Guide
The 3 mistakes video format: three errors, three fixes
A 3 mistakes video names three errors your audience makes and gives one fix for each. Below you get the timing, an example script, hook lines and caption tips.
In short
- A 3 mistakes video names three errors a specific audience makes and gives one quick fix for each.
- It runs 35 to 50 seconds. The example script below runs 42 seconds, about 10 seconds per mistake.
- It suits brokers, coaches, physios and tradespeople, who win clients by showing what they know.
- Each mistake has to be one the viewer recognises. A mistake nobody makes wastes a third of the video.
- length of the example script below
- 42 s
- mistakes, each with one fix
- 3
- for each mistake and its fix
- 10 s
What is the 3 mistakes video format?
It is a short list video of one person talking to the camera. They name three errors a specific audience makes and give one fix for each.
- The hook names the audience and the number, like three mistakes new landlords make.
- Each mistake gets about 10 seconds: the error in one sentence, the fix in the next.
- The video ends with a short ask, or a pointer to the next video.
- Saying the number at the start helps. Viewers know how long the list is, so they stay for the third item.
- The video sells your know-how. If your product appears at all, it is inside the third fix.
How to structure a 3 mistakes video
Give each mistake about 10 seconds and keep the hook to 4.
- Put the mistake people will argue with first. It gives viewers a reason to reply in the comments.
- Put the mistake your product fixes third, right before the ask.
- If your third mistake is the weakest, move it to second place. The last mistake is the one your ask follows, so end on a strong one.
- If a mistake needs more than two sentences to explain, give it its own video instead.
A 3 mistakes video in 42 seconds
About 10 seconds per mistake: the error, then the fix.
Hook
0-4 s. The audience and the number
Mistake 1
4-14 s. The one they will argue with
Mistake 2
14-24 s. The one that quietly costs money
Mistake 3
24-34 s. The one your product fixes
Recap
34-38 s. All three in one sentence
Ask
38-42 s. Follow, save or tap the link
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Example script: a 42-second 3 mistakes video
This made-up example is a mortgage broker talking to first-time buyers. Each row is one part of the structure above.
3 mistakes example script for a mortgage broker
95 words. Read at a brisk, natural pace, it runs about 42 seconds.
| Part | Time | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-4 s | Three mistakes first-time buyers make before they ever view a house. |
| Mistake 1 | 4-14 s | One. You view houses before you know your budget. Get the number from a broker first. It takes one call. |
| Mistake 2 | 14-24 s | Two. You open a store card for the sofa. New credit a month before you apply can lower what the bank will lend. |
| Mistake 3 | 24-34 s | Three. You compare rates and ignore fees. A lower rate with a two thousand dollar fee can cost more over two years. |
| Recap | 34-38 s | Budget first, no new credit, compare the total cost. |
| Ask | 38-42 s | Save this for viewing day, and follow for part two. |
Part: Hook
- Time
- 0-4 s
- What you say
- Three mistakes first-time buyers make before they ever view a house.
Part: Mistake 1
- Time
- 4-14 s
- What you say
- One. You view houses before you know your budget. Get the number from a broker first. It takes one call.
Part: Mistake 2
- Time
- 14-24 s
- What you say
- Two. You open a store card for the sofa. New credit a month before you apply can lower what the bank will lend.
Part: Mistake 3
- Time
- 24-34 s
- What you say
- Three. You compare rates and ignore fees. A lower rate with a two thousand dollar fee can cost more over two years.
Part: Recap
- Time
- 34-38 s
- What you say
- Budget first, no new credit, compare the total cost.
Part: Ask
- Time
- 38-42 s
- What you say
- Save this for viewing day, and follow for part two.
Hook lines for a 3 mistakes video
The hook says who the video is for and how many mistakes are coming. Fill in the brackets with your own details.
- Three mistakes [audience] make before they [milestone].
- I see [audience] get these three wrong every week.
- If you are about to [action], avoid these three.
- Example: Three mistakes first-time buyers make before they ever view a house.
Where to put captions and b-roll
The captions carry the list. Viewers should see each number on screen as you say it.
- A bold caption style with one or two words per line makes each number easy to read on a phone.
- Put the number on screen as each mistake starts. A big 1, 2 or 3 tells a viewer who arrived halfway where they are.
- The easiest way is in the captions: give one, two and three their own colour so they stand out.
- Say each number out loud as well, so people with the sound on and people with it off can both follow.
- One b-roll clip per mistake shows where one item ends and the next begins.
- Come back to your face for each fix, because the fix is the advice viewers came for.
Common errors in a 3 mistakes video
Most errors come from treating the list as filler around a sales pitch.
- A mistake the viewer cannot picture making is wasted. Pick errors you see customers make every week.
- Making your product the fix for all three turns the advice into an ad. Use it for one fix at most.
- Not saying the numbers out loud is a mistake. People who listen with the phone in their pocket cannot tell where they are in the list.
- A 12-second hook is too long. Name the audience and the number, then start the list.
When to use the 3 mistakes format
It works when you know an audience well enough to name errors they recognise straight away.
- Service businesses that win on trust use it most, like mortgage brokers, physios and accountants.
- Coaches, consultants, estate agents and tradespeople use it too. Their customers are picking who to hire, and three mistakes show what you know in under a minute.
- If you make videos for other companies, you can offer them this format. It teaches their customers something instead of selling at them.
- It also works as a weekly series, with three new mistakes each week.
- As an unpaid post, end on a pointer to part two. As a paid ad, end on the product that fixes mistake three.
Where a 3 mistakes video works
| Platform | Best use | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels and TikTok | Unpaid post or paid ad | Put all three mistakes in the recap, so people save it |
| YouTube Shorts | Unpaid post | Use the hook, word for word, as the title |
Platform: Instagram Reels and TikTok
- Best use
- Unpaid post or paid ad
- Tip
- Put all three mistakes in the recap, so people save it
Platform: YouTube Shorts
- Best use
- Unpaid post
- Tip
- Use the hook, word for word, as the title
Making a 3 mistakes video with Cutroom
Cutroom edits the video for you. You say the list to your phone in one go and get a finished vertical video back.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom adds captions timed to your voice, a headline at the start and b-roll over the words it matches.
- You pick one of 40 caption styles for the whole video. To make the numbers stand out, you select those words and give them their own style and colour.
- You get a 9:16 MP4 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. A 30-second video costs 110 credits.
- Your first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Bold caption styles for numbered lists
Caption styles in the Cutroom editor that keep a spoken number readable at phone size.
Shout
Slam
Brick
Poster
Questions people ask
- How long should a 3 mistakes video be?
- 35 to 50 seconds. The example here runs 42 seconds: 4 for the hook, 10 per mistake and 8 for the recap and the ask. If one mistake needs more than 10 seconds, give it its own video.
- Why three mistakes and not five?
- Three fits in under 45 seconds, and viewers can keep three items in mind. Five either runs past a minute or gives each item 6 seconds, which is too short for an error and a fix. A checklist video suits five short items better.
- Should the product appear in a 3 mistakes video?
- Yes, once, inside the third fix. The first two fixes should be free advice the viewer can use today. That earns you the right to mention a product in the third.
- Do numbered captions matter in a list video?
- Yes. Many people watch without sound, and the numbers tell them where they are in the list. Say each number aloud and give it its own line in the captions.
- Can AI edit a 3 mistakes video for me?
- Yes. Cutroom turns one video of you talking, up to 3 minutes long, into a 9:16 video with captions, a headline at the start and b-roll. A 30-second video costs 110 credits, and your first video is free.
- When is the 3 mistakes format the wrong choice?
- When you have one strong point and two weak ones. Viewers notice the filler. Make the strong point its own video instead, as a myth-busting video or a hot take.
Say the three mistakes to your phone once and let Cutroom edit the video. Your first video is free.