I keep a running library inside YouTube Studio. Not for gimmicks. For clarity.
Every time I sit down to plan a video, I don’t want another generic “10 video ideas” list. I want prompts that diagnose the channel, challenge assumptions, and push the content forward without turning it into algorithm bait.
These are the prompts I come back to. If you’re building a channel for the long haul, save them somewhere you’ll actually see them.
1. Reverse-Engineer My Audience
“Assume my channel disappears tomorrow but my viewers still exist. Build a psychological profile of my core viewer: fears, private struggles, humor style, attention span, and what they secretly want from my content but never comment. Then design 3 videos that feel like they were made for that person alone.”
This one forces you to stop thinking about views and start thinking about people. It’s uncomfortable in the best way. You end up making content that feels personal instead of broad.
2. Pattern Break Detector
“Analyze my last 20 uploads and identify invisible patterns: pacing, thumbnail tone, topic repetition, emotional arc. Then propose 5 videos that deliberately break those patterns while still feeling on-brand. Explain why each break could trigger growth.”
Every creator falls into loops. Same tone. Same structure. Same safe topics.
This prompt spots the patterns you don’t notice and gives you controlled ways to break them without losing your identity.
3. Cult-Classic Strategy
“Design a video that will not go viral immediately but will become a cult favorite over 12 months. Outline the concept, structure, title, thumbnail psychology, and the type of viewer who will obsess over it.”
Not everything needs to pop in 48 hours. Some videos build quietly and become the ones people send to friends months later. This prompt helps you make something with staying power.
4. Comment Section X-Ray
“From my comment history, infer the emotional state of my audience over time. Are they hopeful, cynical, burned out, looking for guidance, looking for entertainment? Then recommend content that meets them where they are rather than where I want them to be.”
Most creators talk at their audience. This helps you actually listen.
It shows the emotional tone behind the comments and adjusts content to meet viewers where they are.
5. Algorithm-Agnostic Video
“Design a video that would still spread purely by word-of-mouth if the algorithm didn’t exist. What makes people send it to a friend? Build it from the ground up.”
If the algorithm vanished tomorrow, what would still get shared?
This prompt strips everything down to what actually resonates.
6. Intellectual Property Engine
“Turn my channel into an idea factory. Identify 3 repeatable series formats that could generate 50+ episodes each without burnout. Each format must have a built-in hook, viewer ritual, and reason to return weekly.”
One-off videos are exhausting.
Repeatable formats build momentum and give viewers a reason to come back. This prompt helps design those.
7. Narrative Arc Audit
“Map my channel like a TV show. What ‘season’ am I in? What character arc am I unintentionally showing viewers? Suggest the next 5 videos as if they were episodes pushing that arc forward.”
Every channel tells a story whether you plan it or not.
This prompt lets you see the arc forming and decide where it goes next.
8. Thumbnail Psychology Lab
“Generate 10 thumbnail concepts that trigger curiosity without clickbait. For each: emotional trigger, visual composition, and why a viewer would pause scrolling for half a second longer.”
Thumbnails aren’t about tricking people. They’re about clarity and curiosity.
This prompt helps dial that in without turning into clickbait.
9. Honest Brutality Mode
“Give me a blunt diagnosis: what type of creator do I appear to be right now vs. what type I could become if I doubled down on my strongest trait. No generic advice. Use evidence from my channel behavior.”
This one stings. That’s the point.
It cuts through the noise and tells you what you actually look like from the outside.
10. Legacy Video
“If I could only upload 10 more videos in my life, what should they be so that my channel still matters 5 years from now?”
This resets your priorities fast.
You stop chasing filler and start thinking about what actually matters.
I keep these saved because they pull me out of autopilot.
They remind me that a channel isn’t just a feed. It’s a body of work. A story. A relationship with real people on the other side of the screen.
Run one of these before planning your next video and the direction of the channel usually gets clearer.