If you are struggling to come up with ideas for your next YouTube video, don’t worry, you are not alone. It can be quite frustrating, as YouTube values consistency in posting, and its algorithms tend to promote those accounts which provide new watching materials on a regular basis. But there is also good news — you can find plenty of inspiration out there, you just need to know where to look. So, if you ask yourself, “What should my next YouTube video be?”, here are 11 ways to get those creative juices flowing, keep your video ideas fresh, get your YouTube viewers those new videos, and beat YouTube algorithms.

Keep a Running List of Ideas

Never rely on your memory alone! Use tools like Notion, Evernote, or even a simple Google Doc or Notes on your smartphone to maintain a running list of video ideas. Write it down immediately whenever inspiration strikes – whether in the shower, at the gym, or during a conversation. Try to add 1-2 ideas daily or every other day.

💡 Tip: Revisit your list regularly and prioritize ideas based on what is most relevant or timely for your audience.

Organize Ideas with a Content Matrix

A content matrix is a great way to ensure you never run out of ideas. It organizes your content by theme and purpose so that you cover different parts of your audience’s needs. This system has four main content goals: educate, entertain, convince, and inspire. Here is how you can plan your content concerning these aims:

• Educate: Share tips, tutorials, how-to guides, or explain concepts your audience wants to learn. Example: “How to Repurpose Video Content with AI Video Cut.”
• Entertain: Make your audience laugh, share personal stories, or get them involved in fun challenges. Example: “Reacting to My Old Cringe Videos.”
• Convince: Showcase your expertise or promote a product/service in an authentic way. Example: “Why This AI Tool Saves Me Hours of Video Editing Every Week.”
• Inspire: Motivate your audience by sharing success stories and your journey or by using encouraging words. Example: “How I Grew My Channel From 0 to 100K Subscribers in a Year.”

Now, create a grid with your themes on one axis and your goals on the other. Brainstorm ideas for each intersection. For example, under "Educate + Fitness," you could create a tutorial on “5 Beginner-Friendly Workouts to Do at Home.”

💡 Pro Tip: Update your matrix regularly to reflect new trends and keep your content fresh.

Dive into Reddit

Reddit is a massive source of niche communities (called subreddits) packed with questions, discussions, and hot topics. Find a subreddit related to your niche, sort posts by “Hot” or “Top,” and see what's trending. The questions people ask here can often be the inspiration for your next video title and lead you to what people search on the platform. This way, you can make YouTube recommend your video by optimizing it with keywords people use in Reddit threads.

💡 Tip: Use Reddit’s "search" feature to find recurring questions or debates relevant to your audience.

Explore Quora to Answer Popular Questions

Quora is a platform where people ask real questions and look for detailed, expert-level answers. If you search for topics relevant to your niche, you can find common problems or curiosities that would make great video topics. For example, if you are a tech review channel, you might see questions like “What’s the best budget laptop in 2025?” or “How to optimize your home WiFi setup?” Quora is also a great way to see what kind of content works for your audience. Questions with lots of upvotes or responses are a good indication of topics that are really engaging.

Repurpose Old Content for a Fresh Spin

If you’ve been creating content for a while, chances are you have a library of older videos made at a time when short-form content was not at its peak or you did not concentrate on that niche. This is where you can attract more audience to watch your earlier videos in a bite-sized format. You can even avoid editing it yourself! AI Video Cut can make it easy to break down long-form videos into short, shareable clips optimized for YouTube Shorts (and other platforms like TikTok and Instagram).

For example, take a live stream Q&A or tutorial and extract the most valuable moments into bite-sized clips. You can use a set of preset prompts or create your own custom prompts and create the videos in bulk for your content planning. AI Video Cut also adds captions to your videos to make them more accessible, especially for those watching on mute.

💡 Tip: Update older videos with new information or visuals to keep them relevant and engaging for today’s audience.

Look Beyond Your Niche for Inspiration

One of the ways to find a new YouTube idea is to think outside the box. Sometimes, the best ideas come from unexpected places. Watch videos, read blogs, or listen to podcasts outside your usual niche to discover concepts or trends that can be adapted to your channel. For example, a lifestyle YouTuber could draw inspiration from a tech review format to create a “Top 5 Life Hacks” video.

Ask Your Audience Directly Through Surveys

Sometimes, the simplest way to find out what your audience wants is to ask them. Conduct polls on YouTube, Instagram, or even Twitter to gather ideas directly from your viewers. Questions like “What do you want to see next?” or “What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?” can generate plenty of video ideas.

Audience surveys also have the added benefit of building engagement – your viewers will feel more involved in your content creation process, making them more likely to watch the finished video. This might not get you 1k subscribers in 1 day, but it will certainly build a stronger connection with your audience.

💡 Tip: Create a Q&A video series where you answer audience questions directly. It provides valuable content and also builds a loyal audience.

Analyze Competitors to Find Content Gaps

Your competitors can be a rich source of inspiration. Start by analyzing their most-viewed videos to see what topics are resonating with your shared audience. Platforms like Social Blade or TubeBuddy can help you identify which videos are driving the most engagement.

Don’t just replicate what your competitors are doing—look for gaps or opportunities they’ve missed. For example, if a competitor made a video about “Top 10 Travel Gadgets” but didn’t cover budget-friendly options, you could create a similar video with a unique twist.

💡 Tip: Read the comments on your competitors’ videos. Viewers often ask follow-up questions or suggest related topics, which you can use to spark new ideas.

Ask AI for Ideas

In the age of artificial intelligence, you no longer need to brainstorm alone. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or other AI writing assistants can generate creative and relevant ideas for your next video or at least give you some inspiration. Try to prompt the AI with details about your channel’s niche, tone, or audience, and it will provide you with a list of engaging topics. For example, you could ask, “What are some beginner-friendly video ideas for a fitness YouTube channel?” or “What are trending tech topics in 2025?” These tools can also help refine your existing ideas, suggesting catchy titles or unique angles to make your content stand out. Or you can find it as a good partner to discuss your ideas. As you know, sometimes the most fantastic ideas can be found in a dialogue.

Use Ahrefs or Other SEO Tools

SEO tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush are great for finding high-performing keywords and topics. These platforms let you check what your target audience is searching for, showing you keyword difficulty, search volume, and related questions. So, if you are a cooking channel, you might find that “easy one-pot meals” is an excellent idea because it has a high search volume but is not too competitive. Such tools also give you insights into what your competitors are doing so you can see what's working for similar channels.