YouTube shared new tips for creators who want to switch the focus of their content or vary their approach.
The advice here is primarily targeted at creators, but the same guidance also applies to brands that want to revise their content approach or switch their presentation style. For example, YouTube Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie presents a test case of a gaming creator looking to shift from one game to another, because they’ve done all they can with that first game.
In an interview with YouTube Global Content Strategy Lead Kyle Monahan, Ritchie discussed how to strategically approach a content pivot and implement a change.
Monahan said that creators first need to consider why they want to switch. He suggested asking a few questions: “Is your audience no longer interested in the content you're making and you need to pivot from an audience perspective, or is it you're no longer passionate about it?”
Identifying a starting point can help to define how a channel moves ahead, because the focus of the pivot is an important consideration in strategy.
Another important consideration is what the channel’s audience is interested in.
As per Ritchie: “I think it's hard for a lot of creators [to understand] how much of my audience is there for me versus how much is there for my topic, and I think a lot of creators start off with the assumption that they love me, they will love anything that I do. But like, it can vary from yes, that is true, like, they will watch you paint a fence, to they are there exactly for why they signed up and if you don’t do that they’re going to find it somewhere else.”
This comes down to the value people get from a channel’s content, while creators also need to identify their key strengths, which will inform any pivot strategy.
As explained by Monahan: “The gaming example … is a fascinating one to use. Like, there are some people who are here just because they love GTA 5 and GTA online, and they want to see your version of that, but it’s the GTA that's leading it. And so, part of that exercise of, like, taking a step back before you pivot is, what is my audience here for? What is the unique selling proposition or voice or character tone that I’m bringing? And that may be completely detached from what you’re, like, quote unquote known for. That may be detached from the beauty vertical, the gaming vertical, from the IP that you speak about.”
In other words, the more valuable the content itself, the easier it will be to pivot, with the channel’s style and approach often being more relevant than the actual topic focus.
Monahan said creators need to map out their end goal: “What are we trying to do? What’s the situation we find ourselves in? And then you start to mark a path, like where are we going from here?”
Monahan said that YouTube has a strategic guide for this exact purpose, which provides a range of questions for creators who are considering a pivot.
Monahan added that channel managers can look to Google Trends to understand key pivot opportunities based on trending topics, but they should also consider their competition.
“If you were just to chase what is the biggest vertical topic area [or] whatever to break into, that may be a hyper-competitive space, and you may not have as much interest in it,” he said. “You may not have a unique voice in it versus this area that maybe is 10 times or one-tenth the size, but there’s no one really speaking to X experience, X identity in it. And so if you can come into that space and provide something that feels new and unique, you can actually still generate massive views.”
Essentially, the decision to pivot should be defined by each channel’s unique value, and how that relates to each topic area. Meanwhile, creators also need to consider the competition that already exists in each space.
These tips could help YouTube creators and brands undertake a more strategic approach to switching channel strategies.
