Running out of ideas is the most common reason creators stop posting. The fix is not inspiration; it is formats. A format is a shape you can fill with any topic, again and again. Here are 40, grouped by what they do.
Formats that teach
- One tip in 20 seconds
- 3 mistakes beginners make
- Do this, not that
- The setting nobody uses
- Explain it like I'm five
- A quick how-to, start to finish
- The cheapest way to…
- What I'd do if I started today
- A myth, busted
- A tool you didn't know you needed
Formats that show
- Before and after
- Day in the life
- Behind the scenes
- Packing, cleaning or setting up, sped up
- A tour of your desk, kit or kitchen
- Rating things from 1 to 10
- Cheap vs expensive
- Trying a viral tip so they don't have to
- One thing, three ways
- The result first, then how
Formats that tell a story
- The moment I realized…
- What happened after I tried X for 30 days
- My biggest mistake
- A customer or follower story
- The weirdest question I got
- Unpopular opinion
- Things I stopped doing
- What nobody tells you about…
- A lesson from a failure
- Then vs now
Formats that start conversations
- Answering a comment
- This or that?
- Guess the price
- Hot take, agree or disagree
- Reacting to advice in your niche
- Part 2 of your best video
- Questions people are afraid to ask
- Ranking your followers' suggestions
- A challenge for your audience
- Q&A in 60 seconds
Find ideas your audience already wants
The best ideas come from your viewers. Read the comments on your videos and on similar channels: every question is a video. Look for videos in your niche that did far better than the channel's usual; the topic worked, so make your own angle on it.
Once you have the topic, the hook decides if it gets watched. Try a few in the free hook generator before you record.
Turn an idea into a hookDescribe your video and get ten opening lines, each with a different technique. Free, no sign-up.
Open the hook generator Frequently asked questions
How many Shorts should I post a week?
As many as you can keep up with good quality. Three a week, every week, beats ten one week and none the next.
Can I reuse a format?
Yes. Formats are meant to be repeated with new topics; viewers come to expect them.
Should I follow trends?
When they fit your niche. A trend your audience doesn't care about brings views that never come back.