How To Use YouTube To Find a Niche for Your Video Content

We’re living in the age of the creator.

Right now, there are 114 million active YouTube channels and nearly 122 million daily active viewers around the world. Those are staggering numbers, especially when you consider that creators can have up to 100 channels at a time!

So how are you supposed to stand out?

Here’s a secret that the most successful video creators already know: You can put YouTube to work for you.

YouTube is not just a video hosting platform — it's also a powerful data resource. And for new creators, putting YouTube to work for you is one of the smartest ways to get ahead.

Below, we’ll outline how you can start using YouTube to find the right niche for your video content.

What is a video niche?

Divisive opinions on how to actually pronounce it aside ... a “video niche” refers to a specific topic or subject area within the world of video content creation.

In the context of online video platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, creators often specialize in producing content within a particular niche to cater to a specific audience with similar interests.

Examples of niche video content

Let’s look at a few examples of niche video topics to kickstart your brainstorming session:

Cooking

Share unique family recipes and cooking tips. Bring your background or heritage into the content to put your spin on the videos and differentiate your channel from other cooking ones.

Fitness 

This topic provides a lot of opportunity for exploration and can target both beginners and exercise fanatics alike, especially if your personality shines through the content. There may be countless online fitness instructors, but there’s only one you.

Movie or TV show recommendations

Give your audiences your unique take on movies or shows, then explain why  they’ll love it (or hate it). Generally, strong opinions mean great engagement online.

Pop culture

The great thing about pop culture is that every single day presents new, interesting stories to unpack. Plus, you can narrow your focus even more, creating content around your favorite sports team, music festival, and so on.

This are only a handful of topics, but the possibilities are nearly endless. The more specific you get — the more personal you make something — the more universal it becomes.

So find a niche topic that really excites you, and one that you can speak to authentically, and your audience will come.

How do you research niches on YouTube?

Now that you know the why, let’s look at the how.

1. Identify your interests and expertise

Start with a list: Write down all of your interests and areas of expertise, even the ones that may seem silly to you! It’s much easier to create content around topics that you’re passionate or knowledgeable about.

2. Dive into YouTube search

Next, enter in broad keywords related to your interests in the YouTube search bar. As you type, YouTube is going to suggest autocomplete options based on popular searches. Take note of these suggestions, as they reflect what people are actively searching for.

3. Analyze the search results

Look at the search results for your keywords. Pay attention to the types of videos that appear, their view counts, and engagement levels (likes, comments, shares).

This gives you an idea of the competition and audience interest in those topics. It’s important to consider the volume and the overall strength of their content, as your future videos will be in direct competition!

4. Explore related videos

After taking in the initial search results, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find related videos. The curated content that lives here will give you additional insights into subtopics and variations within your niche. So, between the related videos and the initial search results, you should have a good sampling of what’s out there!

5. Examine what’s trending

Next on the checklist is visiting YouTube Trends or performing keyword research to discover trending topics and popular searches. This should help you understand what’s currently popular so that you can tailor your video content accordingly.

In this phase of discovery, we also recommend taking full advantage of keyword research tools, like Semrush Keywords Everywhere, and Google Keyword Planner, which is free to anyone who sets up a Google Ads account. You can also explore competitor analysis tools, like vidIQ and TubeBuddy.

Pro tip: For keywords, be sure to look for those with decent search volume but relatively low competition. And with competitors, we recommend analyzing their most popular videos, content themes, production quality, and engagement levels — and definitely identify gaps or areas where you can offer unique value.

6. Browse social media

Spend an hour or two diving into social media platforms like Reddit, as well as Facebook groups that are related to your niche. Pay attention to discussions, questions, and topics that generate a lot of engagement. Reddit and Facebook groups in particular can provide valuable insights into what your target audience is interested in.

7. Test, iterate, and refine!

And now comes the really fun part. Once you’ve identified potential niches for your content, create a few videos to test the waters! Evaluate specific metrics like views, engagement, and subscriber growth over time to determine which niches resonate best with your audience. Always be iterating and refining your content strategy based on these insights to give your channel the best chance at sustainable growth.

And, who knows, maybe that growth will lead to recurring revenue — and sooner than you think . . .

How to monetize your niche video content

YouTube offers a lot of monetization opportunities to its creators through its Partner Program. However, there are also a lot of benchmarks you need to hit before you can start earning, such as view counts and number of subscribers.

If you’re looking to start monetizing your videos sooner than later, consider taking full advantage of tools like Switcher.

Here are a couple of ways Switcher helps creators start earning right away:

Gated Content

Gated video content allows Switcher creators to put their videos behind a paywall to earn directly from their audiences. This enables creators to fully own the video-watching experience (ad- and competing videos-free), monetize all of their content, and generate leads.

Video Subscriptions 

Switcher’s video subscription platform integrates seamlessly with your current website, making it easier than ever for creators to own their premium content and earn recurring revenue immediately. In other words, you can turn your current website into a video subscription website today.

Plus, our app makes video content creation streamlined and headache-free. So, not only are you earning through Gated Content and Subscriptions, but you’re saving hundreds (even thousands) of dollars on unnecessary video gear and multiple platform subscriptions. ✨

Get started for free

YouTube is a great destination for discovering content, growing an audience, and defining your niche — but it isn’t the only way (or the best way) to earn revenue from your videos. 

See how easy it is to monetize your content with Switcher, when you try it free for 14 days!