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Feeling completely blank when you think about making a YouTube video? You're not alone. It's one of the most common hurdles for new creators. Staring at a blank screen or an empty notebook can feel overwhelming, leading to what’s often called "creator's block." You might think successful YouTubers just have an endless stream of brilliant ideas, but the truth is, they often rely on systematic processes for generating and validating their content.
If you're an aspiring or beginner creator struggling with this, don't worry. Finding video ideas isn't about waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration; it's a skill you can develop. This guide will walk you through simple, actionable steps to get your creative gears turning and move past that initial overwhelm. Overcoming this first step of consistent ideation is crucial, as it's the foundation for creating content and eventually building a channel that can be monetized.
Why Do I Have No Ideas? Understanding the Block
Before we dive into solutions, let's quickly touch on why this happens. For beginners, a lack of ideas often stems from:
- Overwhelm: The sheer volume of content on YouTube can make you feel like everything has been done.
- Fear of Not Being Good Enough: You might dismiss ideas because you think they aren't original or interesting enough.
- Not Knowing Where to Look: You haven't developed a system for finding inspiration.
- Pressure to Be Viral: Focusing only on "viral" ideas can freeze you up, as viral is unpredictable, especially early on.
Recognizing that this is a normal part of the creative process is the first step to moving forward.
The "Ideas Business": A Mindset Shift
Think of YouTube not just as a place to upload videos, but as an "ideas business." Successful creators understand that dedicating specific time to finding and developing concepts is just as important as filming or editing. As highlighted in YouTube strategy discussions, you need to actively seek out ideas, not just passively wait for them. This shift in mindset from waiting for inspiration to actively hunting for it is fundamental.
Starting Point: Look Inward (Your Passion & Expertise)
The easiest and most authentic place to start looking for video ideas is within yourself. What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What do you enjoy learning about?
- Your Hobbies and Interests: Do you love to cook, draw, play a specific game, read, hike, or build things? Your hobbies are fertile ground for content.
- Your Skills and Knowledge: What do people ask you for help with? What have you learned through work, school, or life experience? Even seemingly basic skills can be valuable tutorials for others.
- Your Experiences: Have you overcome a challenge? Learned a new skill? Traveled somewhere interesting? Your personal journey can resonate with viewers.
Starting with something you genuinely care about makes the process more enjoyable and sustainable. Your enthusiasm will show through, and you'll be more likely to stick with it.
Mining YouTube for Ideas (The Smart Way)
YouTube itself is one of the best places to find out what people are watching and what topics have existing demand. Forget about trying to invent something completely new; focus on finding what works and putting your own spin on it.
Browsing and Suggested Videos
Spend time browsing YouTube while logged into the account you use for your channel. Pay attention to the videos YouTube suggests on your homepage and in the sidebar when you're watching videos. The algorithm is trying to show you content related to your interests and potential audience.
Look for videos in niches you're considering that have a significantly higher number of views than the channel's subscriber count. These could be "outlier" videos that indicate a topic with high interest, even if the channel isn't huge yet.
The Power of the YouTube Search Bar
The YouTube search bar is a simple yet powerful tool for idea generation. Start typing broad keywords related to your potential niche (e.g., "drawing," "cooking," "workout"). Notice the autocomplete suggestions that appear. These are based on popular searches people are actually making.
For example, typing "easy drawing tutorial" might suggest "easy drawing tutorial for beginners," "easy drawing tutorial step by step," or "easy drawing tutorial anime." These longer phrases are great potential video titles and topics because you know people are searching for them.
Analyzing Popular Channels in Your Niche
Once you have a general niche in mind, find successful channels within that space. Don't just look at the mega-channels; also find channels that are a bit further along than you but not yet massive (e.g., 10K to 100K subscribers).
Go to their channel page and click on the "Videos" tab. Then, sort their videos by "Most popular." This immediately shows you which of their topics and formats have resonated most with their audience.
For instance, searching for "beginner art tutorials" might lead you to channels like @Anime Charlie (99.6K subscribers) or @Dipanshu arts (14.4K subscribers). Looking at their popular uploads can give you ideas for topics or styles that are proven to attract views in the beginner art space. Similarly, searching for "simple cooking recipes beginner" reveals channels like @quickrecipes-h6q (71K subscribers) and @food yumaroma (15.7K subscribers), which have gained significant views by focusing on accessible cooking content.
By analyzing these successful videos, you can identify patterns: What topics are covered? What is the format (e.g., step-by-step, talking head, time-lapse)? What kind of titles and thumbnails do they use?
Identifying Outliers and Idea Transfer
The concept of "outliers" is simple: videos that perform significantly better than a channel's typical view count. While complex outlier analysis is advanced, for beginners, it just means noticing videos that clearly struck a chord with viewers.
You can find these by sorting popular videos or by simply browsing. When you see a video with unusually high views for a channel's size, analyze why. What was the topic? How was it presented? Can you create a video on a similar topic with your own unique perspective?
Idea transfer involves looking at successful video formats or topics in a completely different niche and seeing if you can apply the core concept to your own. For example, if a "5 minute home workout no equipment" video (like one from "5-Minute Fitwork" with 449K views, or even "ATHLEAN-X™" with 3.8M views for a 15-minute version) is popular in fitness, could you apply the "5-minute, no-equipment" format to another niche, like "5-minute drawing exercise" or "5-minute language practice"?
Listening to Your Future Audience
Even if you don't have a large audience yet, you can start thinking like you do. Where would your ideal viewers hang out online? What questions do they ask?
- Comments on Other Channels: Read the comments sections of popular videos in your niche. What questions are viewers asking that the video didn't fully answer? What related topics do they wish the creator would cover? These are direct requests for content.
- Friends, Family, and Network: Talk to people you know who fit your target audience description. Ask them what they watch on YouTube related to your niche or what they struggle with. Their questions and interests can spark ideas you might not think of.
Simple, Actionable Idea Starters for Beginners
Based on successful content patterns, here are some easy video types that work well for beginners:
- Tutorials/How-Tos: People search YouTube constantly to learn how to do things. Share a skill you have, no matter how basic it seems. Examples from our search include "How to Draw for Beginners!" which got 20K views, and "Easy step-by-step way to draw a cat" with 21K views, demonstrating demand for simple art instruction.
- Step-by-Step Guides: Break down a process into simple steps. This could be a recipe ("simple cooking recipes beginner" channels like @nomicookinghub-pk with 11K subs show this works), a craft project, or setting up software.
- "Day In The Life" or "Week In My Life": Share your routine or how you apply your niche to your daily life. This is a simple vlog format that builds connection.
- Product Reviews or Showcases: Review items you already own that are relevant to your niche.
- Sharing Your Beginner Journey: Document yourself learning a new skill related to your niche. This is relatable and you can grow with your audience.
- Simple Workout Follow-Alongs: If fitness is your niche, quick, no-equipment workouts are very popular, as seen by videos like "5 MIN Standing Morning Workout" (449K views) or "15 Minute Fat Burning Home Workout" (3.8M views).
Focus on making these ideas as accessible and easy to follow as possible for other beginners.
Systematizing Your Idea Flow with Subscribr
Moving from "zero ideas" to a consistent content schedule requires a system. This is where a tool like Subscribr can help streamline the process.
Instead of scattered notes and random thoughts, you can use Subscribr's Research Assistant to gather potential ideas. As you browse YouTube or the web and find interesting topics or successful videos, you can use the Research Assistant to import information or analyze transcripts, keeping all your inspiration in one place.
When you have a few potential ideas, you can use Subscribr's planning tools, like Frame Development or the Chat-to-Script feature, to start structuring those initial concepts. This helps you refine a raw idea into a clear plan for a video.
Once you start creating and publishing, Subscribr's Channel and Video Intelligence features can help you analyze which of your own videos (and others in your niche) are performing well. This data-driven feedback loop is essential for validating your idea generation process and understanding what resonates with your audience, feeding back into finding more ideas.
Subscribr helps you move beyond just brainstorming by providing a framework to capture inspiration, plan your content strategically, and analyze performance, turning the often-chaotic process of ideation into a more systematic workflow.
Conclusion: The Journey of a Thousand Videos Begins with One Idea
Having "zero YouTube video ideas" is a temporary state, not a permanent one. It simply means you haven't yet developed your system for finding and developing concepts. By shifting your mindset, looking inward at your own interests, actively exploring YouTube for proven topics, listening to potential viewers, and using tools like Subscribr to organize your process, you can overcome creator's block.
Start small, experiment with simple video formats, and don't be afraid to put your authentic self out there. Every successful creator started with their first idea and built from there. The most important step is to start, and with these methods, you have a clear path to finding that first, second, and many more video ideas that can eventually lead to a thriving, monetized channel.
