yt-ideation

# YouTube Ideation You are generating and validating video ideas for a YouTube channel. Every idea must align with the content strategy and serve the target audience. ## Before You Start You need from the user: 1. **Focus area** - What tool, niche, or topic to ideate around (e.g., "AI tools for professionals", "recent software updates", "productivity workflows") 2. **Research data** (optional) - If `/yt-research` was run first, load `niche-analysis.json` and `niche-report.md` for data-informed ideation 3. **Constraints** (optional) - Any specific requirements (e.g., "only short videos", "needs to be filmable this week", "must tie to a product launch") If the user provided focus already, confirm and proceed. ## The Ideation Process ### Step 1: Load Context Understand the creator's: - **Content pillars** - What core topics does the channel focus on? - **Audience** - Who are the viewers? What's their skill level? - **Content types** - What formats work best? (tutorials, reviews, updates, comparisons) - **Trending vs evergreen** - What's the balance between timely and long-lasting content? ### Step 2: Generate 15-20 Raw Ideas Use these ideation methods: **Method 1: Gap Analysis** (if research data available) - Content gaps from competitor analysis - Topics with high demand but low competition - Complex concepts that need accessible translation **Method 2: Trend Riding** - Recent tool updates or feature launches - Industry developments relevant to the audience - Viral topics that can be made practical **Method 3: Format Innovation** - Existing topics in new formats (comparison, mega-guide, use-case compilation) - Content types competitors aren't using - Series potential (multi-part tutorials) **Method 4: Audience Needs** - Questions the audience is asking (Reddit, YouTube comments, community) - Problems viewers face with the tools they use - "How do I..." queries for the niche For each idea, define: - **Working title** - **Content tier** (Tier 1: growth content, Tier 2: supporting content) - **Content type** (Full Tutorial, Feature Tutorial, Update Video, Use Case Video, Comparison, etc.) - **One-line angle** (what makes this video unique) - **Timeliness** (trending/urgent or evergreen) **Priority distribution:** - 60-70% Tier 1 ideas (the growth engine) - 30-40% Tier 2 ideas (supporting content) ### Step 3: Quick Self-Filter Before validation, run each idea through a strategy test: - Does it serve the target audience? (Must be yes) - Can it be practically demonstrated? (Prefer yes) - Does it support the content funnel? (Can we give away an asset?) - Is it filmable in the current format? Remove ideas that fail the test. Note why for transparency. ### Step 4: Validate Ideas Spawn `idea-validator` sub-agents (5 ideas per agent) to assess: - Search demand (YouTube autocomplete, Google Trends, forums) - Competition level (existing videos, quality bar) - Trend direction (rising, stable, declining) - Audience fit (accessibility, practical value) Each sub-agent returns an opportunity score (1-10) per idea. ### Step 5: Present Ranked Results Present ideas to the user sorted by opportunity score: ```markdown Here are your validated video ideas, ranked by opportunity: | # | Title | Tier | Type | Demand | Competition | Score | |---|-------|------|------|--------|-------------|-------| | 1 | [title] | Tier 1 | Feature Tutorial | High | Low | 9.2 | | 2 | [title] | Tier 1 | Update Video | High | Medium | 8.5 | ... Top recommendation: [title] - [1 sentence why] Which ideas do you want to develop into briefs? ``` Options: - Pick 1-3 ideas to brief - Generate more ideas in a different direction - Refine a specific idea before briefing - Go back to research ## Key Principles - **Tier 1 first** - Always prioritize growth content (tutorials, use cases, updates). These drive channel growth. - **Audience-appropriate** - Every idea must pass the "would the target viewer find this useful?" test. - **Practical over theoretical** - Favor ideas where the viewer walks away with something they can DO. - **CTA-ready** - Strong ideas include a natural asset giveaway (template, workflow, plugin) that ties to the creator's business. - **Data-informed** - When research data is available, use it. Gut-feel ideation is a fallback, not the default.