| name | yt-ideation |
| description | Generate and validate YouTube video ideas aligned with content pillars, audience strategy,
and priority tiers. Use this skill whenever the user says "generate ideas", "brainstorm videos",
"what should I make next", "video ideas", "content ideas", "ideation", "what topics should I cover",
or wants to come up with new video concepts.
|
| allowed-tools | WebSearch, Read, Write, Task |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Claude Code Plugins <plugins@claudecodeplugins.io> |
| license | MIT |
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:
- Focus area - What tool, niche, or topic to ideate around (e.g., "AI tools for professionals", "recent software updates", "productivity workflows")
- Research data (optional) - If
/yt-research was run first, load niche-analysis.json and niche-report.md for data-informed ideation
- 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:
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.
