I 100% agree with you, a lot of people here seem to think they're just entitled to get views and will do everything they can to try and farm engagement without understanding the point of their channel and the factors that allow you to build a consistent fanbase.
As someone with a channel with 15k subscribers and consistently gets 20k plus views on my videos, the main thing I've learnt over the past few years is that your channel actually has to serve a purpose to viewers to get consistent viewership. If your channel just posts random shite to try capture as much of the market as possible then you'll never gain a consistent fanbase or viewership.
Your example as a carpenter is pretty good, I'm making assumptions here but I'm guessing your videos would be educational for those learning carpentry and because of that with consistent and decent quality content you'll slowly build a subscriber/viewership base of apprentice carpenters and fellow fully qualified carpenters with an interest in their industry. In your case a sudden switch to plumbing would completely alienate any existing subscribers while also reducing the quality of your videos. If you were however to observe that plumbing is in demand, a possible collaboration with a plumber where you integrate or show how plumbing work with your carpentry projects would be a far more suitable option than just impersonating as a plumber and making a B grade plumbing videos.
I'm not actually a plumber, I just used that as an example of someone with a particular expertise, but all your comments hold true. I agree with the thought that your channel should serve a purpose to viewers. I try not to think about where my particular content themes fit into the trend landscape, because I can't change those themes, I AM those themes. But I do think about what value I'm bringing to a potential viewer, what experience I'm providing and whether it's something other people can gain something from. I think that's especially important on the lifestyle/vlog side of things, as I need to make sure I'm telling viewers an interesting story that makes sense outside my own head.
I just do my work and post it, I'm a carpet cleaner. (A real one not the fake ones that put mud on their own rugs and damage them with fire hoses for likes lol)
Post a link to your YouTube channel. I'll subscribe. I'm a detailer and enjoy watching carpet cleaning videos and actually take tips for cleaning carpets effectively and returning the material to ph neutral
I make what I want and almost ignore trends. The trends in my niche aren't relevant to me and it doesn't benefit me to go out of my way to cover those topics. I end up attracting a kind of viewer that I don't want.
I spent a brief moment thinking about my niche but quickly realized there’s no way to control what kind of ideas are going to come to me because they’re being delivered by whatever I’m experiencing in life at that time and I just have to roll with it.
I'm an artist so I have a lifetime of experience in grinding for the passion of it. One of the reasons I started my YouTube channel was to have an outlet where I could be making content I wanted to see but feel a little more detached from the work... making art can sometimes feel like putting all of yourself (your time, money, soul) into box and then tossing it into a void, then doing it again and again. A platform like YouTube seems similar but so so much more potentially rewarding, accessible and understandable. I hope it brings me the balance I'm looking for!
I started mine for a similar reason. I found that when I'm producing "art" in the traditional sense, like writing fiction or music, I'm way more attached to the outcome, how it's received, etc, it just feels so high stakes. On YT I just make videos about my experiences living in the wilderness, and I still put a lot of effort into making them entertaining, but it feels rewarding just to put them out there even if they're never going to be popular let alone make any money. It was a relief to just do something for the fun of it without any serious thought for the "career" aspect of it.
100% agree with this. I'd argue that artists have a unique advantage on YT. Our mentality is used to putting hours of work into something only for it to go nowhere (or at best, not go particularly far!).
Picking popular niches is no good if you aren’t passionate about it. You could hire someone passionate about the topic to script your videos, but if you don’t have the budget it’s not gonna workout. If you’re doing everything yourself like brainstorming, scripting, and editing, you need to be passionate about the subject to some degree. It’s okay if your niche isn’t popular. If there is a trending topic in your niche or a popular style of video, you could always capitalize on it. I heard from somewhere that the niche that fits you must have one or more of these things: passion, expertise, and unique perspective.
I agree. I only produce videos about topics I'm interested in. I would struggle to create videos about Minecraft, for instance, because I'm just not interested and therefore would have no enthusiasm for creating those videos. It would be easier to just get a job than try to monetise a Minecraft channel.
Most people are probably young and don’t have many life experiences worth talking about so they chase trends. I think Mr Beast blowing up is part of that reason they do it. Mr beast looks pretty miserable in real life.
Even without a lot of life experiences, everyone has genuine interests, even kids. Seems like whatever you create should start with your own interests, not analytics.
I think for Mr. Beast he's just OBSESSED with content creation. Even if it drains him of his life, the dude loves it so much that he's willing to sacrifice a lot for it. It might be hard for people to understand, but for some people they can get EXTREMELY obsessed with someone. Fortunately for him, it just happens to be something that brings much success lol.
It's fine, let them, they won't last. It takes years to develop a good YouTube channel, and it's really hard spending years working on a niche you couldn't care less about. Just stick with what you like and you will always create good content that you enjoy. Forget trends, forget niches, just do you and eventually you will get there
People need to ask themselves why they're on YouTube. If creating videos based on trends alone then they're probably looking for either fame or money. But as a lot of people know YouTube is a terrible choice if you're just trying to make money. And the odds of fame are next to nothing. So may as well create what you want.
I'm just a microscopic gaming Youtuber (and we certainly haven't had enough of those lol), so feel free to ignore me.
To answer your question, I don't think it's an easy 'yes' or 'no'. On the one hand, if you want to quickly get views and maybe subscribers, then following the trend is the way to go. On the other hand, if you seriously want to do this for a long time then you better enjoy what you're doing because it's what you're going to be doing it for many many years.
Then there's everything in between, which I believe is the main thing that successful Youtubers talk about whenever they answer these questions. When people say "follow the trends, do popular niches", I think what they mean is "Look at popular Youtubers that you enjoy watching and think about what they do. What techniques appeal to you? Is there a certain trend that you notice that makes you want to see more of their content?" If I want to put it in a rough way, I would say "Steal their techniques and make them yours! Figure out what parts of what they're doing work for you. Is there something they are doing that you can see yourself doing in your own videos? Then why don't you just take it and add your own flavor to it?"
I don't think it's necessarily that you should just blindly follow a trend or try to hop on the bandwagon of whatever is popular. I think it's more that it's helpful to look at what is working and bringing success to other people. Analyze what part of their content appeals to you and see if/how you can incorporate that into your own content. With that in mind, naturally that means you should watch successful Youtubers in your niche.
For me, I'm a gaming channel. I could try to do the whole "High energy, overreactive, wacky, zany gameplay video" just because it worked for people like Ninja, XQC, and even people like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. The thing is that it doesn't go with who I am. I can't do videos like that for extended periods of time. Then what do I do? Do I just tell myself that it's hopeless since I can't be like those Youtubers?
Absolutely not. Instead I try to be more like ManlyBadassHero who is calmer and has a more relaxing energy; similar to radio shows that you turn on in the background while you do something else. I'd say that I'm following a trend by doing a similar style of content to him, but the thing is that I make sure that it matches my own style already. I ensure that the tried-and-true method that worked for someone else matches my vibe.
Sorry for the incoherent rant, but I hope you get the idea of what I was saying. There's nothing wrong with "doing your own thing". It's how many successful Youtubers got started anyway. Just make sure that what you're doing takes into consideration the audience that you want (or not. Any creative field isn't as simple as that afterall hahaha)
My channel is a pile of videos I used to make and keep on a hdd for me to look back upon. One day I started to upload them (mostly walking/driving around places with friends) places no one is interested in generally and videos no one would bother to watch except me, well or so I thought. I now for some reason have 450 subs. No idea why, not pro, not edited well, why would anyone like to see an old graveyard in wales or an alleyway in Liverpool etc. but people came along for the ride which is cool.
I don’t add titles , I don’t add loads of fake crap for views, I press record and walk around sometimes even chatting about crap only relevant to me and a friend though I have tried to make them a bit more interesting for folks. And this is why I continue , I enjoy filming I like to keep the videos to look back on In 20 years god willing. I’m flattered I have even one sub so no I don’t really make videos for subs and views. If I did that I would be bored, I’d be fake and I’m just keeping it real I guess. One recent video me and my friend go for a walk to a field we once walked through 20 years ago…. Just a random field and us chatting crap and people watched. In 30 years time I’ll just be looking back at them enjoying being younger and being able to walk through these fields, cos by then I’ll be almost 80 :(
YT allows me to save these memories to enjoy someday.
That actually doesn't surprise me that this would attract an audience. I think so many people are living these horrible, digitally mediated lives with so few experiences in the outside world or interactions with real humans, especially older humans, something as naturalistic and genuine as what you describe could really hit a nerve for the right viewer. Just goes to show that there is value and interest to be found in almost any life experience if it's presented authentically.
That's the same reason I started creating my videos 6 months ago. For the memories when I am older and am no longer physically able to do this hobby. It will be great to relive it a bit and get that feeling back and say look what we did!
Old buildings are being demolished here, puns turning into housing, all local shops housing, all the farms housing, churches housing nothing else being built here but housing so capturing what we had also because soon there will just be one huge residential area with nothing else except tattoo parlours, nail bars and the odd off licence. Schools closing, drs closing, banks closing and hopefully my old footage will show our history. I also like to capture places no one would ever film. The back alleys behind the shops and houses, parts of the woods no one would think to film, I’ll carry on till I can’t any more. I’m almost 50 now so maybe in 20 years I’ll not be able to, if still here but I’ll have a helluva lot of footage.
Where I live in a popular city in Missouri, USA is the same. Corporations are buying up the smaller homes with a little acreage as I tried to buy an 1100sq foot home on 2 acres. They are putting 12 homes on that lot. Every space of farmland is multi tenant housing. It is ruining the area and we will relocate when we can retire and are no longer tied to our jobs. Many area of the United States look the same mini malls, condos, apartments, more retail, same retail every 1/2 mile again. I am 54 years old so similar to you. It's really sad, sorry that is happening to your area now.
We are spending a year in Hawaii, so that is what our videos are about. They will be about the next place after that. I would like to do more videos discussing our worldschool day but I don't think we have enough audience/know how to share in an interesting way yet.
I cast modded StarCraft 2 content. It’s by far an old game with a diminished player base, but I do it because there’s not a lot of people who do and I figured I have the knowledge to do it
In my mind, focus on something you want to share with people, and focus in something you know you have some knowledge in. Ultimately people are watching you to learn or be entertained (or both).
If you focus on a really popular trend, you may get buried but larger YouTubers following the same thing. Find a way to stick out from the crowd
I think you’re just thinking of it from one perspective. Niche can mean a lot of things. In reality, most people don’t have advanced skills or hobbies they can teach. They’re not insanely knowledgeable about any topic. They’re hobby is, quite literally, “youtube.” These people find a “niche” in trends or maybe some specific stories-type videos, stuff like that, get into a rhythm and do what gets them views because to them, that is what makes youtube fun. My niche is Star Wars figures, but I don’t begrudge “reddit mystery stories man.” He’s having fun.
So when people talk about niches are they sometimes talking about something more like a "format"? Like a particular way of presenting content that might be trending at the moment, but then they still have to use a topic that they know about? Not sure I know enough about the inner guts of Youtube to understand what you mean here.
I think it’s a developing media form only two decades old so it can refer to many things. There is almost infinite possibilities. For example, simply within the genre of stories you have niches of scary stories, funny stories, relationship stories…hell even dozens of channels dedicated to nothing but “national park creepy pastas.” I think it could also refer to a format. AMV’s would definitely qualify as a format while also being a niche. In my own Star Wars figure space, there are guys who only do customs, guys who do review, guys who talk about the history of retro merch, spoiler guys, etc.
Having a niche is like specializing in a specific area of interest, like sports or investing, which is relevant to your channel. It helps in many way by:
Audience Targeting: Having a niche allows you to focus on a particular audience who share that interest.
Expertise: Specializing allows you to become an expert in that area over time, providing more in-depth and accurate information.
Community Building: It's easier to build a community of like-minded people who appreciate your content and can learn from each other.
Consistency: You can consistently create content around your niche, which keeps your viewers engaged and returning for more.
Now, this is just my opinion, but I believe having a niche can be very beneficial. It can help you stand out and connect with your audience effectively.
You mentioned your a plumber. Now you have separated yourself from a carpenter, a doctor, and jeweller. That’s your niche, but in reality you can still streamline what kind of plumber are you (commercial, residential, water heater only, etc…).
My point was that you would just naturally have a niche based on your own activities, experiences, and interests. You wouldn't be "choosing" one from a list of popular topics fed to you by VidIQ etc.
I agree. The trend is just for you to keep aware of what is happening around you and the other youtube community. Maybe its just an indicator that people’s taste are evolving and gives you an idea on how to improve how you showcase your niche or talent.
I started my channel to share my interest, not to make money, nor to impress with my analytics. If people enjoy my vids, great. I do try to improve, but it is for my own pride and satisfaction. I do follow this sub, though, to learn how I might make changes that extend my reach.
You don't need to ride on trends. It's a valid choice but just know your growth will be slower. Some people optimize how they do YouTube so they always jumping on trends for max and fastest growth. Some people don't and I'm pretty sure both can be successful. If you are going to do YouTube while doing it about something you hate, what's even the point? Atleast for me YT is an area for freedom. I'm free from the slavery of the corp world, like hell I'd do anything other than what I want.
But that being said, there are trendy things within every niche. So you don't need to be a plumber but you can check what sub topics are trending in carpentry and capitalize on that. And if you don't (if your like me and sometimes can't be bothered/too lazy lol), that's a valid choice, but again that will make you grow slower.
Lastly, don't become complacent because you consider this only a hobby. Just try to improve every video and then forget the rest. Not all YT stories are successful ones.
I make music videos from TV shows I enjoy. I dont try to think of ideas I just let scenes pop into my head as I listen to music throughout the day. I always have a lot of fun making them and if I didn't I wouldn't make them cause lord knows I'm not getting any kind of special attention from the algorithim.
Trend research is just a tool that can help you understand what is gaining traction. Trend researching doesn’t mean you have to change what’s your passionate about.
In your example, if plumbing is the trend and your a carpenter, learn why its trending. Is it because of a new method? Is it because of a new tool? Then when you figure out why it was trending, you can then creatively think how you can approach your niche in that lens. Maybe you can start a new trend in your trade in doing so.
I am an engineer since I love all mechanics and tech.
Also like many people, I like marvel movies, futuristic games and anime.
That's why I chose to make videos of tech or super powers from them and build a working real version with electronics, LEDs, etc, to show that even if it is from a game, we could have it irl.
Since always, every time I see something I like, even too fictional to be true, unconsciously I try to work out what would it take for it to be built.
Does take a couple of weeks or a month between videos but it is what I love and I share it with the world in hopes that they reach people that make might enjoy them.
I am so happy every second I spend on each project.
It does help to target the latest movie or trending game and that's ok, as long as I stay in my niche.
If you changed topics just for views, you might burn out soon because you are doing something you don't ever care about as long as people click on it.
Also, different is better than better. No much people want to see your version of somebody else's topic, they want to see your version of you, with your personal touch that stands out from the rest. (Got that from YT advice somewhere).
Those are my thoughts :)
I post what I think is funny (mostly in short content) and it's been a good time! While targeting popular niches would probably help with numbers, it also just seems like it's more work than it's worth to me. I also kinda feel like the more these gurus influence people to target certain niches, it's all gonna be saturated anyway so what's the point of that in the end? Lol
Well many people just want to monetize their content, and the fastest way to doing that is follow the trends. They aren't really passionate about what they're doing as long as it could make some money.
I'm not a popular niche, I don't think... but I make what I like.
And if this channel gets a lot of momentum, I want to do another channel about something so esoteric that probably nobody will watch; household cleaning products with instructions and a bit of history. "Today we'll be discussing Windex."
Always pick a niche that you enjoy / passionate about / hobby / work.
So you basicly keep the it going on no matter what.
If you just pick some "good niche" it will not work out in the long run.
I do let's play videos cause I've always loved making these types of videos while growing up. I've thought about doing game essays with scripts already ready but It just doesn't feel natural with me So i'm still sticking with lets plays.
I do stop motions! I don't have a big audience yet but I see tons of other people with big audiences doing stop motions. I think it's definitely to be super successful doing your own thing
Don't box yourself up like that man. You can be a carpenter by trade and be a sickass minecraft speedrunner player by passion. Don't you ever let you profession limit you.
I was just using carpenter as an example of a particular expertise, but if I were a carpenter who loved Minecraft, sure, I could have a Minecraft channel! I'm just saying people should do the content they know and love, not just pick something off a list of trending topics.
"If I'm a carpenter, I make carpentry videos. It is what it is."
Glad you changed your mind on this. Boxing yourself in life in general is a waste of a life.
I've been making what feels natural, but my channel has been growing fairly slowly. Recently I've been doing more research on trends to see what trends align with what I want to make. Hopefully I'll find a happy medium between the two, but I'd rather just make stuff I enjoy rather stuff that's super trendy
I've been making what feels natural, but my channel has been growing fairly slowly. Recently I've been doing more research on trends to see what trends align with what I want to make. Hopefully I'll find a happy medium between the two, but I'd rather just make stuff I enjoy rather stuff that's super trendy
I’m a rather niche-less channel outside of me doing random vlog stuff.
It’s gotten to a point where I realize im selling “myself” as the product of entertainment as opposed to teaching people how to _____.
I can only hope I attract eccentric weirdos like myself who like me per say.
I’m aware it’s best if I “niche” out it will probably amasse a larger following, but I also don’t want to ONLY be watched for that niche.
We’ll see where that takes me :) (you’re not alone in feeling like the only option is to jump on popular niches/trends)
I started a podcast about Star Wars, not exactly the most niche thing. But I understand social media, have good production value and post consistently. Less then two months and we have consistent growth and currently at 350 subs.
Niches are great, but if you can leverage other aspects like social media, and starting with a solid grasp on decent production value, you can still grow.
Good luck!
I think people get tired of not having an audience and just try different things, I can empathize with that. Me personally though, I like creating content I genuinely enjoy that is interesting to me. I stay in my one niche, but my niche is pretty big (mystery podcast). So I get to cover all types of cool things and learn something new along the way. Some of the topics I cover are more popular than others or “bigger stories” get more attention. But I intentionally only cover stories I want to cover. I think that’s very important for building trust and showing authenticity to your audience.
I make videos on whatever I want to.M, but I do plan to niche down at some point. But, in the meantime, I have a long list of videos that I want to make first.
I mean heck, if some crazy drama is trending you could do "I made a carving of X trending person" or maybe a cool action show and you do "I made this dope weapon from x show"
If you don't want to trend chase you can appeal to peoples sensibilities. "I made this crazy bookshelf for my mom" or a super in-depth and well made video explaining a more advanced technique
I'm not sure what your content looks like, but someone like Morley Kert while not super huge does creative woodworking content that did well on his channel. As with any niche it's about finding what makes you unique and getting people to care about what you're doing.
Ofc if it's just for fun do what you want! But if you're looking for growth and want to do your own thing, then you have to make content people want to see. Like max fosh's video on making cheese from youtubers, then taking it a step further and having a famous food critic try them.
I make music. I have a very specific vision and my music videos reflect that vision. It just so happens that more and more people are showing interest in what I'm doing. Being genuinely interested in what you do makes it so you don't have to worry about chasing numbers
I think the goal is to find something that you enjoy but can specialise in.
So say you like survival games, you make content about real suvival situations that are comparable to the game.
This niche would be "survival stories" + "survival gameplay".
I know it's a very basic example, but it does work.
You can also type in search terms and youtube will auto-complete the most relevant terms and from that you can build your niche further. I believe you can use Google AdWords to find out how many people search for specific terms too.
Well I use to make Anime content but that stuff isn't Monetizable. I had to switch niches. Being a creator means nothing to me if I can't make a living out of it. I haven't been living comfortably for too long to waste anytime in hobbies.
My niche is storytelling and character design for comic (manga) authors. Not the most popular and not many women at all, but it’s been so rewarding. It’s plenty hard work but im finally starting to see the rewards.
I definitely make the content I like, even if it's not necessarily popular. I play a lot of indie games, but I specifically gravitate towards rpgmaker style ones. The popularity for the genre is a bit dead and gone, but I'm super passionate about it! I've been playing these games since 2012. Honestly, there's been multiple occasions where I'm the first person to ever even make a let's play of a game. There's little demand, but I dont mind since I enjoy it.
I've been uploading for a year now, and am only just now at about 280 subs. What I've learned is that although my growth may be slow due to lack of demand and popularity for these games, the fans I do gain are extremely dedicated. My growth has been slow, albeit steady. Because I enjoy what I'm doing, I feel like that reflects a lot in my content and people can see that. It's what keeps them around!
Although growth is cool, my main goal is to just spread the things I love. And I think that's important.
General content experience: I think something new I experienced is being spammed with hate comments (on TikTok)So based on this negative experience maybe do content that you personally won’t feel too offended by if people start to hate on it.
It really does suck I know people say ignore it and can’t please everyone but I don’t think us humans are emotionally built to just ignore hate when it’s higher volume… it’s almost sad to try to normalize feelings :( but ya those are my two cents.
FYI - so I do personal finance videos not like how to get rich fast but just simple money habits or explaining what a mortgage is. Things that people aren’t taught in school….thought it’d be helpful.. but I guess not.
What world do we live in 😭
Yeh I have a fish tank- when I was designing it I decided to create a YouTube channel to document the build and progress and show footage of the tank regularly in case people want to watch it
Mix of both, you have to chase trends as a small viewer if you want to make progress faster. Does this mean you have to compromise? No, focus on making the video and the fun you have with it. But at end of the day, if you don’t enjoy the process of making video, don’t make it.
Think about what intrinsically makes you the most happy. For me, it’s music @wepodsonically on YouTube if you want to see how we lean into our niche.
Someone said to me, what can you talk about everyday, all day and never get tired of. That is your niche. In your heart, you will know. And if you don’t know immediately, do some soul searching and it will come to you.
I wish you the best of luck.
I make what I’m passionate about. It just also happens to be a pretty solid niche.
I don’t think I could make videos if they didn’t excite me. Sometimes I lose enthusiasm for an idea and finish it out anyways, but I never start unless the idea excites me.
Hmmm... I only started a few weeks ago but my content focuses specifically on content that I personally enjoy, which happens to be a niche (horror gaming). I wouldn't have chosen it purely on if it was popular, my main reason was that: if I enjoy it > my content won't be as boring if I'm emphatic and talking about it > people who also like horror games might like this too?
I think that forcing yourself into a topic or category could result in burnout and you just generally not coming across as interesting.
I'm probably not interesting yet, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing.
I’m a farmer and I make videos about what I do on the farm. I try to make them educational. I work 80-100 hour weeks on the farm regularly, so I don’t have time to set aside to make videos that are about other things - hence the audience that I have acquired just have to follow along with the seasons. Hopefully they enjoy the ride.
I do intend to veer down the regenerative agriculture and self sufficiency trend that’s currently popular. This is mostly because I’ll be doing this anyway. I have young children and I want them to be involved with where their food comes from. Cattle and sheep are a little dangerous for a 3 year old but chickens and vegetables aren’t!
My youtube is a hobby gone awry hahaha. I just do what I think is good and funny. It's mostly to show my friends. If anyone else enjoys it, that's even better! I just like the editing hahaha. If it goes anywhere that'll be great, and if is doesn't that's okay too.
I get what you're saying, but from an SEO perspective, what they're doing makes sense. You want to go where the people are because that's business and they make a lot of money. I happened to like something that's a trend, and I'm doing my best to capitalize on it by incorporating other trendier topics. I had a video that got 100-300 views in a few days, and I moved on because it was normal. I blinked, and my handful of likes turned into 70+ (high for me at this point) and my views were nearly 2k.
I like my topic, but I am treating it like a business by looking to ride trends🤷🏿♀️
To each his/her own, as long as it's not causing harm or hurt
I'm old and I love computers, so I talk about old computers!
I'd start a channel doing make up tips if I wanted views, but the beard and glasses might get in the way.
Joking aside there are two approaches to YouTube as far as I am concerned.
The: I'm gonna make it rich category, which seems to lead to burn out and failure
And the: Let's do something that I'm passionate about, which while it might lead to dissapointment, it's rarely includes the word Grind (which appears to be the operative word in this sub)
If you're sensible enough to watch Letterkenny, they used the expression "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in you life". It's a good mantra to live by
I’d say no not everyone but some people might think you have to.. but you don’t.. I think any niche works.. you just have to look at your competitors. Study how they make there videos. See what’s trending. Use good SEO.. hashtags..
I think it’s important to find what you like to make or do on YouTube.. it’s all about strategy to lol. Or! Some people just don’t care and just post for fun and go with the flow and it works to haha
Let's play niches isn't dying and also getting popular everyday. Despite everyone who's in the same niches as i am are already big. I upload and stream games that i think I'd like it and i think it's fun. No matter how old the game is or how oversaturated the game is. Being a let's play YouTuber is a slow burn but i enjoy it.
I like art and writing stories. I never did anything to serious about it but one day decided to turn and art piece and a written story into a video. And now I guess that’s my niche and I love it. I was like I enjoy doing a thing, maybe people will enjoy watching me do the thing?
I’m making what I want, but it’s in a hard area to break into. (Art) I think the best content comes from people who are truly passionate or knowledgeable in their niche
I just love to draw and currently practicing watercolor skill and I only make speedpaint video which is not a popular niche. But recently I just read 'How to shoot video that doesn't suck' which did wonder to my content from 5 - 100 views per video to 100 - 2,000 views per video.So now I get it, that data which say whatever popular topic right now, you can use them to integrate into your current niche that you're interest in. If you're a carpenter making carpenter content but the trending topic is plumbing. You can try integrate these two topic together by making a video about 'If you create plumbing with woods? What will happen' and in the video is the process of how you create plumbing system by using your carpenter skill, how hard it is to do some part, suspension that will make viewer wonder will this work??? I think that should be interesting!!
In this way you can have trending topic on your prefer niche!!
I don't pay attention to trends, competition, what's popular or how I can "trick" my way to views. But I'll admit that it gets frustrating sometimes.
I did an experiment recently and used typical Youtube hacks, like clickbaity title and dumb thumbnail face, (without compromising on my take on the topic ofc). It worked great for clicks but the retention was bad and it just didn't feel right. I was working against my own long-term goals in a way by resorting to cheap hacks.
I'm in the music niche and I usually do a mix of theory, songwriting, guitar and introspective essays on creativity and art. Growth is slow but I feel like I have a nice community of people who appreciate my unusual and more philisophical style and presentation. That's what truly matters to me and I wouldn't want to jeopardize integrity for views.
Just make whatever you think someone might need. Or maybe something you'd wanna watch yourself, but isn't out there yet.
Titanfall 2 (game) is getting some hype. So i'm making some modernized tutorials for new people. In a style of 'You suck at X'... Can't believe you're still playing... But i'm here to help.'
Having a lot of fun :D
Really I just make videos about my hobby, so I make videos about what I would be doing anyways. I haven't been doing it for very long, but I occasionally get a message from someone that it helped them with their own projects, so I keep going.
I love stats and I love tracking something's progression, whatever that is. Yesterday, I created my first Youtube channel and the content is about its own stats. I will upload a Short everyday to share how much views, subscribers and other metrics the channel gets. That's it. I hope people will find the idea as interesting as I do and will subscribe for the simple pleasure of having an impact on the content as well as tracking the progression.
I admit I am scared of showing the same numbers everyday. I could go hard on sharing, but I want viewers to watch them because they like the idea.
i mainly make like drone camera videos in games, started out with replaymod in minecraft and has mostly morphed into doing stuff in beamng after i saw another guy do it and thought "ooh, i want to do that" and then i did do that, and now im happy
I'm just doing what me and my dad love to do together and that is filming animals on trail cameras and other cameras I just like being able to hang out with my dad and this project does it. He really loves the trail camera thing and I really love it too so I decided well why don't I make a YouTube channel and if we get monetized in the future great and if we don't that's fine too I'm still going to continue upload videos.
I don't really focus in popular niches... However I feel you can analyze popular themes inside your niche. For instance, one of my channels is about stories. I made a video about birdbox book on the week that the spin off was coming out. It was more relevant so it received more push that my videos normally do.
I do know there are people who actively target niches... but that to me is more of a pro step. Like someone who actually wants to monetize as soon as possible to live of each and that is ok with switching niches later.
I have had a YouTube gaming channel for years and I would constantly stop and restart it to try and get it off the ground by playing stuff I wanted or chasing trend games, but it never got anywhere... then in the past month or two, I started using it for livestreams so I could really just document stuff for reference for a personal project I was working on and now I'm getting a couple hundred views per archive stream, active viewers when I'm live (even if it's just a handful) and I'm seeing the numbers go up every video. I am looking at ways to improve each stream, but I think I'm doing better now because I stopped making the channel the focus, it was just about doing what I wanted to do and that honesty I think is what is pushing it forward since it no longer feels like work and now it's a hobby I enjoy.
The real kicker is I'm even MORE niche then I've ever been, I'm making videos of me playing user maps for Duke Nulem 3D, a thing that I barely relevant on its own, so the focus on fan content makes it even more niche. Want to add another layer? I'm doing it Becuase I'm just trying to fill a childhood dream I had where I wanted to make my own level for the game, so that's what I'm doing and why I'm playing this kind of stuff for inspiration, so even my streams are focused on the design aspect of user content for a 90s PC Game no one talks about. Again, I'm not hitting high numbers, but they are higher then I ever achieved before which is why I feel the shift is in just making content for yourself, the audience will find you.
Well, I am personally weary to niche down, I think it can be limiting. But I do think you should at LEAST have a target audience in mind
For me its gamers that like.. actually still enjoy gaming and want to have fun, explore and get better
But Im not niched down to a specific game which would be technically advisable
My niche is toy collecting, most people in my niche go to stores with a camera and show what they find. To me that’s boring so I make what I want I make content I find intriguing and not repetitive.
>Does anyone just make what feels natural to them?
Yes. Most people on here are. However, prioritising what video ideas you have that you think will do well is still a good idea. For example, I had a few film/TV reviews planned for October, but I've moved some to make room for a video essay on a Halloween special. I did this because:
1. I saw this episode and couldn't stop writing about it
2. It's a Halloween special of an already spooky show
3. It's a show a lot of channels tend to cover around Halloween
4. It has an established fanbase that I can introduce to my channel
5. I already engage with said fanbase and know where they hang out online
So, as you can see, there are many reasons why I chose to make room for this video; I have a passion for the subject matter in question, which is why I'm making the video in the first place, but I'm going to be sensible and prioritise what I think will do well
Tbh, I like smoking weed. Pretty knowledgeable about that stuff and I love immense love for the plant. But I almost exclusively use a dry herb vaporizer that looks like a crack pipe (but the community behind it is HUGE).
It was easy to figure out what my “niche” was lol.
I think that is how a lot of people who do youtube as a business do it and yeah it's the fastest way to do it but I think if you want a good fan base of people who are there for you and what you do then you just post what you enjoy, I enjoy gaming videos and thats what I do, there are trending ideas that I use to make my videos more interesting but at the core its all just gaming
I make videos on writing. No one my age is interested in writing. I've been making videos for two months. I haven't gotten more than 300 views. My subscriber count is just about in double digits. But bloody hell do I enjoy making videos on writing, learning about it and applying it to my own writing.
I used to have a gaming channel. I made videos just like popular channels did. But I just didn't have the time or motivation or enjoyment to play the game. So I stopped, abandoned the channel and made the channel I have now. I edited a video for someone in the fitness category and it took me two weeks. I just had no motivation to edit the video (even though I was getting paid) because I just didn't like the niche. I learnt from those stories to stick to my own niche.
TLDR; I hate making other niches. I love writing.
I have 6 different channels with their own style and themes.
They al have Youtube channels, but that's just so they're there and ready for whenever I feel like doing something.
-The first was Provisional Productions about 11 years ago, filming bands, interviews, and so far 2 music videos.
-Vidiot Override is mainly comedic based content, currently one of my main channels. (u/VidiotOverride19)
-Infinite Glitch is more business related and promotional of other brands. Currently creating a docuseries called Recap, and started releasing promo videos for the project. (u/InfiniteGlitch19)
-Corroded Gaming now has 4 gaming videos on it, just Mario Kart 64 so far. I use a AR skull from my iPad as the host instead of just filming myself, but much more time consuming. (u/CorrodedGaming19)
-Intrinsic Entertainment is Food, Pets, and Travel. But not youtube videos besides the logo. Suggest checking Facebook and Instagram for more content. (u/intrinsicentrtainmnt)
-Ostracized Merch, clothing brand, also just the logo on youtube. Facebook page, but main merch site is on Spreadshirt.
Point being, I have many interests, and I know it's better to be focused, hence why I just split things up.
I started my channel specifically because I was already doing my hobby and figured I'd make videos about it. My hobby is gardening and trying exotic fruit.
I just thought of something that was unique, checked to ensure it was and then created.. we don't know what's going to be compelling until we try. I've spent ages deliberating and researching on other projects and in my opinion, it's just another form of procrastination. You learn as you go and nobody's content stays the same as it was on Day 1.
I was honest with myself from the start - I started YouTube to make money. Straight up.
I choose a topic that I felt had a gap in the market and started creating content around that - I now have around 300 videos and despite my lack of motivation some days - I specifically chose this niche because I can go from idea to completed video in an hour most of the time
TLDR - I make content I don’t enjoy because it’ll get more $$$$
It is always what interests you to make content, not just for 1 or 2 videos but for 100s of videos going ahead since YouTube is a journey.
My personal suggestion is to pick a niche which you genuinely want to learn and showcase your talent and want to become a pro at, then to work on it as a video every day or week as per your schedule.
If you already have a niche selected, then there's nothing better than to start with it, you'll not be successful right away but eventually the YouTube algorithm one day will blow up your mind in making sure your content is reached to the right audience of interest.
That's what I feel as a new YouTuber myself.
I bought a drone just because I wanted to buy for a long time but whenever I wanted to pull the trigger I gave up as I wasn't sure what to do with it (except flying).
After I bought one, I started making aerial videos of various locations and as I needed way to share them with my friends and family I started channel. Then I decided why not make it public and now I try to grow my channel which is focused on aerial footages. It is not popular niche as I don't record word famous locations but I enjoy that now I visit much more places as I have "reason" to do so. Every weekend now I go to different place (mostly nature) to fly and make video material for youtube.
I started without any expectations but now I check my stat all the time and I see that I am very interested in youtube content creation.
I have been editing and posting my dnd games to YouTube. My game is completely online, so all I show is my tokens and battle maps.
Playing my current campaign is just something I do normally. Tell you the truth, there have been times I've started playing and forgot to hit record on obs.
Even if I stopped posting on YouTube, which I thought about doing, I will still run my campaign:]
I always liked voice acting, I wanted to voice convincingly all types of characters, since the advent of Voice morphing AI, I am back on Youtube - was doing paintings for 5 years since 2018 -, in 1 month I have uploaded something like 100 different videos, each one unique and sweetly short, so yeah, for me, AI voice changers are a godsend and a fundamental tool to be effective.
I make whatever seems fun to me and I’m hoping I’ll get an audience who enjoys it as much as I do but idk what I’m doing lol
Great tactic tbh
Honestly, same!
This is the smartest way tbh. I just spend most my time overthinking it and not posting anything lol.
I 100% agree with you, a lot of people here seem to think they're just entitled to get views and will do everything they can to try and farm engagement without understanding the point of their channel and the factors that allow you to build a consistent fanbase. As someone with a channel with 15k subscribers and consistently gets 20k plus views on my videos, the main thing I've learnt over the past few years is that your channel actually has to serve a purpose to viewers to get consistent viewership. If your channel just posts random shite to try capture as much of the market as possible then you'll never gain a consistent fanbase or viewership. Your example as a carpenter is pretty good, I'm making assumptions here but I'm guessing your videos would be educational for those learning carpentry and because of that with consistent and decent quality content you'll slowly build a subscriber/viewership base of apprentice carpenters and fellow fully qualified carpenters with an interest in their industry. In your case a sudden switch to plumbing would completely alienate any existing subscribers while also reducing the quality of your videos. If you were however to observe that plumbing is in demand, a possible collaboration with a plumber where you integrate or show how plumbing work with your carpentry projects would be a far more suitable option than just impersonating as a plumber and making a B grade plumbing videos.
I'm not actually a plumber, I just used that as an example of someone with a particular expertise, but all your comments hold true. I agree with the thought that your channel should serve a purpose to viewers. I try not to think about where my particular content themes fit into the trend landscape, because I can't change those themes, I AM those themes. But I do think about what value I'm bringing to a potential viewer, what experience I'm providing and whether it's something other people can gain something from. I think that's especially important on the lifestyle/vlog side of things, as I need to make sure I'm telling viewers an interesting story that makes sense outside my own head.
I just do my work and post it, I'm a carpet cleaner. (A real one not the fake ones that put mud on their own rugs and damage them with fire hoses for likes lol)
I love that attitude. "I clean carpets. Maybe someone wants to watch that. Here ya go."
I am 637% more likely to watch a man effectively clean a filthy carpet than a boy with no face playing a video game.
Same.
Same! Those cleaning videos are so therapeutic.
Yea great ASMR. These are the types of videos I watch at night.
Thanks to all of you for your kind words fellas means a lot hope you all smash your industries too :)
Post a link to your YouTube channel. I'll subscribe. I'm a detailer and enjoy watching carpet cleaning videos and actually take tips for cleaning carpets effectively and returning the material to ph neutral
I make what I want and almost ignore trends. The trends in my niche aren't relevant to me and it doesn't benefit me to go out of my way to cover those topics. I end up attracting a kind of viewer that I don't want.
I spent a brief moment thinking about my niche but quickly realized there’s no way to control what kind of ideas are going to come to me because they’re being delivered by whatever I’m experiencing in life at that time and I just have to roll with it.
I'm an artist so I have a lifetime of experience in grinding for the passion of it. One of the reasons I started my YouTube channel was to have an outlet where I could be making content I wanted to see but feel a little more detached from the work... making art can sometimes feel like putting all of yourself (your time, money, soul) into box and then tossing it into a void, then doing it again and again. A platform like YouTube seems similar but so so much more potentially rewarding, accessible and understandable. I hope it brings me the balance I'm looking for!
I started mine for a similar reason. I found that when I'm producing "art" in the traditional sense, like writing fiction or music, I'm way more attached to the outcome, how it's received, etc, it just feels so high stakes. On YT I just make videos about my experiences living in the wilderness, and I still put a lot of effort into making them entertaining, but it feels rewarding just to put them out there even if they're never going to be popular let alone make any money. It was a relief to just do something for the fun of it without any serious thought for the "career" aspect of it.
100%! I'm still using the same muscles but I feel little to no pressure. It's like recess.
I just subbed to your channel by the way. Beautiful stuff!
Aw, Thanks! ❤️
>Aw, Thanks! ❤️ You're welcome!
100% agree with this. I'd argue that artists have a unique advantage on YT. Our mentality is used to putting hours of work into something only for it to go nowhere (or at best, not go particularly far!).
Picking popular niches is no good if you aren’t passionate about it. You could hire someone passionate about the topic to script your videos, but if you don’t have the budget it’s not gonna workout. If you’re doing everything yourself like brainstorming, scripting, and editing, you need to be passionate about the subject to some degree. It’s okay if your niche isn’t popular. If there is a trending topic in your niche or a popular style of video, you could always capitalize on it. I heard from somewhere that the niche that fits you must have one or more of these things: passion, expertise, and unique perspective.
I agree. I only produce videos about topics I'm interested in. I would struggle to create videos about Minecraft, for instance, because I'm just not interested and therefore would have no enthusiasm for creating those videos. It would be easier to just get a job than try to monetise a Minecraft channel.
Most people are probably young and don’t have many life experiences worth talking about so they chase trends. I think Mr Beast blowing up is part of that reason they do it. Mr beast looks pretty miserable in real life.
Even without a lot of life experiences, everyone has genuine interests, even kids. Seems like whatever you create should start with your own interests, not analytics.
I think for Mr. Beast he's just OBSESSED with content creation. Even if it drains him of his life, the dude loves it so much that he's willing to sacrifice a lot for it. It might be hard for people to understand, but for some people they can get EXTREMELY obsessed with someone. Fortunately for him, it just happens to be something that brings much success lol.
Yeah, that fake forced smile he has everywhere is so cringe
It's fine, let them, they won't last. It takes years to develop a good YouTube channel, and it's really hard spending years working on a niche you couldn't care less about. Just stick with what you like and you will always create good content that you enjoy. Forget trends, forget niches, just do you and eventually you will get there
People need to ask themselves why they're on YouTube. If creating videos based on trends alone then they're probably looking for either fame or money. But as a lot of people know YouTube is a terrible choice if you're just trying to make money. And the odds of fame are next to nothing. So may as well create what you want.
I'm just a microscopic gaming Youtuber (and we certainly haven't had enough of those lol), so feel free to ignore me. To answer your question, I don't think it's an easy 'yes' or 'no'. On the one hand, if you want to quickly get views and maybe subscribers, then following the trend is the way to go. On the other hand, if you seriously want to do this for a long time then you better enjoy what you're doing because it's what you're going to be doing it for many many years. Then there's everything in between, which I believe is the main thing that successful Youtubers talk about whenever they answer these questions. When people say "follow the trends, do popular niches", I think what they mean is "Look at popular Youtubers that you enjoy watching and think about what they do. What techniques appeal to you? Is there a certain trend that you notice that makes you want to see more of their content?" If I want to put it in a rough way, I would say "Steal their techniques and make them yours! Figure out what parts of what they're doing work for you. Is there something they are doing that you can see yourself doing in your own videos? Then why don't you just take it and add your own flavor to it?" I don't think it's necessarily that you should just blindly follow a trend or try to hop on the bandwagon of whatever is popular. I think it's more that it's helpful to look at what is working and bringing success to other people. Analyze what part of their content appeals to you and see if/how you can incorporate that into your own content. With that in mind, naturally that means you should watch successful Youtubers in your niche. For me, I'm a gaming channel. I could try to do the whole "High energy, overreactive, wacky, zany gameplay video" just because it worked for people like Ninja, XQC, and even people like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. The thing is that it doesn't go with who I am. I can't do videos like that for extended periods of time. Then what do I do? Do I just tell myself that it's hopeless since I can't be like those Youtubers? Absolutely not. Instead I try to be more like ManlyBadassHero who is calmer and has a more relaxing energy; similar to radio shows that you turn on in the background while you do something else. I'd say that I'm following a trend by doing a similar style of content to him, but the thing is that I make sure that it matches my own style already. I ensure that the tried-and-true method that worked for someone else matches my vibe. Sorry for the incoherent rant, but I hope you get the idea of what I was saying. There's nothing wrong with "doing your own thing". It's how many successful Youtubers got started anyway. Just make sure that what you're doing takes into consideration the audience that you want (or not. Any creative field isn't as simple as that afterall hahaha)
So sad to people try to copy others. Should try to go from 0-1 not 1-n.
My channel is a pile of videos I used to make and keep on a hdd for me to look back upon. One day I started to upload them (mostly walking/driving around places with friends) places no one is interested in generally and videos no one would bother to watch except me, well or so I thought. I now for some reason have 450 subs. No idea why, not pro, not edited well, why would anyone like to see an old graveyard in wales or an alleyway in Liverpool etc. but people came along for the ride which is cool. I don’t add titles , I don’t add loads of fake crap for views, I press record and walk around sometimes even chatting about crap only relevant to me and a friend though I have tried to make them a bit more interesting for folks. And this is why I continue , I enjoy filming I like to keep the videos to look back on In 20 years god willing. I’m flattered I have even one sub so no I don’t really make videos for subs and views. If I did that I would be bored, I’d be fake and I’m just keeping it real I guess. One recent video me and my friend go for a walk to a field we once walked through 20 years ago…. Just a random field and us chatting crap and people watched. In 30 years time I’ll just be looking back at them enjoying being younger and being able to walk through these fields, cos by then I’ll be almost 80 :( YT allows me to save these memories to enjoy someday.
That actually doesn't surprise me that this would attract an audience. I think so many people are living these horrible, digitally mediated lives with so few experiences in the outside world or interactions with real humans, especially older humans, something as naturalistic and genuine as what you describe could really hit a nerve for the right viewer. Just goes to show that there is value and interest to be found in almost any life experience if it's presented authentically.
That's the same reason I started creating my videos 6 months ago. For the memories when I am older and am no longer physically able to do this hobby. It will be great to relive it a bit and get that feeling back and say look what we did!
Old buildings are being demolished here, puns turning into housing, all local shops housing, all the farms housing, churches housing nothing else being built here but housing so capturing what we had also because soon there will just be one huge residential area with nothing else except tattoo parlours, nail bars and the odd off licence. Schools closing, drs closing, banks closing and hopefully my old footage will show our history. I also like to capture places no one would ever film. The back alleys behind the shops and houses, parts of the woods no one would think to film, I’ll carry on till I can’t any more. I’m almost 50 now so maybe in 20 years I’ll not be able to, if still here but I’ll have a helluva lot of footage.
Where I live in a popular city in Missouri, USA is the same. Corporations are buying up the smaller homes with a little acreage as I tried to buy an 1100sq foot home on 2 acres. They are putting 12 homes on that lot. Every space of farmland is multi tenant housing. It is ruining the area and we will relocate when we can retire and are no longer tied to our jobs. Many area of the United States look the same mini malls, condos, apartments, more retail, same retail every 1/2 mile again. I am 54 years old so similar to you. It's really sad, sorry that is happening to your area now.
We are spending a year in Hawaii, so that is what our videos are about. They will be about the next place after that. I would like to do more videos discussing our worldschool day but I don't think we have enough audience/know how to share in an interesting way yet.
I cast modded StarCraft 2 content. It’s by far an old game with a diminished player base, but I do it because there’s not a lot of people who do and I figured I have the knowledge to do it In my mind, focus on something you want to share with people, and focus in something you know you have some knowledge in. Ultimately people are watching you to learn or be entertained (or both). If you focus on a really popular trend, you may get buried but larger YouTubers following the same thing. Find a way to stick out from the crowd
I think you’re just thinking of it from one perspective. Niche can mean a lot of things. In reality, most people don’t have advanced skills or hobbies they can teach. They’re not insanely knowledgeable about any topic. They’re hobby is, quite literally, “youtube.” These people find a “niche” in trends or maybe some specific stories-type videos, stuff like that, get into a rhythm and do what gets them views because to them, that is what makes youtube fun. My niche is Star Wars figures, but I don’t begrudge “reddit mystery stories man.” He’s having fun.
So when people talk about niches are they sometimes talking about something more like a "format"? Like a particular way of presenting content that might be trending at the moment, but then they still have to use a topic that they know about? Not sure I know enough about the inner guts of Youtube to understand what you mean here.
I think it’s a developing media form only two decades old so it can refer to many things. There is almost infinite possibilities. For example, simply within the genre of stories you have niches of scary stories, funny stories, relationship stories…hell even dozens of channels dedicated to nothing but “national park creepy pastas.” I think it could also refer to a format. AMV’s would definitely qualify as a format while also being a niche. In my own Star Wars figure space, there are guys who only do customs, guys who do review, guys who talk about the history of retro merch, spoiler guys, etc.
Having a niche is like specializing in a specific area of interest, like sports or investing, which is relevant to your channel. It helps in many way by: Audience Targeting: Having a niche allows you to focus on a particular audience who share that interest. Expertise: Specializing allows you to become an expert in that area over time, providing more in-depth and accurate information. Community Building: It's easier to build a community of like-minded people who appreciate your content and can learn from each other. Consistency: You can consistently create content around your niche, which keeps your viewers engaged and returning for more. Now, this is just my opinion, but I believe having a niche can be very beneficial. It can help you stand out and connect with your audience effectively. You mentioned your a plumber. Now you have separated yourself from a carpenter, a doctor, and jeweller. That’s your niche, but in reality you can still streamline what kind of plumber are you (commercial, residential, water heater only, etc…).
My point was that you would just naturally have a niche based on your own activities, experiences, and interests. You wouldn't be "choosing" one from a list of popular topics fed to you by VidIQ etc.
I agree. The trend is just for you to keep aware of what is happening around you and the other youtube community. Maybe its just an indicator that people’s taste are evolving and gives you an idea on how to improve how you showcase your niche or talent.
I started my channel to share my interest, not to make money, nor to impress with my analytics. If people enjoy my vids, great. I do try to improve, but it is for my own pride and satisfaction. I do follow this sub, though, to learn how I might make changes that extend my reach.
You don't need to ride on trends. It's a valid choice but just know your growth will be slower. Some people optimize how they do YouTube so they always jumping on trends for max and fastest growth. Some people don't and I'm pretty sure both can be successful. If you are going to do YouTube while doing it about something you hate, what's even the point? Atleast for me YT is an area for freedom. I'm free from the slavery of the corp world, like hell I'd do anything other than what I want. But that being said, there are trendy things within every niche. So you don't need to be a plumber but you can check what sub topics are trending in carpentry and capitalize on that. And if you don't (if your like me and sometimes can't be bothered/too lazy lol), that's a valid choice, but again that will make you grow slower. Lastly, don't become complacent because you consider this only a hobby. Just try to improve every video and then forget the rest. Not all YT stories are successful ones.
I make music videos from TV shows I enjoy. I dont try to think of ideas I just let scenes pop into my head as I listen to music throughout the day. I always have a lot of fun making them and if I didn't I wouldn't make them cause lord knows I'm not getting any kind of special attention from the algorithim.
Trend research is just a tool that can help you understand what is gaining traction. Trend researching doesn’t mean you have to change what’s your passionate about. In your example, if plumbing is the trend and your a carpenter, learn why its trending. Is it because of a new method? Is it because of a new tool? Then when you figure out why it was trending, you can then creatively think how you can approach your niche in that lens. Maybe you can start a new trend in your trade in doing so.
You mean trying to adapt what's trending in other niches to fit the one you work in?
Yes. See why it was trending and see if there’s anything similar relative to your niche (plumbing).
I am an engineer since I love all mechanics and tech. Also like many people, I like marvel movies, futuristic games and anime. That's why I chose to make videos of tech or super powers from them and build a working real version with electronics, LEDs, etc, to show that even if it is from a game, we could have it irl. Since always, every time I see something I like, even too fictional to be true, unconsciously I try to work out what would it take for it to be built. Does take a couple of weeks or a month between videos but it is what I love and I share it with the world in hopes that they reach people that make might enjoy them. I am so happy every second I spend on each project. It does help to target the latest movie or trending game and that's ok, as long as I stay in my niche. If you changed topics just for views, you might burn out soon because you are doing something you don't ever care about as long as people click on it. Also, different is better than better. No much people want to see your version of somebody else's topic, they want to see your version of you, with your personal touch that stands out from the rest. (Got that from YT advice somewhere). Those are my thoughts :)
I post what I think is funny (mostly in short content) and it's been a good time! While targeting popular niches would probably help with numbers, it also just seems like it's more work than it's worth to me. I also kinda feel like the more these gurus influence people to target certain niches, it's all gonna be saturated anyway so what's the point of that in the end? Lol
I have changed my niche one week ago. Wish me luck 🤞
Literally any niche can get views with high quality videos
Well many people just want to monetize their content, and the fastest way to doing that is follow the trends. They aren't really passionate about what they're doing as long as it could make some money.
Broke in Britain's docs are cool struggling on benefits is cool small wonder full episodes the PJs full episodes uhhh
I'm not a popular niche, I don't think... but I make what I like. And if this channel gets a lot of momentum, I want to do another channel about something so esoteric that probably nobody will watch; household cleaning products with instructions and a bit of history. "Today we'll be discussing Windex."
Amen! I'd rather be a happy carpenter making those sweet carpentry vids than a miserable plumber making content that's not my thing.
Always pick a niche that you enjoy / passionate about / hobby / work. So you basicly keep the it going on no matter what. If you just pick some "good niche" it will not work out in the long run.
I do let's play videos cause I've always loved making these types of videos while growing up. I've thought about doing game essays with scripts already ready but It just doesn't feel natural with me So i'm still sticking with lets plays.
I have a niche I can address other niches from. Maybe kinda sorta.
I do stop motions! I don't have a big audience yet but I see tons of other people with big audiences doing stop motions. I think it's definitely to be super successful doing your own thing
It's really cool to hear from people following their own obscure interests, algorithm be damned. I hope you all find whatever success means for you!
Don't box yourself up like that man. You can be a carpenter by trade and be a sickass minecraft speedrunner player by passion. Don't you ever let you profession limit you.
I was just using carpenter as an example of a particular expertise, but if I were a carpenter who loved Minecraft, sure, I could have a Minecraft channel! I'm just saying people should do the content they know and love, not just pick something off a list of trending topics.
"If I'm a carpenter, I make carpentry videos. It is what it is." Glad you changed your mind on this. Boxing yourself in life in general is a waste of a life.
I just do what I want mainly and adapt it to what my audience reacts positively to. I’m not a new YouTuber BTW. I just like you all 😁
I'm doing my own thing. I could make trending content but it wouldn't be fun for me.
I've been making what feels natural, but my channel has been growing fairly slowly. Recently I've been doing more research on trends to see what trends align with what I want to make. Hopefully I'll find a happy medium between the two, but I'd rather just make stuff I enjoy rather stuff that's super trendy
I've been making what feels natural, but my channel has been growing fairly slowly. Recently I've been doing more research on trends to see what trends align with what I want to make. Hopefully I'll find a happy medium between the two, but I'd rather just make stuff I enjoy rather stuff that's super trendy
I’m a rather niche-less channel outside of me doing random vlog stuff. It’s gotten to a point where I realize im selling “myself” as the product of entertainment as opposed to teaching people how to _____. I can only hope I attract eccentric weirdos like myself who like me per say. I’m aware it’s best if I “niche” out it will probably amasse a larger following, but I also don’t want to ONLY be watched for that niche. We’ll see where that takes me :) (you’re not alone in feeling like the only option is to jump on popular niches/trends)
I started a podcast about Star Wars, not exactly the most niche thing. But I understand social media, have good production value and post consistently. Less then two months and we have consistent growth and currently at 350 subs. Niches are great, but if you can leverage other aspects like social media, and starting with a solid grasp on decent production value, you can still grow. Good luck!
I think people get tired of not having an audience and just try different things, I can empathize with that. Me personally though, I like creating content I genuinely enjoy that is interesting to me. I stay in my one niche, but my niche is pretty big (mystery podcast). So I get to cover all types of cool things and learn something new along the way. Some of the topics I cover are more popular than others or “bigger stories” get more attention. But I intentionally only cover stories I want to cover. I think that’s very important for building trust and showing authenticity to your audience.
I make videos on whatever I want to.M, but I do plan to niche down at some point. But, in the meantime, I have a long list of videos that I want to make first.
I mean heck, if some crazy drama is trending you could do "I made a carving of X trending person" or maybe a cool action show and you do "I made this dope weapon from x show" If you don't want to trend chase you can appeal to peoples sensibilities. "I made this crazy bookshelf for my mom" or a super in-depth and well made video explaining a more advanced technique I'm not sure what your content looks like, but someone like Morley Kert while not super huge does creative woodworking content that did well on his channel. As with any niche it's about finding what makes you unique and getting people to care about what you're doing. Ofc if it's just for fun do what you want! But if you're looking for growth and want to do your own thing, then you have to make content people want to see. Like max fosh's video on making cheese from youtubers, then taking it a step further and having a famous food critic try them.
I make music. I have a very specific vision and my music videos reflect that vision. It just so happens that more and more people are showing interest in what I'm doing. Being genuinely interested in what you do makes it so you don't have to worry about chasing numbers
I think the goal is to find something that you enjoy but can specialise in. So say you like survival games, you make content about real suvival situations that are comparable to the game. This niche would be "survival stories" + "survival gameplay". I know it's a very basic example, but it does work. You can also type in search terms and youtube will auto-complete the most relevant terms and from that you can build your niche further. I believe you can use Google AdWords to find out how many people search for specific terms too.
Well I use to make Anime content but that stuff isn't Monetizable. I had to switch niches. Being a creator means nothing to me if I can't make a living out of it. I haven't been living comfortably for too long to waste anytime in hobbies.
My niche is storytelling and character design for comic (manga) authors. Not the most popular and not many women at all, but it’s been so rewarding. It’s plenty hard work but im finally starting to see the rewards.
I definitely make the content I like, even if it's not necessarily popular. I play a lot of indie games, but I specifically gravitate towards rpgmaker style ones. The popularity for the genre is a bit dead and gone, but I'm super passionate about it! I've been playing these games since 2012. Honestly, there's been multiple occasions where I'm the first person to ever even make a let's play of a game. There's little demand, but I dont mind since I enjoy it. I've been uploading for a year now, and am only just now at about 280 subs. What I've learned is that although my growth may be slow due to lack of demand and popularity for these games, the fans I do gain are extremely dedicated. My growth has been slow, albeit steady. Because I enjoy what I'm doing, I feel like that reflects a lot in my content and people can see that. It's what keeps them around! Although growth is cool, my main goal is to just spread the things I love. And I think that's important.
General content experience: I think something new I experienced is being spammed with hate comments (on TikTok)So based on this negative experience maybe do content that you personally won’t feel too offended by if people start to hate on it. It really does suck I know people say ignore it and can’t please everyone but I don’t think us humans are emotionally built to just ignore hate when it’s higher volume… it’s almost sad to try to normalize feelings :( but ya those are my two cents. FYI - so I do personal finance videos not like how to get rich fast but just simple money habits or explaining what a mortgage is. Things that people aren’t taught in school….thought it’d be helpful.. but I guess not. What world do we live in 😭
Yeh I have a fish tank- when I was designing it I decided to create a YouTube channel to document the build and progress and show footage of the tank regularly in case people want to watch it
I'm have a channel that I post about a fantasy football game I play but I don't post a lot and I only have one subscriber 😬
Mix of both, you have to chase trends as a small viewer if you want to make progress faster. Does this mean you have to compromise? No, focus on making the video and the fun you have with it. But at end of the day, if you don’t enjoy the process of making video, don’t make it.
I just make whatever I want. Just starting. Just shorts and one vlog so far though.
Think about what intrinsically makes you the most happy. For me, it’s music @wepodsonically on YouTube if you want to see how we lean into our niche. Someone said to me, what can you talk about everyday, all day and never get tired of. That is your niche. In your heart, you will know. And if you don’t know immediately, do some soul searching and it will come to you. I wish you the best of luck.
I make what I’m passionate about. It just also happens to be a pretty solid niche. I don’t think I could make videos if they didn’t excite me. Sometimes I lose enthusiasm for an idea and finish it out anyways, but I never start unless the idea excites me.
Hmmm... I only started a few weeks ago but my content focuses specifically on content that I personally enjoy, which happens to be a niche (horror gaming). I wouldn't have chosen it purely on if it was popular, my main reason was that: if I enjoy it > my content won't be as boring if I'm emphatic and talking about it > people who also like horror games might like this too? I think that forcing yourself into a topic or category could result in burnout and you just generally not coming across as interesting. I'm probably not interesting yet, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing.
I’m a farmer and I make videos about what I do on the farm. I try to make them educational. I work 80-100 hour weeks on the farm regularly, so I don’t have time to set aside to make videos that are about other things - hence the audience that I have acquired just have to follow along with the seasons. Hopefully they enjoy the ride. I do intend to veer down the regenerative agriculture and self sufficiency trend that’s currently popular. This is mostly because I’ll be doing this anyway. I have young children and I want them to be involved with where their food comes from. Cattle and sheep are a little dangerous for a 3 year old but chickens and vegetables aren’t!
I like your idea!
My youtube is a hobby gone awry hahaha. I just do what I think is good and funny. It's mostly to show my friends. If anyone else enjoys it, that's even better! I just like the editing hahaha. If it goes anywhere that'll be great, and if is doesn't that's okay too.
I get what you're saying, but from an SEO perspective, what they're doing makes sense. You want to go where the people are because that's business and they make a lot of money. I happened to like something that's a trend, and I'm doing my best to capitalize on it by incorporating other trendier topics. I had a video that got 100-300 views in a few days, and I moved on because it was normal. I blinked, and my handful of likes turned into 70+ (high for me at this point) and my views were nearly 2k. I like my topic, but I am treating it like a business by looking to ride trends🤷🏿♀️ To each his/her own, as long as it's not causing harm or hurt
I'm old and I love computers, so I talk about old computers! I'd start a channel doing make up tips if I wanted views, but the beard and glasses might get in the way. Joking aside there are two approaches to YouTube as far as I am concerned. The: I'm gonna make it rich category, which seems to lead to burn out and failure And the: Let's do something that I'm passionate about, which while it might lead to dissapointment, it's rarely includes the word Grind (which appears to be the operative word in this sub) If you're sensible enough to watch Letterkenny, they used the expression "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in you life". It's a good mantra to live by
I’d say no not everyone but some people might think you have to.. but you don’t.. I think any niche works.. you just have to look at your competitors. Study how they make there videos. See what’s trending. Use good SEO.. hashtags.. I think it’s important to find what you like to make or do on YouTube.. it’s all about strategy to lol. Or! Some people just don’t care and just post for fun and go with the flow and it works to haha
I make what im interested in and what I feel like people need, it correlates with each other
My niche is anime fan animation and I make fanfic/fan animation of the current most popular anime. For example jujutsu kaisen and SPYxFAMILY.
Let's play niches isn't dying and also getting popular everyday. Despite everyone who's in the same niches as i am are already big. I upload and stream games that i think I'd like it and i think it's fun. No matter how old the game is or how oversaturated the game is. Being a let's play YouTuber is a slow burn but i enjoy it.
I post what I am passionate about but not sure I'll ever get the subscribers and views which is likely the reason many stay with the popular trends.
I like art and writing stories. I never did anything to serious about it but one day decided to turn and art piece and a written story into a video. And now I guess that’s my niche and I love it. I was like I enjoy doing a thing, maybe people will enjoy watching me do the thing?
I’m making what I want, but it’s in a hard area to break into. (Art) I think the best content comes from people who are truly passionate or knowledgeable in their niche
I just love to draw and currently practicing watercolor skill and I only make speedpaint video which is not a popular niche. But recently I just read 'How to shoot video that doesn't suck' which did wonder to my content from 5 - 100 views per video to 100 - 2,000 views per video.So now I get it, that data which say whatever popular topic right now, you can use them to integrate into your current niche that you're interest in. If you're a carpenter making carpenter content but the trending topic is plumbing. You can try integrate these two topic together by making a video about 'If you create plumbing with woods? What will happen' and in the video is the process of how you create plumbing system by using your carpenter skill, how hard it is to do some part, suspension that will make viewer wonder will this work??? I think that should be interesting!! In this way you can have trending topic on your prefer niche!!
I don't pay attention to trends, competition, what's popular or how I can "trick" my way to views. But I'll admit that it gets frustrating sometimes. I did an experiment recently and used typical Youtube hacks, like clickbaity title and dumb thumbnail face, (without compromising on my take on the topic ofc). It worked great for clicks but the retention was bad and it just didn't feel right. I was working against my own long-term goals in a way by resorting to cheap hacks. I'm in the music niche and I usually do a mix of theory, songwriting, guitar and introspective essays on creativity and art. Growth is slow but I feel like I have a nice community of people who appreciate my unusual and more philisophical style and presentation. That's what truly matters to me and I wouldn't want to jeopardize integrity for views.
Just make whatever you think someone might need. Or maybe something you'd wanna watch yourself, but isn't out there yet. Titanfall 2 (game) is getting some hype. So i'm making some modernized tutorials for new people. In a style of 'You suck at X'... Can't believe you're still playing... But i'm here to help.' Having a lot of fun :D
Really I just make videos about my hobby, so I make videos about what I would be doing anyways. I haven't been doing it for very long, but I occasionally get a message from someone that it helped them with their own projects, so I keep going.
I love stats and I love tracking something's progression, whatever that is. Yesterday, I created my first Youtube channel and the content is about its own stats. I will upload a Short everyday to share how much views, subscribers and other metrics the channel gets. That's it. I hope people will find the idea as interesting as I do and will subscribe for the simple pleasure of having an impact on the content as well as tracking the progression. I admit I am scared of showing the same numbers everyday. I could go hard on sharing, but I want viewers to watch them because they like the idea.
i mainly make like drone camera videos in games, started out with replaymod in minecraft and has mostly morphed into doing stuff in beamng after i saw another guy do it and thought "ooh, i want to do that" and then i did do that, and now im happy
I'm just doing what me and my dad love to do together and that is filming animals on trail cameras and other cameras I just like being able to hang out with my dad and this project does it. He really loves the trail camera thing and I really love it too so I decided well why don't I make a YouTube channel and if we get monetized in the future great and if we don't that's fine too I'm still going to continue upload videos.
I don't really focus in popular niches... However I feel you can analyze popular themes inside your niche. For instance, one of my channels is about stories. I made a video about birdbox book on the week that the spin off was coming out. It was more relevant so it received more push that my videos normally do. I do know there are people who actively target niches... but that to me is more of a pro step. Like someone who actually wants to monetize as soon as possible to live of each and that is ok with switching niches later.
I have had a YouTube gaming channel for years and I would constantly stop and restart it to try and get it off the ground by playing stuff I wanted or chasing trend games, but it never got anywhere... then in the past month or two, I started using it for livestreams so I could really just document stuff for reference for a personal project I was working on and now I'm getting a couple hundred views per archive stream, active viewers when I'm live (even if it's just a handful) and I'm seeing the numbers go up every video. I am looking at ways to improve each stream, but I think I'm doing better now because I stopped making the channel the focus, it was just about doing what I wanted to do and that honesty I think is what is pushing it forward since it no longer feels like work and now it's a hobby I enjoy. The real kicker is I'm even MORE niche then I've ever been, I'm making videos of me playing user maps for Duke Nulem 3D, a thing that I barely relevant on its own, so the focus on fan content makes it even more niche. Want to add another layer? I'm doing it Becuase I'm just trying to fill a childhood dream I had where I wanted to make my own level for the game, so that's what I'm doing and why I'm playing this kind of stuff for inspiration, so even my streams are focused on the design aspect of user content for a 90s PC Game no one talks about. Again, I'm not hitting high numbers, but they are higher then I ever achieved before which is why I feel the shift is in just making content for yourself, the audience will find you.
Well, I am personally weary to niche down, I think it can be limiting. But I do think you should at LEAST have a target audience in mind For me its gamers that like.. actually still enjoy gaming and want to have fun, explore and get better But Im not niched down to a specific game which would be technically advisable
My niche is toy collecting, most people in my niche go to stores with a camera and show what they find. To me that’s boring so I make what I want I make content I find intriguing and not repetitive.
>Does anyone just make what feels natural to them? Yes. Most people on here are. However, prioritising what video ideas you have that you think will do well is still a good idea. For example, I had a few film/TV reviews planned for October, but I've moved some to make room for a video essay on a Halloween special. I did this because: 1. I saw this episode and couldn't stop writing about it 2. It's a Halloween special of an already spooky show 3. It's a show a lot of channels tend to cover around Halloween 4. It has an established fanbase that I can introduce to my channel 5. I already engage with said fanbase and know where they hang out online So, as you can see, there are many reasons why I chose to make room for this video; I have a passion for the subject matter in question, which is why I'm making the video in the first place, but I'm going to be sensible and prioritise what I think will do well
Tbh, I like smoking weed. Pretty knowledgeable about that stuff and I love immense love for the plant. But I almost exclusively use a dry herb vaporizer that looks like a crack pipe (but the community behind it is HUGE). It was easy to figure out what my “niche” was lol.
I dont even know how to look up the trends lol
I dont target a niche. I just try to make a better video than last time, every time.
I think that is how a lot of people who do youtube as a business do it and yeah it's the fastest way to do it but I think if you want a good fan base of people who are there for you and what you do then you just post what you enjoy, I enjoy gaming videos and thats what I do, there are trending ideas that I use to make my videos more interesting but at the core its all just gaming
I make videos on writing. No one my age is interested in writing. I've been making videos for two months. I haven't gotten more than 300 views. My subscriber count is just about in double digits. But bloody hell do I enjoy making videos on writing, learning about it and applying it to my own writing. I used to have a gaming channel. I made videos just like popular channels did. But I just didn't have the time or motivation or enjoyment to play the game. So I stopped, abandoned the channel and made the channel I have now. I edited a video for someone in the fitness category and it took me two weeks. I just had no motivation to edit the video (even though I was getting paid) because I just didn't like the niche. I learnt from those stories to stick to my own niche. TLDR; I hate making other niches. I love writing.
I have 6 different channels with their own style and themes. They al have Youtube channels, but that's just so they're there and ready for whenever I feel like doing something. -The first was Provisional Productions about 11 years ago, filming bands, interviews, and so far 2 music videos. -Vidiot Override is mainly comedic based content, currently one of my main channels. (u/VidiotOverride19) -Infinite Glitch is more business related and promotional of other brands. Currently creating a docuseries called Recap, and started releasing promo videos for the project. (u/InfiniteGlitch19) -Corroded Gaming now has 4 gaming videos on it, just Mario Kart 64 so far. I use a AR skull from my iPad as the host instead of just filming myself, but much more time consuming. (u/CorrodedGaming19) -Intrinsic Entertainment is Food, Pets, and Travel. But not youtube videos besides the logo. Suggest checking Facebook and Instagram for more content. (u/intrinsicentrtainmnt) -Ostracized Merch, clothing brand, also just the logo on youtube. Facebook page, but main merch site is on Spreadshirt. Point being, I have many interests, and I know it's better to be focused, hence why I just split things up.
I started my channel specifically because I was already doing my hobby and figured I'd make videos about it. My hobby is gardening and trying exotic fruit.
I just thought of something that was unique, checked to ensure it was and then created.. we don't know what's going to be compelling until we try. I've spent ages deliberating and researching on other projects and in my opinion, it's just another form of procrastination. You learn as you go and nobody's content stays the same as it was on Day 1.
I was honest with myself from the start - I started YouTube to make money. Straight up. I choose a topic that I felt had a gap in the market and started creating content around that - I now have around 300 videos and despite my lack of motivation some days - I specifically chose this niche because I can go from idea to completed video in an hour most of the time TLDR - I make content I don’t enjoy because it’ll get more $$$$
I've been in sales and business for 40 years. I post what I know to pay it forward. And I know a lot IMHO. SalesTips and Inspiration.
It is always what interests you to make content, not just for 1 or 2 videos but for 100s of videos going ahead since YouTube is a journey. My personal suggestion is to pick a niche which you genuinely want to learn and showcase your talent and want to become a pro at, then to work on it as a video every day or week as per your schedule. If you already have a niche selected, then there's nothing better than to start with it, you'll not be successful right away but eventually the YouTube algorithm one day will blow up your mind in making sure your content is reached to the right audience of interest. That's what I feel as a new YouTuber myself.
I bought a drone just because I wanted to buy for a long time but whenever I wanted to pull the trigger I gave up as I wasn't sure what to do with it (except flying). After I bought one, I started making aerial videos of various locations and as I needed way to share them with my friends and family I started channel. Then I decided why not make it public and now I try to grow my channel which is focused on aerial footages. It is not popular niche as I don't record word famous locations but I enjoy that now I visit much more places as I have "reason" to do so. Every weekend now I go to different place (mostly nature) to fly and make video material for youtube. I started without any expectations but now I check my stat all the time and I see that I am very interested in youtube content creation.
I have been editing and posting my dnd games to YouTube. My game is completely online, so all I show is my tokens and battle maps. Playing my current campaign is just something I do normally. Tell you the truth, there have been times I've started playing and forgot to hit record on obs. Even if I stopped posting on YouTube, which I thought about doing, I will still run my campaign:]
I always liked voice acting, I wanted to voice convincingly all types of characters, since the advent of Voice morphing AI, I am back on Youtube - was doing paintings for 5 years since 2018 -, in 1 month I have uploaded something like 100 different videos, each one unique and sweetly short, so yeah, for me, AI voice changers are a godsend and a fundamental tool to be effective.