Idea Generation

These days, I am aiming to reallocate 40 percent of my time to the idea generation process. This is where I think my time, and arguably yours, is most valuable.

I first heard that idea generation should be your greatest priority on Jay Clouse’s podcast interview with Paddy Galloway, one of the biggest and most effective YouTube Channel consultants out there. Paddy said this is the biggest change he makes to channels. He advises them to take time from editing, marketing, etc. and reallocate it to the idea generation process. He recommends deciding on the full package – Title, Thumbnail, Intro, Story – before ever picking up the camera.

Since first hearing this, I’ve heard it repeated time and time again by the likes of Ed from Film Booth, George Blackman from the Scriptwriter’s Playbook, and several others. Clearly these big creators are on to something.

Idea Generation = Good Ideas

At the most basic level, is it clear that spending more time on generating ideas means you are more likely to come up with good ideas. There are multiple ways to present one event. If you spend the time to think about the multiple ideas, you can then choose the best one to pursue.

Good Ideas = Good Retention

A surprising benefit of spending time generating multiple ideas is that it’s the first big key to high retention on your videos.

Imagine this: you go sailing. Video 1 you sell as a sail from Auckland to Great Barrier Island and you show general happenings along the way. Video 2 you sell as a big milestone sailor from the perspective of a complete newbie sailor! Both are the same circumstances, the same sail, but the idea around video #2 is much more interesting. As a result, the viewer is more likely to stick around to see what happens, thus increasing the video’s retention.

This idea compounds if you consistently produce good ideas. This is because even if you slip up every once in a while, and have a mediocre idea, the trust you’ve built up over multiple videos means your audience is more like to give each new video a real chance. Alternatively, if you consistently produce videos that are not great ideas, then viewers will already expect to be disappointed and will click away at the first sign of disinteresting content.

Good Ideas = Long Term Performance

Generating multiple ideas before recording enables you to weave a coherent narrative across all your videos. Once you have multiple ideas, you can go through a checklist I provide below and see which idea is most aligned with your goals. This ensures that each travel vlogs flows to the next, thus encouraging viewers to binge your YouTube channel. This then signals to YouTube that your videos are worth pushing to a wider audience (because “session time” – total time spent on your channel – is what makes channels grow), and this has the compound effect of reaching new viewers.

Good Ideas = Consistent Branding

Generating multiple ideas allows you to align your travel vlogs with your brand’s messaging, style, and tone. This consistency helps build a stronger brand identity and makes your channel more recognizable to your audience. It also allows you to clearly point in the direction you want your audience to go, whether that’s to Patreon, a product, or other ways you are hoping to get paid to travel.

How Do You Generate Ideas?

Generate 10 Ideas

The first step to generating multiple ideas is to remove judgment. At this point, it’s important to not critique the ideas because this has the effect of stymying creativity. Quantity fuels quality so don’t hold back! Now is the time to brainstorm freely! Get it?! 😀

If you have a scenario already (sailing from A to B), generate at least 10 diverse angles to present the content. Alternatively, if you don’t have a specific scenario in mind, generate 10 scenarios. In my case, it would be 10 places I could visit in New Zealand.

Look at The Ideas From Multiple Angles

Only AFTER you have your ten ideas, it is time to start analyzing them. Look at your ideas from various angles. What unique perspectives can you bring to each one? The more dimensions you explore, the richer your content becomes.

How do you FEEL about the ideas?

Personal connection to your work is one of the ways you can set your YouTube channel apart. This is often one of the hardest things to embrace, but if you are on YouTube, YOU are part of the product. Evaluate each idea based on your personal connection. Your passion for a topic will fuel authenticity, which resonates deeply with audiences.

Which one will have the highest retention?

After you have a few videos in the bank, you should start to get an idea about what type of content performs best on your channel. You’ll want to analyze all the ideas and see which one has the most potential to hold viewers’ attention throughout the video. High retention leads to YouTube algorithm love!

Which one is aligned with your brand?

Hopefully at this point, you’ve done some branding, and you have a clear understanding of your YouTube channels vision and goals. With this information, you want to analyze each idea from the perspective of whether or not is aligns with your brand values and identity. Consistency strengthens your brand’s recognition and connection with your audience and will ensure you have everyone looking in the direction you want them to go.

Which one could help feed into a wider story across your channel?

Depending on whether or not your YouTube channel is following your life overall or one-off adventures, this will be easier or harder. If it is following your life overall, it is clearer how each episode is connected.

Either way though, you want to think big picture when analyzing each idea. Identify which idea can be a building block in a larger narrative across your channel. Connected content keeps viewers coming back, and also encourages viewers to click on to the next video, thus increasing session time.

Is it feasible?

Here is the bummer: we have limited time and resources, and you need to ensure that the idea you choose isn’t disproportionately taking up your time. Complex ideas might require more resources and time. Or worse, they are simply not doable.

What is the ROI on effort versus potential profit?

Following on the previous point, determine the potential return on investment for each idea. Effort spent should align with potential profit or growth.

An example of this is I used to use a lot of graphics in my videos to explain complicated sailing concepts. The videos did well, but not proportionate to my time invested, and I could have put that time towards creating another video or generating better ideas. In the end, I learned to choose simpler ideas that required less effort in order to free up my time. I also reduced my use of graphics because they were taking too much time.

You’ll want to look at ROI from a short-term vs. long-term perspective. Is it possible a video will do poorly right away but well in the long run? I spent heaps of time on a travel vlog on the Marlborough Sounds which had lots of graphics and lots of research. In the short-term (4 months), the video did really bad. But in the long-term (2 years), it ended up being the video most popular. Sustainable content ensures steady growth over time.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCT

Finally, and most importantly, learn to trust your instinct. Phill Agnew, host of The Nudge Podcast, said in his interview with Jay Clouse that a lot of the psychology behind well performing videos is instinctual, even when we don’t have the language to back up our beliefs.

Intuition matters! Learning to listen and trust your inner voice is one of the most powerful things you can do as a creator. It’s something that isn’t talked about enough and definitely something I will be approaching in Module 1 of my course. Being a travel vlogger is an emotional journey towards heightened self-worth. You have to learn to trust your gut if you ever want to stand out on YouTube. Otherwise, you just end up following the pack.

Remember, you are choosing to be an influencer. Which means you have to INFLUENCE. You can’t influence if you don’t trust and implement your own unique ideas. You are a unique personality. Be YOU.

Takeaway

Remember, each idea you create shapes your YouTube channel’s identity and success. I can’t recommend enough to spend more time on this process and ensure that you are choosing the best idea for each episode.

Prioritize ideas that not only captivate your audience but also resonate with your passion and brand. A high-retention idea that aligns with your YouTube channel’s story, is feasible, and promises a solid ROI is your golden ticket to long-term growth.