Idea Generation Goldmine (Finding Viral Topics in 2 Minutes!)

  • Methods of searching for ideas
  • Method 1: Use ViralFindr
  • Method 2: TikTok + "Sort TikTok" Chrome Extension
  • Method 3: YouTube Summary with ChatGPT
  • What NOT to Do When Looking for Content Ideas
Ever found yourself staring at your phone thinking, “What should I even post on Reels today?” And your brain’s just... blank?

Yep — been there. The creative block is real. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to come up with everything from scratch. You can get inspired by what’s already working — and tweak it to fit your style.

In this quick guide, I’ll show you 3 super useful ways to find Reels ideas that actually have the potential to go viral:
    • How to “spy” on the most viral content in your niche (without doomscrolling for hours),
    • How to use a browser trick to instantly find top-performing TikToks,
    • And how to use YouTube + ChatGPT to turn expert videos into caption ideas and scroll-stopping hooks.
Plus — I’ll walk you through a real example:
how to take a competitor’s Reel, drop the text into ChatGPT, analyze what makes it work, and rework it into your own unique content.

Let’s do this — smart, strategic, and with way less stress.Three killer methods to get inspired and help your Reels go viral.

Method 1: Use ViralFindr (Get a Sneak Peek for Free!)

What is ViralFindr? It's a tool that helps you quickly find the best-performing content (trending posts) on Instagram, saving you tons of research time.
How to Use It (Quick Guide):
You can often try it for FREE up to 3 times.
  1. Search for 3 Instagram accounts in your niche that inspire you or are your competitors.
  2. Analyze their content in-depth – see what's getting the most engagement.
  3. You can make a table and dowload the data (CSV file) to analyze in a spreadsheet with the help of GPT
  • CHATGPT PROMPT
    Act as a you are an amazing copywriter and want you to rephrase this caption using more simplified english to make audience understand and more readability.

    Feel free to ask me if you have any questions. Please make sure it's a spaced out appropriately and uses emojis to help break it up and make it easy to read. Keep it up to [inset number characters/words]

    Ideally, the first sentence should hook the reader in and the last sentence should be a call-to-action to follow me. Please ask as many questions as you need to come to the answer I'm looking for.

    [insert inspiring captions from the competitors]

Method 2: TikTok + "Sort TikTok" Chrome Extension

How to Use It (Quick Guide):
  1. Search on Google: "Sort TikTok Chrome Extension."
  2. Add it to Chrome.
  3. Click the Extension Icon in your browser.
  4. Click "Sort TikTok."
  5. Click "Views" (or likes, comments, etc.) to sort videos.

Result: It shows you videos with the highest views in order!

Now you can see: Videos by most viewed, likes, comments, oldest, newest. You can also sort accounts by followers.

Get inspired by what's working on TikTok and adapt those ideas for Instagram Reels.

Remember (Super Important!):
  • DO NOT copy & paste word-for-word. Be inspired, don't plagiarize.
  • Pay attention to their hooks, caption keywords, hashtags, and overall ideas.

Method 3: YouTube Summary with ChatGPT (Content Hacking!)

How I Use This Method (General Idea):
  1. Find your niche on YouTube.
  2. Search keywords you're interested in (e.g., "Instagram algorithm updates 2025").
  3. Watch (or skim) videos from big accounts/experts.
  4. Use a YouTube summarizing tool with ChatGPT (or manually summarize) to quickly get the key takeaways.
  5. Get inspired by their content and structure.
  6. Start writing your own caption and hook based on the summary and your unique angle.
Benefits of This Method:

  1. Find SEO keywords quickly.
  2. Discover viral hook ideas.
  3. Save SO MUCH time writing captions.
  4. It's based on content already proven by successful creators/experts, so it has a higher chance of getting views on Instagram.
What NOT to Do When Looking for Content Ideas (Trust Me, I’ve Been There)

We’ve all been there — sitting with a blank screen, Googling “what should I post on Instagram,” and hoping for divine inspiration. But if you’re still doing any of the things below… we need to talk.
WHAT not TO DO

Here are the top 5 ways you’re wasting time (and creativity) when trying to come up with content ideas — and what to do instead

  • ❌ 1. Scrolling aimlessly for hours and calling it "research"
    You open TikTok "just for 5 minutes" and next thing you know, it’s 2 hours later, and your brain is fried from cute dogs, dance trends, and conspiracy theories.
    Spoiler alert: mindless scrolling is not strategy.

    ✅ Instead: Use tools or targeted searches to analyze top-performing content in your niche. Data > dopamine.
  • ❌ 2. Copying your competitors word-for-word
    Yes, their post got 300K views. No, copying it line-by-line won’t bring the same magic to you. Algorithms notice. So do people. And so do their lawyers (just saying).

    ✅ Instead: Get inspired by the structure — the hook, the format, the emotion. Then remix it with your own voice.
  • ❌ 3. Asking ChatGPT: “Give me content ideas” (with zero context)
    Vague in → vague out. If your prompt to AI is “help me with content,” don’t be shocked when the results are bland, generic, and sound like a robot wrote them in 2016.

    ✅ Instead: Feed it something to work with — your audience, your niche, your vibe, your past posts. Better input = better output.
  • ❌ 4. Waiting for “inspiration to strike”
    This isn’t a romance novel. Inspiration doesn’t knock on your door while you’re bingeing Netflix in a blanket burrito.
    Creative pros don’t wait for ideas — they go out and chase them.

    ✅ Instead: Build a system. Save great content, analyze it, summarize videos, track hooks that work. Make idea-finding a habit, not a hope.
  • ❌ 5. Thinking content is all about you
    “I don’t know what I want to post.”
    Wrong question. Try this: “What would they want to see?” Content is communication, not a diary. If it doesn’t connect — it doesn’t convert.

    ✅ Instead: Focus on value. Teach, entertain, inspire, relate. If it helps them — it helps you.
Here’s your anti-checklist. Don’t:

  • Scroll endlessly with no direction
  • Copy-paste other people’s work
  • Use lazy AI prompts
  • Wait for a lightning bolt of genius
  • Make it all about you
Instead: Be intentional, be strategic, and be human. Your next viral idea isn’t hiding — you just need to stop looking in the wrong places.

Now go make something awesome (and don’t you dare Google “what should I post today?” again )

Final Thoughts

So next time you catch yourself stuck, wondering “What should I post?” — you’ve got options. Powerful ones.

These three methods aren’t just about getting “inspired” — they’re about working smarter. You’re reverse-engineering what already works, using AI tools to simplify the process, and saving yourself hours of trial and error.

Whether it’s spying on viral Reels with ViralFindr, sorting through TikTok gold with a browser extension, or hacking YouTube content with ChatGPT — you’ve now got a playbook.
Try one (or all three) this week. Test, tweak, repeat.

And remember: it’s not about copying. It’s about understanding what clicks — and putting your own spin on it.
Now go create something epic ✨
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