Youtube tutorial

 

Brand Deals Can Support You

In today's digital age, YouTube has become a powerful platform for content creators to share their passions, talents, and stories with a global audience. While the potential for reaching millions of viewers is exciting, the reality is that creating high-quality content consistently can be both time-consuming and costly. This is where brand deals come into play. Partnering with brands can offer numerous benefits that support and enhance a YouTube creator's journey. Here are some key ways brand deals can support a YouTube creator:

1. Financial Support

One of the most immediate and tangible benefits of brand deals is financial support. Producing quality content often requires significant investment in equipment, software, props, and sometimes even personnel. A brand deal can provide the necessary funds to cover these expenses, allowing creators to focus on what they do best – creating engaging content. Additionally, the financial stability from brand deals can reduce the pressure to produce monetizable content solely for the sake of income, enabling creators to explore more creative and diverse projects.

2. Increased Exposure

Partnering with well-known brands can significantly boost a creator's visibility. Brands often have established audiences and marketing channels that can introduce the creator to new viewers. This increased exposure can lead to a growth in subscribers, higher video views, and greater overall reach. Moreover, being associated with reputable brands can enhance a creator's credibility and attractiveness to other potential partners, further expanding their opportunities.

3. Access to Resources

Many brands offer more than just financial support. They can provide creators with access to resources that would otherwise be out of reach. This could include exclusive products to review, advanced technology for production, or even professional services such as graphic design, marketing, and legal advice. By leveraging these resources, creators can improve the quality of their content and streamline their production process.

4. Content Inspiration and Collaboration

Brand deals often come with specific campaign goals and creative briefs. While some creators might view this as restrictive, it can actually serve as a source of inspiration. Working within the parameters set by a brand can challenge creators to think outside the box and come up with innovative content ideas that they might not have considered otherwise. Furthermore, collaborating with brands can lead to co-creating content, which can be a fun and rewarding experience that engages both the creator’s and the brand’s audiences.

5. Long-Term Partnerships and Stability

Establishing a successful relationship with a brand can lead to long-term partnerships. Consistent collaboration can provide creators with a stable source of income and support, allowing them to plan their content and growth strategies with greater confidence. Long-term partnerships also foster a deeper understanding and trust between the creator and the brand, often resulting in more creative freedom and better-aligned goals.

6. Audience Trust and Engagement

When creators partner with brands that align with their values and resonate with their audience, it can enhance viewer trust and engagement. Authentic and well-integrated brand deals can add value to the content, providing viewers with useful information or products that genuinely interest them. This positive perception can strengthen the relationship between the creator and their audience, leading to higher engagement rates and loyal viewership.

 

How to Get Your First Brand Deal as a Creator

Landing your first brand deal can be an exciting milestone in your journey as a content creator. Brand deals not only provide financial support but also help increase your visibility and credibility. Here are some straightforward steps to help you secure your first brand partnership.

1. Build a Strong Portfolio

Before reaching out to brands, it's important to have a solid portfolio that showcases your work. This can include your best videos, blog posts, or any other content that highlights your creativity, style, and engagement with your audience. Make sure your portfolio reflects your unique voice and the value you can offer to potential partners.

2. Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is key to attracting brand deals. Brands want to partner with creators whose audiences align with their target market. Use analytics tools to gather insights about your audience demographics, interests, and engagement patterns. This information will help you identify brands that are a good fit for collaboration.

3. Identify Potential Brands

Start by making a list of brands that align with your content and audience. Look for companies that share your values and could benefit from exposure to your followers. Don't limit yourself to big brands – smaller companies and startups are often more open to partnering with emerging creators.

4. Create High-Quality Content

Brands are more likely to partner with creators who produce high-quality, engaging content. Focus on improving your production skills, whether it's through better video editing, sharper photography, or compelling writing. Consistently publishing top-notch content will make your channel more attractive to potential partners.

5. Engage with Brands

Engaging with brands on social media is a great way to get noticed. Follow the brands you're interested in, interact with their posts, and mention them in your content when relevant. This can help you build a relationship and get on their radar. If a brand notices you frequently promoting their products or services organically, they may reach out to you for a partnership.

6. Reach Out Directly

Don't be afraid to take the initiative and reach out to brands directly. Craft a professional email or direct message that introduces yourself, explains why you admire their brand, and how a collaboration could be mutually beneficial. Include your media kit, which should contain your portfolio, audience insights, and contact information.

7. Join Influencer Networks

Many brands use influencer networks to find creators for their campaigns. Joining these networks can increase your chances of landing a brand deal. Some popular influencer networks include AspireIQ, FameBit, and Influencity. These platforms connect creators with brands looking for partnerships.

8. Showcase Previous Collaborations

If you have any previous collaborations, even if they're unpaid, highlight them in your pitch. This shows brands that you have experience working with others and can deliver results. Testimonials from previous partners can also strengthen your proposal.

9. Be Professional and Patient

Securing a brand deal takes time and persistence. Be professional in all your interactions with brands, and don't get discouraged if you don't hear back immediately. Follow up politely if you don't receive a response, and keep refining your pitch and approach.

Who is your Audience?

Understanding your audience is crucial for securing brand deals and creating content that resonates. Here’s a detailed guide on how a creator can find out who their audience is:

1. Use Analytics Tools

YouTube Analytics

For YouTube creators, YouTube Analytics is a powerful tool. It provides detailed insights into your audience, including:

• Demographics: Age, gender, and location of your viewers.
• Geography: Where your viewers are located.
• Watch Time: How long viewers are watching your videos.
• Traffic Sources: How viewers find your videos, such as search, suggested videos, or external sources.
• Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and watch time.

To access YouTube Analytics:

• Go to YouTube Studio.
• Click on “Analytics” in the left-hand menu.
• Explore the “Audience” tab to find demographic information.

Google Analytics

For bloggers or creators with their own websites, Google Analytics is invaluable. It offers:

• Demographics and Interests: Age, gender, and interests of your site visitors.
• Behavior: Pages visited, time spent on site, and bounce rate.
• Acquisition: How visitors find your site (search engines, social media, direct visits).

To set up Google Analytics:

• Sign up for a Google Analytics account.
• Add the tracking code to your website.
• Start tracking and analyzing visitor data.

Social Media Insights

Most social media platforms offer analytics tools:

• Facebook Insights: Provides data on page likes, post reach, engagement, and follower demographics.
• Instagram Insights: Shows follower demographics, activity times, and post performance.
• Twitter Analytics: Offers information on tweet performance, follower demographics, and engagement.

2. Survey Your Audience

Create Surveys

Surveys can provide direct insights into who your audience is and what they want. Use tools like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform to create surveys. Ask questions about:

• Age, gender, and location.
• Interests and hobbies.
• Content preferences and feedback.

Promote Surveys

Promote your survey through your content, social media, and email newsletters. Offer incentives like shoutouts, giveaways, or exclusive content to encourage participation.

3. Engage with Your Audience

Read and Respond to Comments

Engage with your audience by reading and responding to comments on your videos, blog posts, and social media. Pay attention to common themes, questions, and feedback. This interaction can provide valuable insights into who your audience is and what they enjoy.

Host Live Sessions

Live streaming on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook allows real-time interaction. Use these sessions to ask questions, gather feedback, and learn more about your audience.

Monitor Community Engagement

If you have a community group (like a Facebook Group or Discord server), monitor discussions to understand your audience’s interests and preferences.

4. Analyze Your Content Performance

Identify Popular Content

Look at which videos, posts, or articles perform best in terms of views, likes, shares, and comments. Analyze what these pieces of content have in common, such as topics, formats, or styles, to understand what resonates with your audience.

Use Heatmaps

For website owners, tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg can create heatmaps showing where visitors click, scroll, and spend the most time. This helps identify popular content and areas of interest.

5. Collaborate with Other Creators

Collaborating with other creators can help you reach new audiences and gain insights into shared viewer demographics. Compare notes with collaborators to understand overlapping audience characteristics.

6. Utilize Third-Party Tools

Several third-party tools can provide deeper audience insights:

• VidIQ and TubeBuddy: For YouTube creators, these tools offer advanced analytics and SEO insights.
• Hootsuite and Sprout Social: Social media management tools that offer comprehensive analytics across multiple platforms.
• BuzzSumo: Helps identify popular content and influencers in your niche.

Finding out who your audience is involves leveraging analytics tools, engaging directly with your followers, and analyzing content performance. By understanding your audience’s demographics, interests, and behavior, you can create content that resonates and attract brand deals that align with your viewership. This knowledge is not only crucial for growth but also for building a loyal and engaged community around your content.

 

Building Your Portfolio

The Hero Content Strategy is a great way to build a strong YouTube portfolio by organizing your content into three types: Hero, Hub, and Help. Here’s a simple explanation on how to use this strategy:

1. Hero Content

What is Hero Content? Hero content consists of big, splashy videos designed to attract a lot of attention. These are your high-production, high-impact videos that aim to reach a broad audience.

How to Create Hero Content:

• Focus on Major Events or Themes: Create videos around major events, holidays, or trending topics that have wide appeal.
• High Production Value: Invest more time and resources into these videos. Use better equipment, scripting, and editing to make them stand out.
• Promote Heavily: Share your Hero content across all your social media platforms, collaborate with other creators, and consider paid promotions to reach a larger audience.

Examples:

• Special holiday videos (e.g., Christmas specials)
• Collaborations with well-known YouTubers
• Big challenges or projects

2. Hub Content

What is Hub Content? Hub content is your regular, consistent content that keeps your existing audience engaged. These videos are released on a set schedule and provide value to your core subscribers.

How to Create Hub Content:

• Regular Schedule: Decide on a consistent posting schedule (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) to keep your audience coming back for more.
• Audience Interests: Focus on topics that your audience loves. Look at your analytics to see what has performed well in the past.
• Engagement: Encourage viewers to comment, like, and share. Respond to comments to build a community.

Examples:

• Weekly vlogs
• Series (e.g., a weekly tutorial or review series)
• Behind-the-scenes content

3. Help Content

What is Help Content? Help content is evergreen, educational, and designed to answer questions or solve problems. These videos are great for attracting new viewers through search.

How to Create Help Content:

• Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Trends or YouTube search suggestions to find common questions and problems in your niche.
• Informative and Clear: Make sure your videos are clear, concise, and provide real value. The goal is to help the viewer solve a problem or learn something new.
• Optimize for Search: Use relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags to improve your video's visibility in search results.

Examples:

• How-to tutorials
• FAQs
• Explainer videos

Combining the Strategy

Build a Balanced Portfolio:

• Hero Content: Plan and produce 2-3 big Hero videos each year to attract a broad audience.
• Hub Content: Release regular Hub videos on a consistent schedule (e.g., once a week) to keep your audience engaged.
• Help Content: Create Help videos regularly to attract new viewers searching for solutions to their problems.

Plan and Schedule:

• Use a content calendar to plan your Hero, Hub, and Help videos.
• Balance your content mix to ensure you're providing value to your existing audience while also attracting new viewers.

Conclusion

By using the Hero Content Strategy, you can create a diverse and engaging YouTube portfolio that attracts a wide audience, keeps your subscribers engaged, and helps new viewers discover your channel. Focus on producing a few high-impact Hero videos, maintain regular Hub content, and consistently offer valuable Help videos. This balanced approach will help grow your channel and build a loyal audience over time.

 

How Can I Implement This Strategy Realistically?

 

The number of videos you should create each month using the Hero, Hub, and Help content strategy depends on your capacity and resources. However, a balanced approach might look something like this:

Suggested Monthly Video Schedule

1. Hero Content

   • Frequency: 1 video every 2-3 months
   • Monthly Average: About 0.5 videos per month

2. Hub Content

   • Frequency: 1-2 videos per week
   • Monthly Average: 4-8 videos per month

3. Help Content

   • Frequency: 1 video per week
   • Monthly Average: 4 videos per month

Monthly Breakdown

Hero Content

Hero videos are high-production and less frequent. Since you might only produce one Hero video every 2-3 months, you can average it out to:

• 1 Hero video every 2-3 months: This means about 0.5 Hero videos per month.

Hub Content

Hub content keeps your regular audience engaged. Aim for consistency with these videos:

• 1-2 Hub videos per week: This translates to about 4-8 Hub videos per month.

Help Content

Help content is consistent and evergreen, designed to attract new viewers through search:

• 1 Help video per week: This equals about 4 Help videos per month.

Total Monthly Video Count

Adding it all together:

• 0.5 Hero videos per month
• 4-8 Hub videos per month
• 4 Help videos per month

So, in total, you should aim to produce 8.5 to 12.5 videos per month. If this seems like too much, you can adjust the frequency based on your available time and resources.

Example Monthly Schedule

To visualize how this might look, here’s an example:

Week 1:

• Hub Video 1
• Help Video 1

Week 2:

• Hub Video 2
• Help Video 2

Week 3:

• Hub Video 3
• Help Video 3

Week 4:

• Hub Video 4
• Help Video 4

Every 2-3 Months:

• Hero Video (plan and produce this over a longer period)

Adjusting for Capacity

Remember, the key is consistency and quality over quantity. If this schedule is too demanding, consider:

• Reducing Hub content to 1 video per week.
• Spacing out Help content to every other week.
• Planning Hero content more sparingly.

Ultimately, tailor the strategy to fit your personal schedule and resources while ensuring you maintain a steady flow of engaging content for your audience.

 

How to Attract Viewers Using Social Media

The best social media platform to attract viewers to your YouTube channel depends on your target audience and the type of content you produce. Here are some of the top social media platforms and how they can help you attract viewers to your YouTube channel:

1. Instagram

Why it's effective:

• Visual Content: Instagram's focus on images and videos makes it ideal for promoting your YouTube content.
• Stories and Reels: Use Instagram Stories and Reels to share short previews or behind-the-scenes clips of your YouTube videos, encouraging viewers to watch the full content on your channel.
• Engagement: High engagement rates with interactive features like polls, questions, and direct messages.

Tips:

• Share eye-catching thumbnails and short video clips with a direct link to your YouTube video in the bio or swipe-up link (for accounts with 10k+ followers).
• Use relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
• Collaborate with other influencers to tap into their audience.

2. Twitter

Why it's effective:

• Real-Time Interaction: Twitter's real-time nature allows you to share updates and engage with your audience instantly.
• Viral Potential: Tweets can quickly go viral, spreading your content to a wider audience.

Tips:

• Share links to your YouTube videos with engaging captions and relevant hashtags.
• Participate in trending conversations and use trending hashtags to increase visibility.
• Engage with your followers by replying to comments and retweeting fan content.

3. Facebook

Why it's effective:

• Large User Base: Facebook has a broad and diverse user base.
• Groups and Pages: Join or create niche groups related to your content where you can share your videos.
• Native Video: Facebook's algorithm favors native videos, so upload short clips directly to Facebook and link to your YouTube channel.

Tips:

• Share your YouTube videos on your personal and business pages.
• Create a Facebook group for your community where you can share exclusive content and updates.
• Use Facebook Ads to target specific demographics and drive traffic to your YouTube channel.

4. TikTok

Why it's effective:

• Short-Form Video Content: TikTok's format is perfect for creating engaging teasers for your YouTube videos.
• Viral Potential: The platform's algorithm helps content go viral quickly, reaching a large audience.

Tips:

• Create short, attention-grabbing clips that highlight the best parts of your YouTube videos.
• Use trending sounds, challenges, and hashtags to increase discoverability.
• Include a call-to-action in your videos, directing viewers to your YouTube channel.

5. Reddit

Why it's effective:

• Niche Communities: Reddit has communities (subreddits) for almost every interest.
• Engaged Audience: Users are highly engaged and often seek in-depth content.

Tips:

• Find and participate in subreddits related to your content.
• Share your videos in a way that adds value to the community, not just self-promotion.
• Engage with the community by participating in discussions and providing helpful information.

6. LinkedIn

Why it's effective:

• Professional Audience: Ideal for creators focusing on business, education, or professional content.
• Article and Post Sharing: Share your YouTube videos as part of professional articles or posts.

Tips:

• Share videos related to your professional niche.
• Engage with your network by commenting on their posts and sharing relevant industry news.
• Use LinkedIn groups to connect with like-minded professionals.

The best social media platform for attracting viewers to your YouTube channel will depend on your content type and target audience. However, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, and LinkedIn are all powerful tools when used effectively. Consistently engaging with your audience, sharing high-quality content, and leveraging the unique features of each platform will help drive traffic to your YouTube channel and grow your viewer base.