YouTube is becoming increasingly competitive, especially for new content creators. If you’re yet to start a channel, there’s a high chance that whatever you want to cover has been covered extensively. However, there’s always demand for new perspectives and angles to take in competitive areas if you want to start a YouTube channel.
You can become an authority if you leverage your personality and work on quality content around it. Here are 7 YouTube ideas/niches you can venture into to become a successful YouTuber with embedded examples to look up to.
1. Gadget Unboxing and Tech Reviews
You can never go wrong with unboxing videos given the available selection of items you can specialize in. For instance, you can start a channel centered around unboxing Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
It doesn’t have to be only tech products—you can do the same with any everyday product you can think of. It would be best if you specialized in a particular product line to help you build your channel’s authority. You can always branch out later on when you have a loyal following to get feedback from.
I started a similar project myself with a couple of unboxing videos on my YouTube channel. It’s proving to be an effective project so far—feel free to check it out.
One thing you should know before diving into this kind of content is that you’ll need to invest some money acquiring your first few products for unboxing or review. Look out for products with affiliate programs so that you can start making some money even before your channel qualifies for monetization.
Even without affiliate programs, some brands may reach out to you for sponsorship if you promote their products and manage to get a good number of views on the videos. This can be more lucrative than YouTube advertisements in the long run.
2. Gadget Teardowns, Repairs, and Durability Tests
This would be an expensive venture in the initial stages because you’d need devices to tear into. For example, you can show curious viewers what the latest Tecno smartphone looks like on the inside.
You must have this device in your hands and risk damaging it when putting it back together. Also, you should have a keen eye or experience repairing such a device.
Besides phones, you can work on many other types of devices like PCs, laptops, Play Stations, TVs, etc. Find something that many people use daily.
Prominent YouTubers like JerryRigEverything embedded above have managed to pull this off. Many more similar YouTubers are doing the same. One thing you’ll notice is that their success is pegged more on their personalities than the gadgets they work on.
But note that you’ll need to have some capital or access to damaged devices for teardowns and repairs respectively.
3. Gaming: Mobile, Console, PC, Handhelds
There’s a huge gaming community online with probably thousands of content creators covering this field worldwide.
I’ve played video games professionally in the past and I noticed one disturbing pattern, but one you can take advantage of. There are very few African professional gamers, let alone gaming content creators.
Furthermore, female gamers especially African female gamers are depressingly underrepresented. If you’re a girl or of African descent, this could be a gold mine for you considering that gaming content consumers are largely male.
Now make that an African girl and you’ll easily stand out from the mostly male gaming content creators. You don’t have to be highly skilled in whatever game you choose to play as long as you engage your audience with witty talks and jokes (personality).
You can play and record games on your phone, Play Station, or computer. Even better, there’s a cult following of retro video games; give it a try.
4. Remote Control Cars and Planes (RCs)
There’s a hugely active online community around RC on the internet (I’m part of it) and just like in gaming.
You can buy a bunch of remote-controlled toy cars or planes and start showcasing their operation on your channel. I’m sure you can quickly build a local and even global audience of toy enthusiasts including children. The possibilities are endless.
Again, this is one sector where you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets in the beginning. But the rewards can come in big in terms of affiliate sales of the RCs you’ll be showcasing.
Like gaming, Africans and females are underrepresented in this type of content so you’ll stand out if you fall in either category. On the financial side, you have to spend money first before you start making money—and it’s worth it.
5. Toy Unboxing: You Can Do This With Your Child
Kids love toys and modern kids happen to have tablets and toys with YouTube on them. If you scour around physical and online shops, you can also find unique and fascinating toys. If it’s something you’d enjoy doing give it a try.
If you manage to find toys on Amazon, AliExpress, Temu, or Jumia you can take advantage of their affiliate programs to make some cash from your videos. You may even end up not needing to have YouTube ads on your videos to make a living.
One other good thing about toy unboxing is that you can do it together with your kids. Make money and bond with them at the same time—killing two birds with one stone.
Fun fact: One of the biggest YouTube channels in the world is a toy unboxing channel called Ryan’s World embedded above.
6. DIY and Crafts
If you’re a handy individual and have a knack for building and repairing stuff, you can make good money by starting a YouTube channel around your skills.
For instance, if you’re a carpenter, you can record yourself building furniture for your client. In such a case, you’ll earn from the same item twice—client payment and the YouTube video. All you need is a camera or just your phone. Also, you can simply speed up your videos to show the final result.
This kind of content would be great if you’re an artist, engineer, plumber, welder, mason, interior designer, etc. whatever handy skills you have. Not many people have these skills so standing out on YouTube in Kenya would be easier than many other types of videos.
If you hate talking on camera, these areas would be perfect for you as they don’t require commentary to be successful—the videos speak for themselves.
7. Home Improvement
Not exactly tech but might involve tech and is a very lucrative niche. If you’re generally an organized person who enjoys house chores, you can make viral home improvement videos. For example, you can show people how to clean typically hard-to-reach areas in their homes or how to keep their kitchens organized.
Other examples of videos you can cover in a home improvement channel include:
- Renovating parts of a house
- Cleaning appliances and electronics
- Folding various types of clothes and fabric
- Using appliances like washing machines and dishwashers
- Organizing a home office space
- Cleaning stained white tiles
- Getting rid of pests and rodents from a home etc.
The list is endless, and you won’t have to invest much since most tasks would be what you do in your daily routine. There are many brand partnership opportunities since you’ll be dealing with a wide variety of products readily available in your house.
Become A Big YouTuber in Kenya
YouTube is competitive but there are many gaps to cover if you regardless of the audience you want to face. Feel free to pick an idea from the above list and run with it—I’ve done so myself with an unboxing channel and I’ve started seeing some signs of success.
Getting started is easy, all you need is your phone or camera and some optional additional equipment like ring lights, a tripod stand, and a microphone.
