Validating Video Ideas

Before spending hours creating a video, use Intel to validate your content ideas. Find evidence of what resonates with viewers, identify winning formats, and refine your approach based on videos that have already proven successful.

Why Validate Your Video Ideas?

Testing your video concepts against real-world data helps you:

1. Focus on topics with proven viewer interest
2. Adopt formats that drive engagement
3. Create better titles and thumbnails
4. Avoid topics that consistently underperform
5. Increase your chances of creating a breakout video

Find Successful Videos in Your Niche

Start by identifying high-performing videos similar to your concept:

1. Search for videos related to your topic:

   • Example: "beginner guitar tutorial videos"

     Look for outlier scores:

   • Strong potential: Videos with outlier scores > 5x
   • Good potential: Videos with outlier scores between 2-5x

   • Questionable potential: Most videos with outlier < 1.5x

     Consider view counts relative to channel size:

   • A video with 10,000 views might be an outlier for a small channel
   • A video with 500,000 views might be average for a larger channel

Analyze What Makes Videos Successful

Study the patterns in high-performing videos:

1. Select 3-5 videos with high outlier scores

   For each video, analyze:

   • Title format: Question, how-to, listicle, story-based
   • Thumbnail elements: Text, expressions, colors, objects
   • Video length: Short-form, medium, or long-form
   • Content structure: Tutorial, review, reaction, case study

   • Hook style: Question, surprising fact, problem statement

     Watch the first minute of each video:

   • How quickly do they introduce the topic?
   • What promises or value statements do they make?
   • How do they create curiosity to keep watching?

Test Your Video Concept Against Outliers

Compare your idea to what's already working:

1. Ask these validation questions:
   • Has this exact topic generated outlier videos recently?
   • Do similar videos consistently perform well?
   • Does my angle offer something different from existing content?

   • Can I improve on the format of successful videos?

     Check for format patterns:

   • Do list-style videos perform better than tutorials?
   • Do shorter videos outperform longer ones?

   • Do certain visual styles consistently generate outliers?

     Note value propositions in successful videos:

   • What specific benefit do they promise viewers?
   • How do they position their content as unique?
   • What problems do they solve?

Use Performance Analysis to Refine Ideas

When viewing a channel with content similar to your planned video:

1. Open the Performance Analysis section

   Look for insights about what performs well for that channel:

   • Topic categories that generate the most views
   • Content structures that retain viewers
   • Video lengths that perform best
   • Underperforming content types to avoid
2. Apply these insights to refine your concept

Find Content Gaps and Opportunities

Identify untapped potential in your niche:

1. Look for topics with high search interest but few great videos
2. Note questions in comments that aren't being answered well
3. Spot outdated information that needs updating
4. Find complex topics that could be explained better
5. Look for successful formats in other niches that could work in yours

Test Multiple Ideas for the Best Opportunity

Instead of going all-in on one concept:

1. Validate 3-5 potential video ideas

   Rank them based on:

   • Evidence of viewer interest (outlier scores)
   • Competition level
   • Your expertise in the specific topic
   • Production feasibility
   • Alignment with your channel strategy
2. Prioritize the ideas with the strongest validation signals

Example: Validating a Product Review Video

Initial concept: General smartphone review

Research findings:

• Highly saturated market for broad reviews
• Strong performance for comparison videos
• High outlier scores for "after X months of use" videos
• Comments show interest in battery life and camera performance

Refined concept based on Intel research:

• Title: "iPhone vs. Android Battery Test: The REAL Results After 3 Months"
• Angle: Long-term battery performance, not just specs
• Format: Side-by-side comparison with real-world tests
• Hook: Surprising finding about battery degradation

When to Proceed or Pivot

Based on your validation research:

Proceed when you find:

• Multiple videos with high outlier scores on your topic
• Clear patterns you can adopt and improve upon
• Specific angles that aren't overdone
• Evidence of strong viewer interest

Pivot when you see:

• Few or no outlier videos on your topic
• Consistently low view counts across similar videos
• Highly saturated coverage with no clear way to stand out
• Negative sentiment in comments about similar content

By using Intel to validate your video ideas, you'll focus your time and energy on content with the highest potential for success.