How to Choose a YouTube Niche: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Knowing how to choose a YouTube niche is the first and most important step in your YouTube career.

Why is choosing the right niche/topic so important?
Because it’s the one thing that will determine whether you become a successful YouTube creator or not. Your YouTube niche can make or break your career.
Making money from YouTube is not that hard, but if you’ve chosen the wrong niche, it’s going to be very difficult.

The biggest mistake most YouTube beginners make is choosing a niche where the CPM and RPM are very high (don’t worry if you don’t know what CPM and RPM are—I’ll explain in Step 4), and they start making videos. But when they don’t see results, they get demotivated and stop working on their channel.

This is not the right way to choose a niche for your YouTube channel. I made the same mistake when I was starting out, and I wasted a lot of time before realizing it.
So today, I’ll share proven strategies and give you a step-by-step guide on how to choose a YouTube Niche

Before we begin, grab a notebook and a pen—you’ll need them during this process. Now sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee, and let’s start this amazing masterclass.

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STEP NO. 1: ANALYZE YOURSELF

This step is all about you—because no one knows you better than you. I’m going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to note down every answer that comes to your mind. Don’t hesitate. Write down everything, no matter how silly it may seem. Make a list.

Questions:

• What do you enjoy doing?
• What do you do in your free time?
• What are the areas of your life you wish you could spend more time on?
• What subjects or topics could you talk about for hours?
• What are your hobbies and interests?
• What do you think you’re best at?
• What are you better at than most people?
• When people have asked you for help in the past, what were they asking for help with?
• If your friends or family were asked, what would they say are your best talents or skills?

Now write down all the answers that are popping into your mind—don’t hold back. I’ll say it again: write down everything, even if it’s sleeping or watching Netflix. This step is basically brainstorming, so the more honest and detailed you are, the better.

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STEP NO. 2: SHORTLIST

I’m assuming you’ve completed Step 1. If not, please do that first before moving on to this step.
In this step, you’ll go through your list and highlight the ideas that meet both of the following criteria:

1) You’re good at it / You have decent knowledge of the topic.
This doesn’t mean you have to be a grandmaster or an expert—you just need to know more than the average person.
You can also include topics you’re actively learning about or love reading in your spare time.

2) You genuinely enjoy it.
You’d do it even if you weren’t getting paid for a year.
YouTube is a long-term game, so you need to pick something you love doing. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick with it—and without consistency, there’s no success.

Now, highlight the ideas or topics that you are both GOOD AT and ENJOY DOING.

STEP NO. 3: NICHE DOWN

In this step, we’ll talk about broad niches and sub-niches.
Before we go deeper, let me quickly explain what these are—for those who may not know.

A broad niche is a general topic category, while sub-niches are more specific topics that fall under the broad category.
Here’s an example to help you understand:
Broad Niche: Health & Fitness Sub-Niches: Weight loss, weight gain, home workouts, gym workouts, healthy diets, yoga, etc.
All of these sub-niches come under the broad niche of Health & Fitness

Now, take the ideas/topics you highlighted in Step 2, and next to each one, identify whether it falls under a broad niche or a sub-niche.
If it already fits into a sub-niche—great!
If it’s a broad niche, ask yourself:
Can I narrow this down into a specific sub-niche?

Let me give you an example:
Suppose I’m a fitness freak and I love working out.
My story is: I used to be a skinny (underweight) kid. I wanted to gain weight, so I joined a gym. I stayed consistent with my training and diet, and within a year, I built a good physique.

Now I have the experience, the knowledge, and most importantly—I love what I do.
So I can choose the weight gain sub-niche and build a YouTube channel around it, where I help others who are also trying to gain weight.
I can share my experience, mistakes, workouts, diet plans, etc.
In this case, “weight gain” is the sub-niche.

Now, let’s say I’m still skinny and just starting my fitness journey. That doesn’t mean I can’t be a successful YouTuber.
Instead, I can document my journey and create videos on:

• My daily progress
• What I’m learning from my trainer
• Mistakes I’m making
• Exercises I’m doing
• My current diet
• How my physique is improving over time

So even if you’re not an expert yet, you can still build a loyal audience.
You just need to be a few steps ahead of your target audience—or grow along with them.
But this only works if you truly love what you’re doing.

Broad Niche vs. Sub-Niche: Why It Matters

A broad niche usually has a larger audience, but also much higher competition.
A sub-niche has a smaller audience, but:

• Competition is lower
• Conversion rates are higher
• Views are more consistent
• Most importantly, you can build a loyal audience base—and trust is everything

Here’s a great example:

Alex has a Health & Fitness YouTube channel (Broad Niche). He uploads videos on weight loss, weight gain, yoga, diets, home workouts, etc.
Mike has a Weight Gain Fitness YouTube channel (Sub-Niche). He uploads videos only for people who want to gain weight.

Now, if you’re someone trying to gain weight, whose channel will you trust more?
Of course, Mike’s.
Why? Because his entire channel is dedicated to your specific goal.

You’ll binge-watch Mike’s videos, trust his recommendations, and even buy the products he promotes—because he feels like an expert in your exact area of need.
Meanwhile, why would you watch Alex’s videos on weight loss if you’re trying to gain weight?
That’s the power of niche-down content.

I won’t stretch this step any further—you get the idea.
Now take your time and work through this step.
Try to niche down each of your ideas until you land on something specific, meaningful, and aligned with your interests and knowledge.
Once you’re done, we’ll move on to our final step.

STEP NO. 4: MONETIZATION OPPORTUNITIES

Now for the final step!
I’m assuming that by now—after following the first three steps—you have a few niche ideas in mind, but you’re still unsure which one to choose.
Don’t worry—this step will bring you clarity.

In this step, you need to think about or research the monetization opportunities available in each of your remaining niche ideas.
Once you’ve identified the opportunities, rank each niche out of 5 based on its monetization potential.

Popular Monetization Opportunities on YouTube

Here are some of the most common ways creators make money:

• YouTube Ads
  Revenue generated from ad views (through YouTube’s Partner Program).
• Sponsorships & Brand Deals
  Partnering with brands to promote their products or services.
• Affiliate Marketing
  Promoting other people’s products and earning a commission for every sale made through your
  unique link.
• Digital Products
  Selling your own digital goods—like courses, eBooks, printables, templates, or design packs.

People will only buy what you recommend if you’re solving their problems or adding value to their lives. That’s why being authentic and providing genuine value is key.

A Common Mistake to Avoid

Earlier in this guide, I mentioned how beginners often chase high CPM and RPM niches thinking they’ll make more money faster. But this often leads to disappointment.

Why?
Because they choose topics they don’t care about—just for the money. Eventually, they lose motivation and give up.

Please don’t make this mistake. I did—and it cost me a lot of time and energy. Instead, follow the steps above and choose a niche you genuinely enjoy and understand well.

What Are CPM and RPM?

In case you’re unfamiliar with these terms, here’s a simple breakdown:

CPM (Cost Per Mille):
How much advertisers pay YouTube per 1,000 ad impressions on your videos. CPM varies depending on the niche.

RPM (Revenue Per Mille):
How much you actually earn per 1,000 views. This is the final amount YouTube pays you after taking their share.

Examples of High CPM & RPM Niches

(Note: These are not ranked in any particular order, and you do not have to choose from this list. This is just for educational purposes.)

• Finance & Investing
• Technology
• Travel
• Health & Fitness
• Making Money Online
• Insurance
• Luxury Lifestyle
• Legal
• Real Estate
• Online Education

Again, this list is not a requirement—it’s simply to help you understand which niches tend to earn more per view.

What to Do Now:

• Look at your remaining niche ideas.
• Think about or research which monetization methods would work best for each.
• Rank each one out of 5 based on how many monetization opportunities it offers and how
  profitable those options are.
• Use this ranking to decide which niche gives you the best balance of:
  Passion
  Knowledge
  Monetization potential

Congratulations!
After completing all 4 steps, you’ve officially found your perfect niche!
Now go ahead and create your YouTube channel around that niche.
And if you’re an absolute beginner or don’t know how to set up a channel, don’t worry—I also have a Beginner-Friendly Guide that walks you through the process of creating and setting up your YouTube channel the right way.

You can also explore the YouTube Creator Academy — it’s a free, official resource by YouTube packed with tutorials for new creators.

Final Tips on How to Choose a YouTube Niche That Will Last

Keep these key points in mind before moving to the bonus step:

• Don’t chase trends just because they’re popular — pick a niche you can stick with long-term.
• Choose something you genuinely enjoy — passion keeps you consistent, especially when growth is slow.
• Make sure you have some knowledge or are eager to learn — being just a few steps ahead of your audience is enough.
• Think about your audience’s needs — the more specific and focused you are, the stronger your connection.
• Balance passion and profit — choose a niche that has monetization potential but also aligns with your interests.

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BONUS STEP: CREATING YOUR IDEAL AVATAR

If you’re still unsure how to choose a YouTube niche, defining your ideal viewer can make the decision easier. Even if you’ve already chosen your niche, I highly recommend doing this exercise—it will make a huge difference in how you connect with your audience.
In this step, we want to get crystal clear about the type of person you’re trying to help with your
content.

Who Is Your Ideal Viewer?

Think of this as creating a fictional profile of your perfect audience member—your avatar.
Ask yourself these questions:

• What is their age?
• Are they male or female (or does gender not matter for your niche)?
• What are their goals?
• What is their income level or spending power?
• What do they love?
• What do they hate?
• What YouTube channels do they already follow?
• What are their biggest pain points and struggles?
• What are their daily habits?
• What kind of lifestyle do they live?
• Where do they hang out online (forums, social platforms)?
• What type of language or slang do they use?

You can add as many questions as you like.
The goal is to create a clear mental image (or even a written story) of who you’re trying to serve
with your content.

Example Avatar Story: Weight Gain Fitness Niche

Let’s say you’ve chosen the “Weight Gain Fitness” sub-niche.
Here’s an example of what your target audience avatar might look like:

“Hi, my name is Tom. I’m 21 years old and I’m a university student who also works part-time. I’ve always been skinny and underweight, and it’s affected my self-esteem for years. I’ve been teased and even bullied because of my body. I avoid going to the beach or wearing certain clothes because I feel insecure. But now, I’ve had enough—I want to build muscle and finally feel confident in my own skin.
I’ve saved some money from my part-time job, and I’m ready to invest in myself. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos on weight gain, but most of them are either too advanced or filled with unrealistic advice. I just want a relatable person I can trust—someone who’s been through the same struggles and knows what it’s like. I need real, practical guidance from someone who truly
understands me.”

Why This Step Matters

The more you understand your audience, the better you’ll be at:

• Creating highly targeted content
• Building strong emotional connections
• Increasing engagement, trust, and loyalty
• Attracting the right sponsors and brand deals
• Growing a profitable and sustainable YouTube channel

Also, whenever you feel stuck or lose motivation, just come back and read your avatar’s story.
It will remind you why you started your channel in the first place.

Your Task

Take 15–30 minutes to create a detailed story of your ideal viewer.
Give them a name, a life, a voice. Make it personal and real.

Final Words

You’ve now completed all the essential steps to find your perfect YouTube niche and build a strong foundation for success. Now that you know exactly how to choose a YouTube niche, it’s time to take action and build your dream channel.
Give yourself some time. Stay consistent. Believe in the process.

Your audience is waiting for someone just like YOU to help them.

GOOD LUCK on your amazing YouTube journey!