If you’re looking to grow your YouTube channel, chances are you’ve thought about leveraging trending topics. But before you dive into the latest viral trend, it’s important to understand whether this strategy is right for your channel.
In this article, we’ll explore two distinct approaches to content creation—nurturing vs. marketing—and help you decide whether chasing trends is a smart move for your growth or a recipe for stagnation.
Nurture vs. Marketing: What’s Your Goal?
Ask yourself this simple question:
Do you want to nurture your existing audience or market to people who have never heard of you?
Nurturing means creating content for your current subscribers—those who already know, like, and trust you. Marketing, on the other hand, is about reaching new viewers and attracting potential clients or followers.
Each strategy demands a different approach to content:
- Nurturing thrives on personality-driven, trend-based videos that keep your audience engaged.
- Marketing focuses on evergreen, searchable content that brings in consistent traffic over time.
Where to Find Trending Topics on YouTube
If you decide to experiment with trending content, YouTube makes it easy:
- Visit the Trending Page: Go to youtube.com/feed/trending to explore what’s hot right now across various categories—Shorts, Music, Gaming, Movies, and more.
- Use Your Channel’s Analytics: Inside YouTube Studio, head to the Analytics tab and click on “Research” > “Trending” to see topic ideas related to your niche. You’ll discover what’s gaining traction in your space.
- Tap Into the “Inspiration” Tool: This AI-powered feature (in some YouTube Studio accounts) provides content ideas based on your channel’s theme. It’s more about sparking creativity than surfacing true trends—but still useful for nurturing content.
❗️ Why Trending Topics Can Hurt Your Channel (If You’re Marketing)
Here’s where many creators get it wrong: trending doesn’t always mean effective.
If your goal is lead generation or authority-building, a viral video could actually attract the wrong audience. A huge influx of views from uninterested viewers might confuse the YouTube algorithm—and derail your growth.
Consider this:
- Viral videos usually attract broad audiences, not your ideal clients.
- Trending topics fade quickly—they aren’t evergreen.
- Without strong keyword targeting, your content won’t show up in search results after the trend dies down.
Instead, aim for evergreen, search-optimized content that speaks directly to your ideal viewer. These videos work for you long after they’re published.
Build a Strategy Based on Search, Not Trends
If you’re serious about positioning yourself as an expert, your content should focus on long-term impact, not short-term spikes.
Here’s a better approach:
- Identify what your target audience is searching for on YouTube and Google.
- Create valuable, SEO-optimized content that answers their questions.
- Build authority and trust with every video.
This strategy helps you grow a focused, high-quality audience—one that converts.
Want the Best of Both Worlds? Use Two Channels
Yes, you can do both—just not on the same channel.
Maintain:
- A Marketing Channel focused on evergreen, search-driven content for new leads.
- A Nurturing Channel full of fun, trend-based videos to engage your loyal fans.
This dual strategy works wonders if you want both visibility and community.
Final Thought: Skip the Trends if You’re a Business Owner
If you’re a business owner or thought leader, chasing trends may not serve your long-term vision. Instead, focus on creating value-driven videos that attract the right audience—people who are looking for your services and ready to take action.
Want to go deeper?
Check out my YouTube SEO Secret Strategy—where I teach the powerful Leaf Strategy to help your videos rank at the top of search results.
Watch the next video: The Leaf Strategy – YouTube SEO Secret
