Alignment

10% weight

The algorithm rewards fluency. Speak its language this week.

What scores high

  • Current trending audio (even at low volume under voiceover)
  • Format matches platform — vertical for TikTok/Reels/Shorts
  • Aware of current meta — remixing what's working THIS week
  • Platform-native conventions (captions, specific cut styles)
  • Reacting to/remixing a viral moment while it's still hot

What scores low (mid)

  • Horizontal YouTube video dumped on TikTok
  • Outdated format (trends 6+ months stale)
  • No trending sound when one would fit
  • Ignoring what's working on the platform this week
  • Using #fyp and other saturated hashtags as your main strategy

Cheat Codes

  1. Spend 10 min/day on the FYP BEFORE you film. Non-negotiable.
  2. When you find a trending sound that fits your topic, use it at 10-15% volume under your voiceover.
  3. Niche hashtags (under 1M posts) + 1-2 broad = ideal mix. Never just #fyp.
  4. Study 3 viral videos in your niche THIS WEEK. What are they all doing?

Audio

5% weight

Bad audio is an instant skip.

What scores high

  • Clear, audible vocals with no background noise
  • Varied vocal energy — emphasis on key words
  • Trending sound layered under voiceover at 10-15%
  • No dead silence where music would fit
  • Audio peaks consistent across the video

What scores low (mid)

  • Muddy/echo-y audio from far-mic phone recording
  • Flat monotone the entire video
  • Loud AC, fan, traffic, or room tone bleeding in
  • Silent video with no music where music would fit
  • Audio clipping on loud moments

Cheat Codes

  1. Speak 20% louder than feels natural. Most creators undershoot.
  2. $30 wired lav mic into your phone. Night-and-day quality upgrade.
  3. Record in a small carpeted room. Hard floors = echo = amateur sound.
  4. Always add ONE audio layer: trending sound OR ambient music OR sfx. Silence reads as unfinished.
  5. Listen back with AirPods. If anything sounds off, re-record.

One rule above all

"Polished slop is still slop."

You can nail the hook, the pacing, the visuals, the CTA — and still post mid content if the video doesn't deliver anything. Start with value. Everything else sharpens it.

Ready to put it into practice?

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