Coming up with fresh, exciting new YouTube Shorts ideas can be tough. If you want to draw in viewers and increase engagement, it’s essential to keep up your creativity and surprise your audience. So, how can you think of new ideas?
There are plenty of things you can do, from understanding your target audience to checking out current popular content.
To help you take the next steps in growing your YouTube channel, we’ve got you covered with a list of fantastic video ideas. Just read on to discover all kinds of content suggestions to try out.
How to come up with engaging YouTube ideas
There are many ways to stimulate new ideas for YouTube. If you’re in a creative rut or need some inspiration, consider these factors:
Target audience
When you picture your target audience, what do you see? Having an idea of who will watch your videos can be really helpful when you come up with content. After all, different audiences have different interests. By narrowing down your target audience's age range, lifestyle, and career, you can better imagine what kind of content they would like. For example, a full-time student may be more interested in a ‘study with me’ video than a busy entrepreneur.
Your Niche
What do you have to offer that is unique?
You may struggle to understand what sets you apart from other YouTubers, but looking inwards is the key. Are you funny, quirky, or drawn to a particular aesthetic? Whatever your personality or interests, you’re sure to find a corner of YouTube with like-minded people.
By putting your own personal stamp on your videos you can stand out from the crowd. Follow your own interests and narrow down the focus of your content. This will help you connect with viewers with shared interests.
AI generation
AI tools can be a huge help if you’re looking for fresh content ideas. You can use AI to generate new video ideas and give you suggestions for what to film. There are also AI video-making tools that will stitch your existing footage together into videos. This can be a great way to see your content in a new light and put your recordings to use.
You can use AI tools such as Riverside’s Magic Clips feature to repurpose your content. It’s simple and effortless. Magic Clips automatically finds the highlights in your video and turns them into short videos. These kinds of tools save you time and energy, creating ready-to-post content in minutes.
Research
Doing research can inspire your creativity. Take a look at the kind of content that’s popular at the moment. What trends and viral videos are capturing people’s attention? How could you incorporate elements of these into your own content? You might, for example, take a viral sound and use it as the background for your own video.
Another great way to come up with ideas is to research analytics. Have a look at your best-performing videos and consider what they have in common. Are there any other ideas you can come up with that are similar? You can also check out which keywords people frequently search for on YouTube. This will give you an insight into topics people are interested in that you could make videos about.
Short-form video formatting
This format can be a great source of inspiration for video ideas, as it encourages you to keep things short and sweet. Brainstorm some ideas for quick videos, like channel introductions. You could even repurpose the highlights from your longer videos into new, short-form content. We’ve got a whole list of YouTube Shorts ideas below.
15 Best YouTube Shorts ideas to Increase Your Reach
Ready to create some exciting new videos? If you need the next great idea to inspire your content, then look no further.
In the list below, you’ll find all kinds of suggestions for YouTube Shorts videos. These ideas are perfect for videos up to 60 seconds long. They can encourage your creativity and help to grow your channel. So jump in and get started.
Reviews
From food to films, everyone’s got something they’re passionate about. Why not review your next meal at a restaurant or the book you’re currently reading? Sharing your review as a YouTube Short can help others decide what to try next. Inject your own humor and personality into your review for a more engaging video.
Example:
Before and after
There’s nothing more satisfying than a good before and after video. These videos typically show untidy places that are then made shiny and clean. But you can get creative and make a before and after video about anything, from a dress that needs altering to a piece of art you’ve redrawn. Just make sure to have a sharp transition, like a click of your fingers, to make the change look more dramatic.
Example:
Outfit of the day
Outfit-of-the-day videos make for great short-form content because they’re quick to film and don’t require lengthy footage. If you’re already getting dressed up to go out somewhere, why not take a video of your outfit? Include close-ups of your accessories for an eye-catching video. Mention where your clothing is from, as viewers might want to go and buy it themselves.
Example:
Fitness tips
Whether it’s stretching, weightlifting, or pilates, if you’ve got fitness advice to share, some people want to hear it. It’s best to find your niche when it comes to fitness tips. Consider who your target audience is, and what their fitness goals might be. Show yourself performing exercises so people can save your Short as an example to watch back.
Example:
Get ready with me
A get ready with me video shows you preparing for your day. While this can be a video of you getting dressed, you can also tailor it to your specific lifestyle or interests. You could include your morning affirmations, journaling, or anything else you do to get ready. Some viewers like to watch these while getting ready themselves. Typically they show a fun, personal side of the content creator.
Example:
Introduction video
Shorts are a great way to introduce yourself or members of your company to an audience in a quick, dynamic video. In an introduction video, you should focus on giving a few key facts about the person, such as their job position or role on your YouTube channel. But it’s important that you also highlight their quirkiness, show their interests and make the video feel personal.
Example:
Life Hacks
People are always in need of a good life hack. If you know of a life hack or can come up with one, the internet is a great place to share this knowledge. You could even tie your life hack to a niche relating to your channel or business. For example, if you run a clothing brand, try creating YouTube Shorts with life hacks like fixing a broken zipper in a pinch or the best way to pack clothes when traveling.
Example:
Challenge or trend video
Challenge videos are a great way to stay current with your content. Plenty of challenges and trends come out every day. For example, ‘answering your assumptions’ is a trending video format where YouTubers reply to their viewers’ assumptions about them. You can use these types of video ideas to reveal more about yourself and build a connection with your viewers.
Example:
Question and answer
In a question-and-answer video, the content creator replies to questions. You can post a callout for questions in the Community section of your channel, or on social media. Or, you can look online for common questions about a topic you’re an expert in. Then create a rapid-fire question-and-answer video to post as a YouTube Short. These videos are a great way to reveal more about yourself to your followers or educate people about a topic.
Example:
How-to video
How-to videos come in many varieties. You can find them on all kinds of topics. They’ve proven very popular for explaining with both audio and video how to achieve certain tasks. You could create a how-to video on just about anything you’re an expert in. Do you know the best way to complete a video game level, or how to get better at public speaking? Create your best tips on achieving this and put them in a video. We've got a full guide of how-to ideas to get you inspired.
Example:
Live stream highlight
Have you shared a live stream video before? You might be a gamer who’s recently gone live playing Minecraft or Fortnight. Or perhaps you threw a live event such as a book launch, and captured a video of it. You can repurpose the highlights from your recording into short clips and share them with a new audience. This process is easy with a feature like Riverside’s AI Magic Clips tool.
Example:
Day in my life
Day in my life videos provide a window into the world of a content creator. They can bring the viewer along through a day of business meetings, shopping, coffee shop breaks, studying, travel or more. These videos must be personal and show activities unique to your lifestyle or career, like editing videos for YouTube. This way viewers can feel a sense of connection with you and understand more about your life.
Example:
Product reveal
YouTube is a great place to advertise new products as millions of users browse the platform each day. Whether you sell jewelry or artwork, you can use YouTube to both attract new customers and spread the word about your business. Revealing a new product is an exciting way to catch someone’s eye while showcasing your most current inventory.
Example:
Behind the scenes
Getting an insight into what happens behind the scenes of a video recording session or photo shoot can be just as interesting as the end result. These videos give a glimpse into your mindset, process, and the other people on your team. Others wanting to work in the same industry might enjoy this, or those who simply want to know more about what you do.
Example:
Podcast highlight
If you’ve created a podcast, you’re sitting on a heap of content ideal for repurposing into Shorts. Podcasts where both video and audio have been recorded work best as Shorts. Simply clip a highlight from your podcast, like the funniest moment of the episode or a powerful story shared by a guest, and create a standalone video from it. Viewers scrolling through Shorts may be enticed by your clip to watch the full episode!
Best of all, creating a podcast highlight Short is easy. All you need is an AI tool, like Riverside’s Magic Clips. With just one click, this tool will detect your podcast highlights and turn them into video clips. You’ll have shareable content ready to go in minutes.
Example:
How to repurpose your content into YouTube Short ideas seamlessly with Riverside
Repurposing content into YouTube Shorts is easy with Riverside. This all-in-one video-making and editing platform is the ideal place to both record and edit high-quality content. Once you finish filming, easily transform your videos into short-form content with just a few clicks.
Use the AI Magic Clips tool for seamless YouTube Short creation. This feature automatically detects your recording’s highlights and turns them into short clips. You can edit or just upload them right away! Getting started with Riverside is easy, with a beginner-friendly interface suited to any user.
To repurpose videos into YouTube Shorts, just follow this step by step guide:
Step 1: Log into your Riverside account. Either create a new studio or enter an existing one.
Step 2: If you haven’t already, record your long-form video using Riverside’s recording tools. (You can learn more about recording here)
Step 3: After recording, click the ‘View recordings’ button, and choose the take you want to edit.
You can also choose an older take. Simply find the studio you recorded in, and view the recordings to find your take.
Step 4: Use the Magic Clips button (you won’t miss it!) to create short, shareable clips from your footage.
This AI tool will automatically turn the highlights of your video into a series of short clips. You’ll see a row of these clips with star icons in the corners.
The longer your recording, the more clips you should receive.
Step 5: Click on the scissors icon on a Magic clip to edit the clip.
Step 6: In the editor you can:
- Trim your recording by using an Ai transcript of your video
- Add and style video captions at the tap of a button
- Customize your layout and background, plus more
Step 6: When you finish editing, click Export in the top right corner to save or share your video.
FAQs on YouTube Shorts Ideas
What should I post on YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts are a great place to post a variety of content in the form of short clips. You can share highlights from interviews, podcasts, and vlogs as Shorts videos. This is an efficient way to repurpose long-form video content, so you can get a second use out of the same video. Alternatively, you could post original content as YouTube Shorts, such as dances to trending songs, short tips for business or creativity, or a short how-to for a single task. Find a full list of YouTube Shorts video ideas in the article above.
How can I make my YouTube Shorts popular?
You can improve the popularity of your Shorts videos in a few different ways. Researching current trends and popular keywords is a good way to understand what people enjoy. Use this as inspiration for your own video ideas. Make sure you title your Shorts carefully, using a keyword to describe your content. Post consistently to grow your follower base so that your Shorts attract more views.
How can I make my YouTube Shorts more attractive?
Make your YouTube Shorts visually appealing by recording high-quality audio and video. You can do this with a platform like Riverside, which supports up to 4K video quality. With a crisp, clear image, your video will be more attention-catching. Spruce up your Shorts with some edits, like adding background music, using cuts to remove pauses and including transitions between clips. These will help your video appear more dynamic.
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