Fame is a fickle friend – that is one of the smart things you can learn from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is a lesson learned by trial and error by many bloggers, influencers and, most recently, YouTube vloggers. This young generation of internet superstars have millions of followers and can change ideas, attitudes and ways of living and thinking among their fans.
The young and restless YouTubers have started out like everyone else, with a camera phone, sharing their daily activities, hobbies, fun and easy how-to videos and various other entertaining videos. They are now making money from their YouTube accounts and manage their public image skilfully, continuing to grow their followership.
What is the secret of their success? And what can brand managers, business owners and marketers learn from them? Quite a lot of things actually. These popular YouTubers are not burdened by marketing theories and strategies. They have a feel for what the people want to see and are very flexible and adaptable to changes in trends and people’s demands and expectations. In many ways, they represent the future of marketing and advertising – a form of advertising which is meaningful, non-intrusive and relatable.
That being said, what can YouTubers teach your business in terms of marketing strategies?
1. Be Authentic in Everything You Do
When creating your social media persona, make sure that it has a human touch and it represents and promotes the true values of your brand. Do not try to build a fake persona just because you believe it will attract more followers. In time, you will not be able to keep up the pretence, especially after people start interacting with your business using your website and your customer support service.
This is the top lesson you can learn from Prank vs. Prank, a wildly popular YouTube channel managed by a couple (now celebrating their 10th anniversary) who stage and execute funny and popular pranks. They are 100% authentic in every video and nothing feels forced or out of character.
2. Create and Maintain a Clear Sharing Schedule
Filmmaker Casey Neistat has one simple rule for success: every morning, at 8:00 a.m. sharp, he shares a video in which he presents snippets of his life and shares his views on film making, life and society. This is a lesson which every social media marketer should learn and apply: create and follow through with your sharing schedule.
People are creatures of habit: they know that the evening news is broadcast at 7 p.m. and the blockbuster movie at 10 p.m. They build their schedule around their work, hobbies and interests. If they follow brands on the social media, they want to be able to include them in their daily schedule. If you got them used to seeing an inspirational quote on Wednesday at 1 p.m., then you should keep this schedule and not disappoint your followers.
3. Do Not Be All about Promoting Yourself
A very popular fitness YouTube channel is remarkable for its large number of followers and very little to no ads and promotional videos. The channel owner attracts his audience and converts it into clients by sharing his honest views on muscle building, supplements, lifestyle and other topics which are directly or indirectly related to fitness.
People appreciate this approach – being offered helpful advice and ideas without being asked for something in exchange. They will go ahead and become your followers and customers because they believe in you and trust you, not because you asked them to.
4. Do Not Be Afraid of Change
One of the most popular YouTubers of today is Felix Kjellberg from Sweden. His videos are hilariously funny and extremely popular. And he is not afraid to break the pattern of his own success and try something new whenever he notices a decrease in likes and new followers.
It is tempting to be lulled into routine by a success formula. But every such formula reaches the end of its usefulness. You must adapt and embrace change, or see your followership dwindling down.
5. Pay Attention to Comments
The comments section is a wealth of inspiration for many YouTubers. They take in acclaims and criticism, note suggestions and, whenever they see an emerging trend in what their followers demand, they satisfy that demand. Likewise, your public and private message sections on each social media platform are valuable resources of inspiration if you know how to manage them. It always pays off to read and respond to comments and give in to your followers’ requests every once in a while.