5 Simple YouTube Channel Ideas

Most people who want to start a YouTube channel talk themselves out of it before they post a single video. They look at channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers and assume the window has closed. It has not. The five YouTube channel ideas in this post are being run right now by channels with fewer than 3,000 subscribers, and several of them have videos sitting at 11,000, 22,000, and even 39,000 views despite those tiny audiences.

What makes these ideas different from the generic advice you will find elsewhere is that four of the five are built on affiliate income, which means the subscriber count is almost irrelevant. You do not need an audience to earn commissions. You need views from the right people at the right moment. This post walks through all five ideas in detail, explains why they work, and shows you the real numbers behind channels that are doing it today.

What You’ll Walk Out With

Five specific YouTube channel models proven by real channels with under 3,000 subscribers
The exact reason subscriber count does not matter for four of these five ideas
How a channel with only 7 subscribers is still earning affiliate commissions from comparison videos
The one mistake that kills gaming channels before they even get started, and the fix
How to run a fully faceless channel using only Canva or PowerPoint
A step-by-step plan for picking the right idea for your situation and taking action this week
Not sure which model fits your skills? Run your situation through finder.platformproof.com to get a matched recommendation

Idea 1: Amazon Coupon Code Channel

There is a YouTube channel with 2,510 subscribers that has a single video sitting at 22,000 views. That video is about Amazon coupon and promo codes. It is not produced by a media company. It is not backed by an ad budget. It is one person sharing discount codes they found on Amazon.

Here is what makes this model work: everyone loves a discount. People are actively searching for promo codes before they buy, which means the intent is already there. You are not creating demand, you are meeting it. Another channel in this same niche has a video with over 1 million views. The coupon code concept is not a gimmick, it is a genuine search behavior that gets repeated every single day.

The income mechanism is Amazon affiliate marketing. When someone clicks your link and buys the product, you earn a commission. The coupon code brings them in, the affiliate link closes the loop. The number of subscribers on your channel has almost no bearing on whether this works because you are targeting people at the moment of purchase, not building a fan base first.

The smartest approach is to pick one niche first. Health products, beauty, tech, home goods, there are coupon codes across all of them. Go find the promo codes within your chosen category, create a short video showing those codes, post it, and put your Amazon affiliate links in the description. You can also repurpose this content across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to grow your reach further without any extra production work.

Idea 2: New Video Game Channel

Gaming is one of the most searched categories on YouTube, but it is also where most new creators make a fatal mistake. They want to start a gaming channel, so they create videos about Minecraft, Roblox, or Call of Duty. Those are some of the most competitive topics on the platform. There are already millions of videos covering those games. A new channel trying to break in will almost certainly be invisible.

The proof is in the numbers from a real channel. That channel tried Minecraft and got 207 views. It tried Call of Duty and got 79 views. But when it pivoted to MLB The Show 23, a game that had just released, the views exploded. A channel with only 100 subscribers pulled in 11,000 views on an MLB The Show video. Looking across that same channel’s MLB content, the numbers tell the story clearly: 26,000 views, 2,000 views, 89 views, 76 views, 11,000 views. It is not a one-hit wonder, it is a consistent pattern on new game content.

The reason this works is simple. When a new game releases, players immediately have questions. How do I level up? How do I unlock this mode? How do I beat this boss? They go to YouTube to find answers. If you have the only video covering that specific question on that specific game, you get the views. There is almost no competition on brand-new titles.

The practical strategy: follow IGN or your favorite gaming publication. The moment a new title releases or is in early access, jump in, play it, and document what you figure out. Do not wait until you are good at the game. The viewers who need help are at the same skill level as you when you first start playing. Your genuine learning process is exactly what they want to watch.

Idea 3: Product Comparison Affiliate Channel

This is the channel idea with the most surprising numbers in the entire video. A channel with only 7 subscribers has a video with 316 views and another with 161 views. Those numbers might not sound impressive until you understand what is happening. This channel is doing affiliate comparison videos, specifically SiteGround versus NameHero and similar web hosting matchups.

The viewers landing on those videos are not casual browsers. They are people who are actively researching which web hosting service to buy. They already know they have a problem, they already know the category of solution, and they are in the final decision stage. A well-made comparison video that earns their trust will convert a meaningful percentage of those viewers into buyers, and the channel earns a commission on each one.

With 7 subscribers generating views in the hundreds, this creator’s channel has a view-to-subscriber ratio that most established channels would envy. The point is not the subscriber count. The point is whether the right person found the video at the right moment. For purchase-intent content, that happens regardless of how big your audience is.

To build this type of channel, pick a niche with products that have real affiliate programs. Web hosting is one example, but software tools, fitness equipment, kitchen appliances, and financial products all work the same way. Find two or three competing products in your category, join their affiliate programs, and create honest comparison videos. The format is straightforward: explain what each product does, who it is best for, what the trade-offs are, and put your affiliate links in the description for both options. Buyers appreciate getting an honest breakdown rather than a sales pitch.

Idea 4: Top X for Y (Best-Of Lists with Affiliate Links)

This channel model is built entirely around the search phrase structure of “best [product] for [person or use case].” The example from the video is a creator with just over 1,000 subscribers who does exactly this. Best refrigerators, best food processors, best wireless microphones. One video in this format pulled in 39,000 views over a year. Another on food processors hit 19,000 views. None of these videos show the creator’s face.

The production model is b-roll and voiceover only. The creator rounds up several top products in a category, records screen captures or b-roll of each product, narrates the comparison, and drops Amazon affiliate links in the description for every item covered. Amazon commissions vary by category, but on certain product types like kitchen appliances, the rate can reach 10 percent. That means a single $300 refrigerator sale generates $30. Multiply that by hundreds of clicks from a video with 39,000 views and the numbers add up.

The key lesson from this channel is consistency. Those view numbers did not come from one viral moment. They came from posting the same format repeatedly over time. The channel did not suddenly invent a new approach halfway through, it picked a format that worked and kept doing it. That is what the 39,000-view video represents: the result of persistence, not luck.

If you want to start a channel like this, pick one product category you either know well or are willing to research. Start with “best [product] for beginners” or “best [product] under $100” as your first few videos. Use Amazon’s affiliate search to identify which products in your category have actual affiliate programs and decent commission rates. Create a simple production workflow you can repeat: intro, list each product with its pros and cons, wrap with a recommendation. Post consistently and let the search volume do the work over time.

Not sure which of these five models fits your skills, schedule, and goals?

Answer a few questions and get a matched recommendation at finder.platformproof.com.

Idea 5: Would You Rather Channel

This one is different from the first four because the income model is not primarily affiliate marketing, but the accessibility of it is remarkable. A channel in the “Would You Rather” niche with 318 subscribers pulled 28,000 views on a St. Patrick’s Day themed video. Another channel in the same space with 1,000 subscribers got 16,000 views on an Easter edition. And the ceiling on this format is visible in the data too: a channel that stuck with it long enough grew to 247,000 subscribers and 308,000 views.

The format is simple. Present two options, ask viewers to choose, show the results or create a discussion. The production can be done entirely with Canva, PowerPoint, or Photoshop. No face required, no voiceover required if you keep it text-based. What makes this work is that it maps naturally onto holidays, seasons, pop culture moments, and specific audience interests. You could run a Disney edition, a sports edition, a food edition, and each one targets a different search cluster.

The honest monetization picture for this niche requires some thought. YouTube Partner Program payments tend to be lower here because the audience is not in a buying mindset. They are playing a game, not shopping. However, there are real options beyond ad revenue. Patreon works well once you have a community that wants to play along in organized game nights. You can also find theme-appropriate affiliate products: Disney-related merchandise, board game versions of “Would You Rather,” party supplies tied to whatever holiday theme you are covering. Those affiliate links in the description can generate income even on a small channel if the content is well-matched to the product.

The biggest thing going for this idea is the zero-barrier entry point. If you have a computer, access to Canva’s free tier, and 30 minutes, you can create a “Would You Rather” video today. You do not need equipment, expertise, or an existing following. The only thing required is picking a theme and committing to putting out content consistently within it.

Honest Drawbacks

These five ideas are real and they work, but there are honest trade-offs worth naming before you commit to any of them.

The coupon code channel requires ongoing research. Promo codes expire, products change, and you need to keep finding fresh codes to stay relevant. This is not a set-it-and-forget-it model. It rewards consistency and a habit of checking for new deals regularly.

The gaming channel is time-sensitive by design. The strategy works specifically because you are jumping on new releases before the competition catches up. If you wait six months after a game launches, you have lost the window. This model rewards speed and a genuine interest in gaming, not just a desire to make money.

The comparison and best-of channels can feel like a slow build at first. The channel with 7 subscribers earning commissions did not hit those numbers overnight. The 39,000-view best-of video came from a year of consistent posting. If you are expecting fast results, this will test your patience. The reward comes to those who stay in the game long enough.

The “Would You Rather” channel has an inherent ceiling on ad revenue. The CPM in that niche is lower than finance or software. If ad revenue is your primary goal, this model will require a much larger audience to generate meaningful income than the affiliate-based models above. The hybrid approach, mixing affiliate links into the content, is what extends the earning potential.

A Step-by-Step Plan for Picking and Starting Your Channel

Step 1: Pick one model from the five above. Do not try to combine them. Start with one channel concept and give it at least 20 videos before evaluating whether it is working.
Step 2: Identify your niche within that model. If you chose coupons, pick one product category. If you chose comparisons, pick one industry. If you chose gaming, identify the next new release you will cover.
Step 3: Join at least one affiliate program before you post your first video. Amazon Associates is the easiest starting point and covers most product categories. For software comparisons, ShareASale and Impact.com host programs for hundreds of tools.
Step 4: Create your first video with the tools you already have. A smartphone camera, a free screen recorder, or Canva is enough to start. Do not wait until you have better equipment.
Step 5: Post, then study your analytics after two weeks. Look at which videos got the most impressions and clicks. Double down on whatever the data tells you is working.
Step 6: Repurpose your content. Every YouTube video can become a TikTok, a Reel, and a Short. The same content, cut to fit the platform, extends your reach without additional production work.

Find Your Model

The five ideas above cover a wide range of skills, interests, and time availability. Some require more technical setup, some are faster to launch, some have higher income ceilings. The right one for you depends on your specific situation, what you already know, what tools you have access to, and how much time you can realistically commit each week.

Instead of guessing, run your answers through the free tool at finder.platformproof.com. It matches your skills and goals to the income model most likely to work for you, so you can stop overthinking and start posting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need thousands of subscribers before I can make money on YouTube?

No. Four of the five channel ideas in this post generate income through affiliate commissions, not YouTube ad revenue. The channel with 7 subscribers earning from comparison videos is the clearest proof. Affiliate income is triggered by clicks and purchases, not by subscriber count. You do need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to join the YouTube Partner Program for ad revenue, but affiliate income has no such requirement.

Which of these five ideas is the fastest to start?

The “Would You Rather” channel is the fastest to launch because the production requires only Canva or PowerPoint, no filming, no voiceover if you prefer text-based slides, and no existing expertise in a niche. The gaming channel is close behind if you already play games regularly. The comparison channel takes a bit more setup because you need to join affiliate programs and research competing products before you can create a credible video.

How does affiliate marketing actually work on YouTube?

You join an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, and get unique tracking links for products. You mention or feature those products in your videos and put the affiliate links in the video description. When a viewer clicks your link and makes a purchase within the tracking window (usually 24 hours for Amazon), you earn a percentage of the sale. The commission rate varies by product category, from 1 percent on some electronics up to 10 percent on certain home and kitchen products.

How do I find Amazon coupon codes to share in my videos?

Amazon itself lists deals and coupons on its website under the “Today’s Deals” and “Coupons” sections. Brands frequently run time-limited promotions through Amazon that are not widely advertised. You can also search for “[niche] coupon code” on Google to find codes that are not surfaced in Amazon’s main pages. Some brands distribute codes directly through their email newsletters, which can give you access to deals your competitors have not found yet.

What new video games should I be covering right now?

Check IGN, GameSpot, or the Steam new releases page for games that launched within the last 30 to 60 days. Look for games with active communities on Reddit or Discord but limited YouTube coverage. A game does not need to be a massive AAA release to generate search volume; niche titles with passionate player bases often have huge unmet demand for tutorial and how-to content. Search YouTube for the game title plus common questions like “how to level up” or “beginner guide” and check whether the existing results are from small channels or older content.

How do I find products to compare for an affiliate review channel?

Start by picking a product category you already understand or are willing to research. Then go to ShareASale, Impact.com, or the Amazon Associates program and look for products in that category with active affiliate programs. Check the search volume for “[product A] vs [product B]” using a free tool like Google Trends or Ubersuggest. If people are actively searching for that comparison, there is an audience for your video. Start with the two or three most popular products in your category before expanding to less-known options.

Can I really run a successful YouTube channel without showing my face?

Yes, and three of the five ideas in this post are being run successfully by faceless channels right now. The best-of product list channel uses b-roll footage and screen captures. The “Would You Rather” channel uses slides built in Canva or PowerPoint. The coupon code channel can work with screen recordings of the Amazon deals page. Faceless content removes the barrier of camera anxiety and equipment cost, and it also allows you to move much faster since you do not need to manage lighting, background, or appearance.

How much can someone realistically earn from a “Would You Rather” channel?

Ad revenue from the YouTube Partner Program in this niche tends to be lower than in finance or software niches because the audience is not in a purchasing mindset. A realistic CPM in this category is roughly $1 to $3 per 1,000 views. On 28,000 views, that is $28 to $84 from ads alone. The more interesting path is adding affiliate links for products related to your content theme, and building a Patreon for viewers who want to participate in live game nights. Channels that scaled to 247,000 subscribers in this niche have demonstrated there is a real audience for the format.

Sources

Alston Godbolt, “5 Simple YouTube Channel Ideas” (YouTube, youtu.be/dF0_XVSP0us)
Amazon Associates affiliate program: affiliate-program.amazon.com
IGN new releases: ign.com
Canva free design tool: canva.com
YouTube Partner Program requirements: support.google.com/youtube

Helping 1 million working adults make their first $3,000 online with the skills they already have. Alston Godbolt, Platform Proof.