Come up With a Video Idea for YouTube

You've got your camera, and you've got your YouTube account, so what do you do now? It's time to make videos! But thinking of something new and exciting to share with your audience can be a challenge. Think deeply about your viewers and yourself and you might have an idea sooner than you think.

Steps

Exploring Target Audiences

  1. Define your demographic. Knowing your audience is vital for figuring out what your next YouTube video is going to be![1] Who is your audience? Gamers? Locksmiths? You can easily do an Internet search to investigate these topics for video ideas, or you could:
    • Conduct an interview.
    • Record your opinions about your genre.
    • Make predictions about fan tastes.
  2. Familiarize yourself with fan communities. Fans are frequently vocal about their wants and opinions. Some fan-fiction has even seen commercial success.[2] Use your knowledge of your fan-base, or the fan-base you would like to have, to better direct your creative energies.[3]
  3. Pose questions to fans through social media. A lot of social media is integrated, making reaching out to your fans even easier. Ask people what they'd like to see, or poll the audience to get some opinions about a question that's been on your mind.
  4. Look at comments made on videos you like. Fans will often rave about their favorite parts of a video, which you can use to your advantage. Can you implement the same technique? How about making a video addressing comments?
  5. Check fan message boards and web forums. Whatever your channel, there's bound to be some forums out there about your topic. Which forums are the most active and what are the topics of conversation? Is there anything your fans are itching to see? Maybe that can be your next video!
  6. Document a public event. This can be anything from your local Cherry Festival to the closing of a historic local building. You can splice this footage into your videos, or add an ominous soundtrack to give the story a different spin.
    • Theme parties are a great place for footage and inspiration. Seeing your friends dressed up as interesting characters might inspire a character of your own.
  7. Consider doing a product review. Find some craft specialty items that you can review or comment on in your YouTube videos. Maybe you can recreate the item, and make a how-to video about what you learned.
  8. Collaborate with friends and other YouTubers. You can always send a message to a YouTuber you admire, asking if they would like to collaborate with you on a project. A script idea that's been floating around in your head might turn into a neat video performed by you and your friends.

Using Personal Experience

  1. Look to your interests. Think about things you like that are related to your channel. If you're a gamer, what games have you been playing? Have you learned anything unique or acquired nifty gear? If you're a fashion star, teach people your trendy tips!! Ask yourself:
    • "How do the things I like connect to my audience?"
    • "How can relate this to my own experience?"
    • "What would I want to see?"
  2. Teach your proficient abilities. Can you open a can of tomatoes faster than anyone in your country? Turn that into a video! Many people have unique ways of doing things, but little tricks you've learned along the way can make your audience appreciate you even more.
  3. Log your routine. Keep a diary of daily events. What was funny? What happened that you can relate to your YouTube audience? Many great comedians use events from their everyday lives for their comedy routines. Put your unique spin on daily events and intrigue your viewers with your perspective.
    • Some creative individuals make brainstorming part of their routine.[4] Try to include half an hour of time in your daily schedule so that you have some time to brainstorm and jot down ideas.
  4. Write a script. Even if you like your YouTube videos to be more relaxed and laid back, writing a script can also be a form of brainstorming. Come up with several complete ideas. They might not be Hollywood ready, but you can use these as a starting point for your video projects.
  5. Take up a cause. Social awareness is important, and you can contribute to a cause near and dear to your heart by raising awareness on your YouTube channel. Always remember to be respectful of the opinions of others. Some social causes you might be interested speaking about:
    • Animal rights
    • Environmental protection
    • School issues
    • Community improvement
  6. Impose, and exceed, limitations. Try to do a challenge with an added limitation to see if you can still complete it. If you want to make and recite a poem, for example, try to rhyme words that end only in vowels. It might be maddening at first, but your self-imposed restrictions might pay off when you wow your audience with your ability.[5]
  7. Source life events. You might have some unique tips for beating nerves at graduation, or maybe something hilarious happened at your sister's wedding. Your audience might want to know! Think about:
    • Weddings
    • Family parties
    • Births
    • Major birthdays
    • Wedding anniversaries
    • Graduations
  8. Find a message. Many artists develop a theme that fascinates them, and explore it thoroughly. What topic do you find yourself returning to time and again? This might not only give you a video idea, it can also attract viewers who want to hear your message.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://icos.umich.edu/sites/icos6.cms.si.umich.edu/files/lectures/MartinsShalley.pdf
  2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/from-fifty-shades-to-after-why-publishers-want-fan-fiction-to-go-mainstream/2014/10/24/825d6a94-5a04-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html
  3. ↑ http://phys.org/news/2015-04-creative-social-media.html
  4. ↑ http://99u.com/articles/7007/how-mundane-routines-produce-creative-magic
  5. ↑ https://ccid2.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/biskjaer-halskov.pdf
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