Introduction
A YouTube influencer is someone who has cultivated a massive
audience in their niche, industry, or field.
Due to their immense platforms and massive outreach, these
YouTubers have the power to set trends and influence their audiences.
This has led to the rise of YouTube influencer marketing, because
companies want these people to spotlight their products in front their
ever-growing audience.
You’ve likely seen YouTube influencers at work for yourself, and many
of them seem to be having the time of their lives. There are influencers
in every niche and industry: from video games, travel guides and
experts, or just sitting at their desk opening packages or reviewing
products or books—and getting paid for it!
It seems to be an effortless way to amass a fortune, right?
However, the truth is, becoming a YouTube influencer will take timeand commitment. You’ll need to create a plan early on, and then work
consistently towards reaching those goals.
The outcome?
There’s a lot of money to be made in the world of YouTube influencers!
In addition, you can have a blast doing it.
This special report will provide you with all the information you need to
get started. So, without further delay, let’s
Learn from the Best
Let’s start by taking a close look at some of the top influencers on
YouTube.
Number 1 is still PewDiePie, with 108 million subscribers. His name is
Felix Kjellberg and he’s a Swede living in the United Kingdom.
PewDiePie is known for popular videos where he broadcasts a running
commentary as he plays video games.
And people love watching him play. His coverage has expanded into
commentary and coverage of popular internet memes and viral videos.
In 2019, he made $13 million.
Coming in second place is the “Kids Diana Show,” featuring Russian-
speaking Diana and her brother Roma as they unbox toys and go on
fantastic adventures.
They have 73.2 million subscribers who love watching them open their
packages.Third is another children’s series: Like Nastya. This one features
Russian-American Stacy who plays with toys and goes on adventures
with her family. Stacy has 67.9 million followers.
Vlad and Niki, with 61.5 million subscribers, are in fourth place with
their videos showing the brothers playing with toys and showing off
their daily adventures.
And the fifth most popular influencers for 2021 are “Dude Perfect,” five
American guys who perform trick sports shots and feature famous
athletes playing along with them.
They’ve expanded into comedy recently, and the crew is often joined
by their giant panda mascot. Their viewers love watching them set up
their trick shots and perform with other athletes.
Other successful influencers include MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson,
who is known for two types of videos: viral challenges (like counting to
100,000 in one video) and attention-grabbing charity stunts (like
donating thousands of dollars to small Twitch players or waitresses).8
And then there’s Smosh, a comedy troop who performs skits and
comedy series spinoffs, and Kimberly Loaiza, one of Mexico’s most
popular social media stars who features videos on lifestyle and music.
The success of video creators like these has shifted the way traditional
marketing works, as well as the ways that companies can reach their
customers through social media.
There’s a lot of money in the marketing industry, especially with
influencer marketing.
But how can you break into the industry and start making money
yourself?
Let’s take a closer look!
Becoming an Influencer
Becoming a YouTube influencer is not going to be a simple journey, but
just as you’ve seen in the previous chapter, there are many people who
have carved out a lucrative income by doing it, and so can you—it’ll just
take perseverance and determination.
Start by creating a plan of action.
This is where you’ll lay out exactly what you’re hoping to get out of
building a YouTube presence. So, focus on your objectives and overall
goals.
This is going to help you figure out what sort of video content you
should create, and help to determine who your target audience is.
What you’re looking for is clear direction and intent so you can lay
down a strong foundation for your business. And that’s exactly what
becoming a YouTube influencer involves: building a targeted, flexible
and rock-solid business.Here are some steps you can take to get your YouTube influencer career
off the ground:
Step 1: Create a YouTube account and channel.
This is an obvious first step, but you’d be surprised how many people
leave this until last.
It’s wise to start with this so that you can begin to visualize your
channel’s overall brand, including your design as well as the type of
graphics and thumbnails you’ll use, and of course, your content.
Set up an account and a channel name that is easy to remember and
that reflects what you’re doing.
Use keywords that tell people exactly what your channel is about, or
follow in the footsteps of influencers such as Marques Brownlee, who
uses his initials plus the abbreviation for high definition to create his
channel name: MKBHD.
It’s short handle that’s instantly recognizable across all his platforms
and memorable, which is key.Brownlee reviews tech, so the high definition refers to his content and
gives you a hint of what’s to come.
Step 2: Choose Your Niche.
Next, you want to develop your channel’s goals and content which
starts by defining your target audience and niche.
This isn’t always an easy task, especially if you are thinking about
catering to multiple markets.
Step 3: Define Your Voice
Defining the voice of your brand and your channel is one of the most
important things you’ll do, and it’s always best to start once you’ve
nailed down who your average subscriber will be.
Many influencers have said that in order to figure out who their market
is, they created what is called a subscriber snapshot, which includes
example demographic information.
This would include gender, age, location, interests, passions,
employment, hobbies of those who would likely be interested in your
content.The better you know your audience—and the more you drill down into
your niche by creating a subscriber snapshot, the clearer your path will
become because you’ll know exactly what kind of content you should
create in order to maximize exposure.
Then, once you get your voice down pat, you’ll need to find content
that matches that voice. The best way to develop your channel is just to
be yourself.
Above all else, it’s your personality that will keep viewers subscribed
(and tuning in!) to your channel, but you have to attract them there in
the first place with solid content that they want to watch.
Step 4: Create Engaging Content.
Once you’re comfortable in front of the camera, it’s time to decide
what sort of content you’ll create, or broadcast.
Some popular content styles include: how-to videos, product reviews,
unboxing videos, and of course, gaming and makeup tutorials.The possibilities are almost endless. Choose something that excites you
so you will want to keep making more videos, and make sure it’s
something other people will see as entertainment or a solution to one
of their problems (educational).
You probably also want to give yourself some flexibility so you can
cover trending topics in your niche.
That way you can jump on the bandwagon if a big news story breaks
and other YouTubers with similar channels are talking about it. Put your
unique spin on the topic even if “everyone” is covering it.
Brainstorm some ideas for your content before you jump right in. Make
up a good, long list so you won’t run out of video ideas before you even
get started gaining an audience.
Ask yourself what other YouTubers in your niche are doing and what
content they are creating.
Now, what’s missing?Can you put a new spin on old content or a fresh twist to something
they’ve already done?
What do you have that some other (famous) YouTuber isn’t offering?
Ask what problems your audience is facing in their day-to-day lives.
Aim to create content that solves those problems for them.
Step 5: Create your videos.
Often, what sets one influencer apart from the crowd is the quality of
their videos. They’re not just putting out a lot of content—it’s good
content.
Many professional YouTubers have a specific team for such tricks as
makeup, special sets, and shooting from multiple angles. They use the
best cameras and microphones, and they invest in the best editing
software. Your videos don’t have to be professional quality at first, but
you should make them the best you can. Your skills will grow with your
experience, so expect your quality to improve over time.You also don’t need a bunch of expensive equipment to get a
professional look. If you’re just getting started, you can film on any
decent mobile phone and edit the video using free apps.
Just remember little tricks like using a tripod (or camera dolly) to
minimize shake and give your video a more professional feel.
You can also incorporate free footage into your videos. And remember
the “rule of thirds” when framing yourself in the screen: mentally divide
your image with a grid composed of two horizontal and two vertical
lines, breaking each section into thirds (thus, the name).
Many cameras (even on cellphones) have a setting that will do this for
you as you shoot.
The rule is to place your subject near or on top of one of the lines—or
at an intersection—to create balance in the photograph.
Step 6: Use the algorithms.
In order for you to become successful at YouTube, obviously your
content must be discovered by people who are interested in your topic.And in order for that to happen, you must learn how videos get found
and what you can do to optimize your own content.
This includes tricks like putting keywords into your titles and video
descriptions, finding the best name for your videos, and directing your
audience to keep following your channel by providing buttons at the
end of each video (“Subscribe now” or “Follow me”).
Do a little research and see what keywords and phrases other
YouTubers in your niche are using, then add those to your list.
Think of what questions your audience might be asking and be sure
your keywords are the answers to those questions.
Also, remember to use compelling thumbnails, not just allow YouTube
to select a random still frame from somewhere in the video. Select
something eye-catching that will reflect your video’s content and entice
the reader to watch.
Step 7: Post consistently. 17
When it comes to YouTube, consistency is the key.
Develop a content calendar and post regularly. Two to three times a
week seems to be the magic number that results in the best growth.
Your viewers should come to expect—and count on---regular video
content from your channel. Setting this expectation encourages them
to pop in at specific times during the week.
It also creates accountability on your end so you won’t try to get away
with skipping the video “just this once.”
A content calendar also keeps you from scrambling at the last minute to
find something to post about.
And finally, the bigger your library, the more time viewers will spend on
your channel watching your videos. And that will only improve your
algorithms.
Step 8: Build a social presence.It may seem obvious, but you need to create social media pages and
profiles for your video channel on every platform where your audience
hangs out. Sure, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram are the
biggest platforms, but depending on who your viewers are, you may
also need to target others as well: Snapchat, Twitch, or even Pinterest.
Do your homework and find out which networks are popular with your
audience, and which networks your competitors are using to advertise.
Once you have the social media platforms, fill out each form as
completely as you can. Your channel’s profile page should have links to
your playlist, your “highlight” reel, and your blog and/or website.
The more descriptive and informative you are in your bios, the more
potential viewers will see you as an expert and want to follow you to
YouTube and watch your video s.
And don’t just create a bunch of profile pages and forget about them.
Social media is meant to be…social. Create content that encourages
viewers to comment. Start conversations with your followers by asking
for their opinions or their help. And always try to respond to any
comments you may get.It may seem obvious, but you need to create social media pages and
profiles for your video channel on every platform where your audience
hangs out. Sure, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram are the
biggest platforms, but depending on who your viewers are, you may
also need to target others as well: Snapchat, Twitch, or even Pinterest.
Do your homework and find out which networks are popular with your
audience, and which networks your competitors are using to advertise.
Once you have the social media platforms, fill out each form as
completely as you can. Your channel’s profile page should have links to
your playlist, your “highlight” reel, and your blog and/or website.
The more descriptive and informative you are in your bios, the more
potential viewers will see you as an expert and want to follow you to
YouTube and watch your videos.
And don’t just create a bunch of profile pages and forget about them.
Social media is meant to be…social. Create content that encourages
viewers to comment. Start conversations with your followers by asking
for their opinions or their help. And always try to respond to any
comments you may get.Show your audience you value their input and are trying to create the
best channel possible—for their benefit. The more you interact with
your viewers, the more they’ll respond. And that’s the key to becoming
a true influencer.
:Step 9 Evaluate (and know your metrics).
Once you get a few videos under your belt, it’s time to evaluate how
well you’re doing. YouTube’s analytics software will tell you the number
of watch views and comments, and the audience demographics.
This information will help you create more targeted videos that appeal
directly to your audience members.
Use the Audience Retention Graphs to show your viewers’ habits and
see how much of your videos they’re watching.
• Which videos did your followers engage with the most?
• What could have encouraged that engagement?• When are they clicking away from your channel?
• What sort of content can you create next that is similar to your
most popular content?
Also, check your feedback.
Are there any comments or responses you can use to help you improve
your channel?
Always take note when a follower comments or mentions you on their
own page. Their response is a direct reflection of your audience’s
sentiments for your content, and that can help you create better
content that more accurately engages them.