Founded in 2005, YouTube went on to become the biggest video sharing platform in the world. According to Statistica, YouTube’s advertising revenue has gradually increased from 8150 million in 2017, to 19772 million in 2020.
While advertising on YouTube can be a great way to reach out to the masses on the platform, there is an alternative way of marketing – influencer marketing. Instead of buying advertisements on YouTube directly, you can choose to work with influencers to convey your brand’s message.
There are many advantages to working with an influencer in comparison to traditional online advertisements. The main advantage is in the reliability of your campaign. By working with influencers who are known to be authentic, there is credibility to your marketing campaign.
Therefore, today’s article will touch on YouTube influencer marketing. How do we use the platform and its content creators in a marketing campaign?
How is YouTube different? | YouTube 2021
You might think that YouTube influencer marketing is just like any other influencer marketing platform. However, there are unique characteristics that ought to be taken into account.
Firstly, YouTube’s primary content is in the form of videos. Now you might think that there are many other platforms that involve video content. For instance, you have Instagram which allows videos of up to an hour-long to be uploaded on IGTV and TikTok which allows videos of up to 60 seconds long.
That being said, these platforms are distinct. For Instagram’s case, IGTV is one of the many features the platform offers. Unlike YouTube which has a focus on videos, static images still remain important on Instagram. As for TikTok, its focus is on short catchy videos. Due to the time limit, TikTok videos are to the point, contain succinct information and are often more casual in nature.
In comparison to these platforms, YouTube videos allow more in-depth content. The longer duration allowed for these videos is great for showcasing details or elaborating on the specifics of a product. Therefore, influencer marketing campaigns on YouTube allow for a more comprehensive explanation of your product. That being said, it is important to engage and keep any information succinct. After all, the longer-form video content has to capture the attention of viewers for it to be impactful.
Ultimately, influencer marketing on YouTube is similar to the other social media platforms. Authenticity and relevance still remain core pillars of an influencer marketing campaign. The only distinct feature is YouTube’s focus on videos. Therefore, do consider the type of YouTube videos that may aid you in your influencer marketing campaign.
Ideas for YouTube influencer marketing | YouTube 2021
One of the most common campaign ideas for YouTube influencer marketing would be to get influencers to review the brand’s products. The influencers can demonstrate and explain how the product is used through a video.
A tip would be to keep these reviews as genuine as possible. After all, consumers are not interested in watching advertisements, but interested in the opinions of others who have tried the product. Therefore, get your influencers to go beyond explaining the technicalities of the product. Instead, review the product from a consumer’s point of view. This means that their own personal commentary of the product should be included in such review videos. After all, influencers, who are consumers of your product, would know what their target audience would like to know about the product.
Apart from product reviews, you can always use YouTube influencer marketing to promote your brand’s social media contest. This can be in the form of a giveaway or a competition. The most common way of doing so is to get viewers to leave a related comment on the video. Your brand can then choose the top comment to win the giveaway. Such contests are great to drive traffic on your branded content and at the same time engage your target audience.
Tips for YouTube influencer marketing | YouTube 2021
Like any other influencer marketing campaign, setting clear, measurable goals should be done at the outset of a YouTube influencer marketing campaign. Depending on your goal, the influencers that you choose to work with and the direction your influencer marketing takes could vary. For instance, if your ultimate goal is on brand awareness, you may choose to work with macro-influencers who have many subscribers. On the other hand, if your primary goal is on branding, micro-influencers and their higher engagement rates could be a great way for deeper relationship building between the brand and its consumers.
Next up, you will need to identify the influencers to work with. This is not always about choosing the influencer with the highest number of subscribers on YouTube. Other metrics like the number of views, the number of likes and comments should also be considered.
More importantly, the influencer’s content on YouTube should also coincide with your brand’s product and content. What does this mean? Well, this simply means that the influencer’s content should be relevant to your campaign.
For instance, if you are in the fashion industry, getting an influencer who specialises in fashion is probably your best bet. After all, their subscribers are likely fashion enthusiasts. Therefore, working with these influencers would ensure that your branded content reaches the right target audience.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing is a common strategy used across all social media platforms. In the case of YouTube, a campaign on YouTube can be successful if marketers take into account the unique characteristics of YouTube influencer marketing.
Sources
Influencermarketinghub, youtube-influencer-marketing-guide/
Getcarro, blog/influencer-marketing-on-youtube/
