How to Ethically Steal to Grow a YouTube Channel
Want to make your YouTube channel grow? Well, guess what? You don’t always need brand-new ideas.
Hollywood figured this out a while ago. That’s why there are tons of Fast and Furious movies and a gazillion Marvel ones. Sometimes, it’s just safer to go with what people already like.
In today’s email, I’m gonna show you how to take cool ideas from YouTube and make them seem new and fresh.
Let’s dive in!
P.S. I totally love original ideas that are strange, creative, and amazing. But, here’s the deal — they can be a bit risky and might not work as well as the tried-and-true stuff.
Step 1: Validate
Next time you think, “I want to make a video about (insert your idea),”
Hold on a sec, don’t rush into it!
Visit YouTube and see if others have made videos about the same thing. Here’s what to look for:
1. Did some videos about this topic get lots of views for those creators?
2. How did they make their video look interesting with cool titles and pictures?
If you can’t find proof that this topic is a hit, maybe it’s best to pick a different one!
Imagine it’s like when you want to play a new video game, but you ask your friends, and they all say it’s not fun. So, you pick a different game that everyone loves.
Step 2: Steal a Catchy Title
Now that you’ve got a popular topic, let’s talk about giving it an awesome title!
The great thing about titles is that you can get inspiration from all over the place.
What I like to do is check out titles from educators in different areas and see if any of them have gotten tons of views. Then, I ask myself, “Could I use a similar title for my video?”
For example, think about the title “I Wish I Knew This Before I [insert thing].”
This title can fit well in almost any educational video, and there’s plenty of proof to back that up. So, it’s a smart choice to use a title like this.
Step 3: Steal a Great Thumbnail
Thinking up completely unique thumbnails can be a bit tricky. That’s why it’s smart to take some inspiration from other cool thumbnails.
To keep things looking fresh and new, try finding popular channels, especially ones different from yours. Look for their videos with the most views and then check out their thumbnails.
What you want to do is notice what words or styles in those thumbnails catch people’s attention. It’s like a puzzle — finding the pieces that make people click.
For example, I got some ideas from a thumbnail by Biaheza.
And when I combined that idea with a title I got inspiration from somewhere else, it turned into a “unique” video, and guess what? It worked super well!
But isn’t it copying?
Sure, it might seem like copying, but here’s the deal — everything kind of starts by borrowing ideas from somewhere.
Think about it, Apple came out with the iPhone and acted like it was the first-ever smartphone, but they got ideas from other places too.
You know what’s interesting? The movies “Finding Nemo” and “Taken” have a similar storyline, and if you look at fashion logos, a bunch of them seem really similar right now.
Sometimes, it’s not about being totally original, but about finding what works. And that’s pretty amazing!
Oh, and in my area of interest, there’s a group of us who chat and ask for permission to get ideas from one another. It’s pretty awesome because nobody says no, but it’s cool that people ask for permission anyway.
Here’s the catch, though…
While it’s true that we should aim for original ideas from time to time, those fresh and unique concepts that really stand out can be game-changers for our channels. But here’s the big “but” — if you’re not using the data and info available on YouTube to check about 80–90% of your ideas, you might be heading for trouble. So, it’s about finding a balance between the tried-and-true and the groundbreaking.
Here’s what that means for you…
You could spend a ton of time, money, and headache figuring this out on your own.
Or you can take the step by step framework I’ve created for you to shave years off your learning curve…