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 time and 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 begin!
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.