YouTube remains one of the best platforms for creators to earn a living and for brands to get noticed. However, with reports indicating that 500 videos are uploaded to YouTube every day, the competition for visibility on the platform can be stiff. To get noticed, you need to find a content idea that has a ready audience and the topic isn't fully covered.
One of the best ways of getting such a content idea is to do a YouTube content gap analysis. But if you don't have the time to conduct one, you don't have to worry, as we have provided you with a guide for coming up with a YouTube video idea and top ideas to consider.
How to Choose the Right YouTube Content Idea
Many people choose a YouTube content idea based on their passions. However, this presents a challenge: there may not be a ready audience in the niche. Again, they may already have overlapping passions pushing in different directions. To choose the right idea for your YouTube videos, you need to select high-performing topics that match your audience's demands.
There are several ways to do that:
Competitor Analysis
YouTube competitor analysis involves going through other channels in your niche to understand their content strategy and use it to generate your own content. You can conduct a content audit to determine their video theme, lengths, formats, keywords, titles, and other aspects. It can also help you to see gaps in your competitor's content that your content can fill.
After reviewing your competitor's channel, you will begin to see patterns in the kind of content they focus on and the kind they ignore. That is where your opportunity is, especially when you feel that these are topics your audience would be interested in but aren't comprehensively covered.
You can use the following tips to analyze better:
- List 3 to 5 competitors your videos focus on. You can check their previous 30 to 50 uploads to see if there is a recurring theme you can notice and their best YouTube Shorts posting frequency. You can group the video topics according to the category, such as opinion pieces, reviews, and tutorials.
- Check if there are any missing keyword formats or viewers' questions in the comments that aren't comprehensively addressed.
- Create content on the gap. Pick 2 to 3 topic ideas that are aligned with your brand but aren't comprehensively covered, and use them for your video outline.
YouTube Search
YouTube Search can provide important insights into YouTube keywords and trends to use. Begin by typing the keywords related to your niche and let the YouTube autocomplete feature provide video ideas. The suggestions you see are a picture of what people are searching for. Look at the results to see the gaps and choose the one you can fill by offering new solutions and angles. You can also add an underscore (_) before adding the search term to show the phrases people are using before your own keyword.
Comments Section
The YouTube comment section can also provide you with some new content ideas and can therefore be a valuable resource for determining your audience's desires and problems. You need to analyze the top topics and the questions people are looking for answers to. This will provide insight into the areas your audience is interested in. You can then tailor the content to the needs of your audience and create inspirational and relevant content that brings engagement.
YouTube Collaborations
Collaboration with other creators can be a good opportunity for sharing your insights and experiences. For instance, you can reach out to another YouTuber to create a challenge video together. If you are collaborating with a YouTuber from another country, you can break the language barriers by adding subtitles to enable you to get more views. However, make sure you remain authentic and don't infringe on other people's copyrights.
Rehash Your Old Content
If you have an old video that performed exceptionally well and another one got a few views, you can use those insights to determine the kind of content that will resonate with your target audience and use the content format to get new ideas. Don't limit yourself to your channel, and instead check other people's channels for ideas. Also, feel free to criticize your previous videos as long as you focus on the positive.
Create YouTube Polls
We all love polls as they are easy to create and fun. Besides, they can also help to create a sense of community among your followers. You can ask your audience to choose among different content types, formats, and topics. Ask for their opinion on the people you want to see on the channel if your channel is running collaborations. Make sure you also provide the viewers with an option to add their own suggestions when running a poll, which will provide you with more insights.
Make Mind Maps
You can also use a mind map to gather ideas, organize, and connect them. All you need to do is put the main idea at the center before creating branches of related ideas.
You can ask yourself different questions, such as:
- What subtopics should be added to the central theme?
- The current controversies and trends for the topic?
- What different unexpected angles can you explore?
Make sure you jot down all ideas, including what appears silly. You will be surprised at the way those ideas are unrelated.
Top YouTube Content Idea
Now that you understand how to generate ideas for your YouTube videos, let us look at the top ideas to consider:
Entertaining Content
There is no doubt that entertaining content is one of the most popular content formats on YouTube. While some users visit YouTube to learn, others visit to relax and get entertained. That means, as a creator, this offers you a chance to create content that meets their needs. The content format will enable you to show your personality and ensure a loyal audience.
Trends and Challenges
Trends and challenges are also among the top content on YouTube, which can help channels boost their views and grow their YouTube engagement. However, brands need to ensure that the formats are adapted to the niche. For instance, if there is a trending dance challenge, you can create a video on the same as long as it aligns with your audience and niche. You can also showcase your daily routine while adding a trending song or sound.
Educational Content: Training and Tutorials
A Think with Google report indicates that 70% of people visit YouTube to learn something. This is, therefore, a useful content format that will also help to boost your video views and convert viewers of Shorts into subscribers. If you have knowledge, skills, or talent that you think people would be interested in learning, why not create training and tutorial videos? This can be in different categories such as cooking, dancing, or even baking. For instance, if you have a talent for dancing, you can provide a tutorial where you teach simple dance moves. An example of a dance channel is FitLara, where she posts short dance tutorial videos.
The step-by-step tutorials also remain a timeless classic because of their ability to hold people's attention, making them want to watch to the end. Therefore, use them to share tips, showcase the process, and even the mistakes.
Animated Skits
If you want to combine humor with professional content, animated skits are a good choice. All you need to do is create some short content in a simple format with a simple storyline and bright characters. People love humor, and this is one of the content formats that can easily go viral, especially when combined with a short length and format for virality.
This is one of the evergreen content ideas that will continue getting views for years after posting. To use this content format, simply create a scene and a character, and mix the screen recording with graphical inserts. This will not only look appealing but will also enable you to explain those tricky things.
How-to Guide
We all want to learn something, and this is why a how-to guide remains a timeless classic. From DIY crafts to quick daily fixes and solving technical challenges, there are many ideas for which we need solutions. This is why these videos will always remain valuable, as they offer practical solutions that are appreciated by viewers.
If you are a beginner, you should begin with an area where you are comfortable. As you continue to grow your audience, you can then focus on topic diversification. When you offer value to viewers, it becomes easier to turn them into subscribers.
Final Thoughts
The success or lack thereof of your YouTube channel begins with your choice of idea. If you choose a good idea where people are interested in watching videos, you can easily make your content go viral. Therefore, use the tips above and the ideas we have shared to get started with YouTube content ideas.
