Introduction
What is a YouTube influencer? It is someone that has developed a channel and has a huge number of subscribers in their chosen field. YouTube is a massive platform and it provides huge outreach for influencers. With the right influencer marketing you can set trends on the platform and make a great deal of money.
Imagine doing something that you love everyday and bringing entertainment and pleasure to millions. Every possible niche has at least one influencer on YouTube and some niches have several. There are influencers in travel, video gaming, product reviews and many more. Some of these influencers earn significant incomes.
There is a lot of money to be made as a successful YouTube influencer. You may have seen examples of the incomes that some of these people are generating. It is the best job in the world as you are highly paid for something that you love doing.
In this special report we will provide you with the advice and guidance that you need to begin your journey as a YouTube influencer. By following the steps in this report, you will give yourself the maximum chance of success.
In the next section, we will discuss some of the most famous YouTube influencers…
Learning from some of the most Famous YouTube Influencers
Some people are skeptical about making a lot of money on YouTube. They don’t believe some of the numbers that are published about the incomes that the top influencers are earning. The truth is that they are making a ton of money and use different ways to achieve this.
The Top Influencers on YouTube
The number one influencer on YouTube is a guy called PewDiePie. He has been number one for a while now. He now has over 110 million subscribers to his channel. Since he started with YouTube he has created and uploaded over 4,000 videos. In a few days of launching a new video it will usually garner millions of views.
His real name is Felix Kjellberg and he is originally from Sweden and now lives in the UK. He is in the video gaming niche which is very popular. People love to watch his videos where he streams himself playing games and commentating as he goes.
It is estimated that he earned $3 million in 2021. We believe this to be on the low side as he has several different streams of income. No matter what his true earnings are as a YouTube influencer they are significant and he is living proof that top influencers can earn a fortune.
The second biggest influencer on YouTube is the channel named the “Kids Diana Show”. This channel has over 90 million subscribers and is about a girl called Diana and her brother Roma unboxing toys and participating in great adventures.
YouTube users cannot get enough of these kids opening their toys. It is hard to believe that this is so popular. It is estimated that the channel makes around $700,000 every month and it is growing. A simple idea that has made the creators a fortune.
Another success story is the channel “Like Nastya”. They have over 88 million subscribers and are catching up fast with the Kids Diana Show. As soon as a new video appears it soon has millions of views. The videos feature the little girl Nastya (Stacey) and her father having a lot of fun with her friends and more.
Vlad and Nicki is another popular kids channel on YouTube is next with just under 80 million subscribers. This channel features two young brothers that like to play with toys and have a lot of fun in their videos. Their videos often feature their parents as well.
Next up are “Dude Perfect” which are 5 guys from the US who provide comedy videos and perform a lot of different stunts such as trick shots in sports. These guys are now up to 57 million subscribers and their videos all have millions of views. There most popular video is about flipping a water bottle and has over 400 million views.
MrBeast is another top YouTube influencer that a lot of people have heard of. He now has more than 90 million subscribers and his videos are as popular as ever. He tackles different challenges in his videos. Other popular influencers include Kimberly Loaiza who is from Mexico and creates lifestyle videos and Smosh who are a comedy team.
YouTube Influencers have changed how Marketing works
The emergence of YouTube influencers has changed the way online marketing works in a big way. Businesses now recognize the massive reach and the power that these influencers have and they are willing to spend big bucks with them for product shoutouts and more.
Influencer marketing is definitely here to stay. There are not just influencers on YouTube but on other social platforms too such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and more. If these people can be influencers on YouTube, then so can you.
In the next section, we will discuss how to start your YouTube Influencer journey…
How to Start your YouTube Influencer Journey
The first thing to say here is that becoming a YouTube influencer that has the potential to earn a significant income is not an easy thing to do. If it was then there would be many more people doing it.
You have seen examples in the last section of the top influencers and what they do. All of these influencers earn a lot of money from the YouTube platform, sponsorship and more. The most important thing that you can do to start your YouTube influencer journey is to believe that it is possible for you.
You need a Goal and a Plan
The best way to start your YouTube influencer career is to set a goal for what you want to achieve from it. You need to define exactly what you are going to do and make your goal challenging and inspiring. When your goal is inspiring it will provide you with the high levels of motivation that you will need to keep working at it every day.
Your goal will define the type of videos that you will make and help you to figure out who your target audience is. It is essential that you start with total clarity about what you are going to do with your YouTube channel. This will lay the foundation for your business.
Once you have established your goal you need to create a plan to achieve it. Your plan will define the actions you will take each day to edge closer to your goal. You are not going to create a perfect plan but you do need one to guide you.
Create your Channel
If you do not have a YouTube account then you need to create one. You will need a free Google account to do this such as a Gmail email address. Your channel will need a name and you need to visualize how you want it to look. The best channels have compelling artwork and you can outsource this on Fiverr.com if you do not have the skills to do it yourself.
Your channel name should let users know what you are doing. Make it as easy to remember as possible. It is good to perform some keyword research using the Google Keyword Planner to get ideas for video titles in your chosen niche. Use a keyword in your channel so it helps users understand what it is about.
Alternatively, you can create a brand name for your channel. Some people use their own name or create an alias. You could also use letters as an abbreviation. The influencer, Marques Brownlee, uses MKBHD as his channel name.
This has the advantage of being a short name and it is easily recognizable on YouTube and other social channels. Choosing a memorable channel name is very important. You want users to remember your channel name easily.
What Niche are you in?
Choosing the right niche for your YouTube channel is essential. If you have a strong interest in something such as tech gadgets or travel then this is a good idea. To be successful as a YouTube influencer you need to choose a niche that will be popular with YouTube users.
Some YouTube influencers are in more than one niche. There is nothing to stop you doing this as you progress but we recommend that you choose one niche to get started. Is there money being spent in your chosen niche? Are there products and services in the niche where you can make money from sponsorship or affiliate marketing?
What will your Voice be?
This is something that you mustn’t overlook. You need to create engaging videos on your channel to amass views and subscribers. Defining your voice at the beginning is the best way to go. You know who your target audience is so how are you going to connect with them?
Creating a profile for your ideal subscriber is a good thing to do and it will help you define your voice. Think about the demographics of your profile subscriber. What is their age range, gender, interests, hobbies, employment status, location and more?
You will give yourself a much better chance of being a successful YouTube influencer the more that you know your audience. Creating a subscriber profile will provide you with clarity and help you to determine the type of video content that you need to create for your audience.
The most successful YouTube influencers do not pretend to be something they are not. It is best for you to “be yourself”. This will make it easier for you to create engaging videos for your audience. It is not easy to maintain an “act” where you are pretending to be someone that you are not.
Use your personality to engage your audience. They are not expecting you to be a Hollywood star so don’t waste your time trying to be one. Be natural and passionate about your niche in your videos and the views and subscribers will come.
Make Engaging Videos
YouTube influencers are not shy about being in front of the camera. If you have a problem with this then you need to overcome it. You are only going to build a lot of subscribers through KLT (know, like and trust). Your audience cannot achieve KLT with you if they never see your face on your videos.
Think about the type of videos that you can create for your channel. “How to” videos are extremely popular on YouTube and a lot of users search for these. If you are an expert in your niche then create videos that show your audience how to overcome problems.
Another popular type of video on YouTube is the product review. Here you will discuss different products and talk about what you like and don’t like about them. You can use affiliate marketing here to make commissions from recommending products.
Always think about the value that you can provide with your videos.
Never create videos that are “salesy”. People do not like to be sold to. Show and tell is the best thing to do. Make your videos entertaining no matter what type you are creating.
A lot of niches change often and you can be the YouTuber that provides the latest information about these changes to your audience. New products and services, changes to the way things work such as rules and regulations – the possibilities are almost limitless here. Just keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your niche.
It doesn’t matter if you have competitors in your niche – in fact, this is a good thing because it proves that there is demand for videos about the niche. You can be different with your videos by adding your own personal spin to them.
Create a Content Schedule
Creating a content schedule will keep you focused and ensure that you will never run out of ideas for future videos. Start by brainstorming ideas for your niche. Write everything down and you should have a pretty long list once you have finished your brainstorming session.
You can get inspiration from other video creators on YouTube. What are they doing and how can you do it better? Don’t concern yourself about coming up with totally unique ideas for video content. If there is a video that is popular in your niche, how can you make this even better?
Solving the problems that your audience has in your niche needs to be your main aim. If you don’t know what these problems are then you need to find out. Your audience will really appreciate you creating videos that will answer their burning questions.
Video Creation
Whatever videos you decide to create for your YouTube channel they need to be high-quality. This does not mean that you need Hollywood style equipment to make your videos. You need a good quality HD camera and a good quality microphone. In addition to this, we recommend that you invest in a tripod or stand for your camera.
Nobody is going to be impressed if your videos are low quality in any way. Yes, you can shoot videos using your smartphone but the quality may not be the best. We recommend that you invest in a good camera and a microphone. You need to take your YouTube influencer business seriously.
There are good free tools that you can use for video editing. For
Windows computers you can use the Movie Maker which is free from Microsoft. Apple computer users can use iMovie. You can purchase other video editors that will do a lot fancier things but this is not necessary to get started. Search Google to see what other free video editors are available.
We recommend that you do your video creation and editing using a desktop computer or laptop. These devices are a lot more powerful than your phone or tablet. Using a larger screen is a good idea as well especially when it comes to editing.
If you are going to create “how to” videos and need to record your screen then you will need good screen recording software. OBS Studio is free and works with both Windows and Mac computers. It has everything that you need to get started.
When you are recording yourself on camera you need to be in the middle. You can use the “rule of thirds” where you break up the screen into thirds and position yourself in the center. Be prepared to practice with your camera until you get this right.
Rather than creating a script for your video and then reading this out when you record, we recommend that you create a list of important points that you need to raise in the video. Reading from a script can look and sound very unnatural which you want to avoid.
Use Video SEO Techniques
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world after google. Many people use YouTube to search for what they want as they would prefer to watch a video than read a blog post for example.
No matter how good your videos are, if YouTube users cannot find them with search, then you are wasting your time. You need to SEO optimize all of the videos that you upload so that you give them the best possible chance of appearing in the search results for specific keywords.
For each video that you create, perform keyword research for it first. You can do this for free using the Google Keyword Planner. Identify the keyword terms that you think users will search for to find your videos.
Put your most important keyword in your video title. There is a video description box under the video and you must add text here and include your keywords in it. You can also add URLs to your video description. Add tags to your videos which contain the keywords that you want to appear in search for.
We recommend that you remind your viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel and “like” your video at least once. You can also ask them to leave a comment. Telling people what they need to do online is necessary. Never assume that they will just subscribe.
Finally, you need to create compelling thumbnails for your videos. If you do not add a thumbnail image then YouTube will select a section of your video as the image. This was OK a few years ago but it isn’t now.
You can use Canva.com for free to create great looking thumbnails for YouTube videos. Be consistent with your thumbnail designs so that you stand out from the crowd and that users will instantly recognize your videos. Outsource the creation of your thumbnails on Fiverr.com if you want to.