Is VidIQ Worth It? My Honest Review After Hitting 100k Subscribers
Hey everyone! Jenny here, and today I want to share my honest review of VidIQ after using it to grow my YouTube channel to over 100,000 subscribers.
A lot of you have been asking:
- Does VidIQ actually help you get more views and subscribers?
- Is it really worth paying for?
- Can you rely on the AI tools like the video and title generator?
I'm going to answer all of these questions in this post and show you how I leveraged VidIQ to achieve rapid growth on YouTube.
Using VidIQ to Find Viral Video Ideas
In my experience, VidIQ's most valuable feature is helping you find viral video ideas.
Coming up with a winning idea is so critical - it can be the difference between a video that gets 10k views versus 1M views.
Here are the main ways I use VidIQ to brainstorm ideas:
Research Trending Keywords
In the Keywords section, you can see which keywords are getting traffic and what the competition level is. This helps spark video topic ideas.
Analyze Competitor Videos
I look at channels in my niche and use the "View Trending Videos" report to see their top videos. If I can create a better version of one trending right now, it will likely take off.
Check Most Viewed Videos
You can literally see the current videos getting the most views for a keyword. If I make a video on the same topic, I can ride the wave of popularity.
Validating Video Ideas with Keywords and Market Research
Once I come up with an idea from VidIQ, I validate it further by:
- Searching the keyword in VidIQ to see expected traffic and competition
- Looking at Google Trends data
- Checking engagement on competitor videos
This gives me confidence I'm pursuing something with high potential before spending time creating the video.
My Review of VidIQ’s AI Video and Title Generator
VidIQ introduced an "AI Video Generator" tool that supposedly creates titles, descriptions, scripts, and even voiceovers automatically with AI.
My honest review? It's pretty useless in its current state.
The titles and scripts it generates are very basic and clearly AI-written. The voiceovers also sound extremely robotic.
I wouldn't rely on this tool at all right now. Ideas and script writing are where the human touch is essential.
Tips for Success with VidIQ
While VidIQ has been invaluable for me, you need to use it the right way. Here are my top tips:
- Spend more time researching ideas than production - a good idea executed poorly will still crush a bad idea executed well.
- Cross-validate ideas - use Google Trends, YouTube search data, and competitor videos to validate an idea before moving forward.
- Don’t over-rely on any single feature - use VidIQ as a toolbox to get insights from different angles.
- Use it daily - checking competitor and trending videos frequently helps you capitalize on opportunities faster.
Is VidIQ Worth the Money?
So is VidIQ worth paying for?
Absolutely.
For me, the ability to research and develop video ideas faster is worth 10X the subscription cost. Just a slight edge in views per video compounds over time.
And considering I run a business around my channel, just a tiny boost in traffic, subscribers, or viewer retention matters.
If you're serious about growing your YouTube channel, I think the small investment in VidIQ is a no-brainer. Especially compared to all the time you'll save not just guessing at ideas.
It won't do the hard work for you - you still need to execute well. But it will point you in the right direction.
I'm beyond satisfied with my ROI from VidIQ. It's now a core tool in my YouTube toolbox.
Wrapping Up
If you want to try VidIQ for yourself, use the special link in my description to get a free trial and bonuses. I think you'll be impressed with how much it helps accelerate your channel growth.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm happy to share more details on how I leverage VidIQ as part of my YouTube success.