Posted by YouTube is one of the most popular social media channels today, with an audience that only seems to be increasing. Brands have been capitalizing on it for years, using the platform for several campaigns long before the creator economy became the industry it is today. And perhaps their most effective method is YouTube influencer marketing.
Statistics show that collaborations with YouTube creators are four times more effective at increasing brand familiarity than celebrity collaboration. This shows the influence that YouTube creators/influencers have over people’s purchasing power. Hence, having them promote your business is sure to give you a boost in sales.
In this YouTube influencer marketing guide, we’ll explore every detail you need to know about the subject. Get ready to learn how influencer marketing works on YouTube, its benefits, cost, types, and more. We’ll also provide a detailed step-by-step guide on how to hire the right YouTube influencer for your brand.
At the end, you’ll understand how to kickstart your YouTube influencer campaign and how to make money on YouTube influencer marketing.
Let’s begin, shall we?
What Is YouTube Influencer Marketing?
YouTube influencer marketing is when a YouTube content creator promotes your product, service, or brand on YouTube. The promotion could also extend to contests or campaigns. In general, YouTube influencer marketing involves using videos on YouTube in whatever form to promote something. There are many ways to do this, which we’re going to discuss below.
Check out this link for expert tips to help you stand out and succeed online.
How Does YouTube Influencer Marketing Work?
Here’s an overview of how YouTube influencer marketing works.
How YouTube works
Understanding how YouTube works is the first step to knowing how to use YouTube for influencer marketing. It is an essential tool for reaching out to teens as about 70% of them trust YouTube content creators more than celebrities.
In other social media networks, users will typically post a feed of posts from their friends, family, or anyone that interests them. On the other hand, YouTube works like a version of TV where there is a selection of channels and users choose what they want to watch.
YouTube is an established social media site with many popular channels owned by creators. These creators have subscribers that regularly consume the content they put out, and many of them interact with their subscribers.
Of course, users can also search for videos with other methods and expand their viewing options.
How Does Marketing Fit Into YouTube?
Implementing a marketing strategy into YouTube is easy because it already has a proper advertising setup, unlike other social media websites.
This advertising setup has taken several years to build and develop to the stage it is today. It allows marketers to create campaigns in unique ways depending on their product, service, or offer.
The ads in YouTube videos work similarly to a paid advertisement on traditional television channels. Brands pay to have their ads or products featured on a particular channel or group of channels.
It becomes more comparable when brands make informal deals with television channels for product promotion. The promotional money does not go directly to the network or YouTube when you’re using influencer marketing.
Also, the YouTube influencer marketing platform does not give the systems or any behind-the-scenes assistance like it would in a formal YouTube advertisement. The best way to compare it is a product placement type advert in a television show.
YouTube Audience
Even though almost every age or type of people watch YouTube, millennials and Generation Z take the biggest chunk. Many of them even watch YouTube videos more than they do regular television channels.
So, if you’re targeting them for advertising, there’s a bigger chance you’ll reach them on YouTube than traditional TV stations. This doesn’t mean you can’t use YouTube to target other age groups, though, as it is still a viable method.
Benefits of YouTube Influencer Marketing
Check out some of the advantages of using YouTube influencer marketing for your product/brand.
Better Conversion Rate Than Ads
If you just decide to go the regular route and use ads to promote your product/service, it might be helpful to know that ads have a conversion rate of 0.5%. On the other hand, Influencer YouTube marketing has a conversion rate of 2.7%, about five times that of ads.
This shows the massive impact influencers have on the purchasing decision of individuals. This indicates that investing in YouTube influencer campaigns could bring in more returns than ads on YouTube.
Builds Trust
Associating your brand with a YouTube influencer can build trust from the followers/subscribers of that influencer. YouTube influencers already have an audience base that trusts them and their opinion on issues.
Many influencers have solid relationships with their audience, and they are more likely to listen to their views. You can leverage this already-established trust and bond to sell your products, especially if you partner with the right influencer.
Build On the Influencer’s Expertise
YouTube influencers typically specialize in a particular niche or subject and have become an authority in their specific niche over the years.
Collaborating with influencers in the same niche as your product or service exposes you to people already interested in your product.
So, getting the influencers to talk about it and promote it will legitimize your brand as people trust influencers that have shown expertise in their respective niches.
Expand Your User Base
When the YouTube influencer’s audience gets exposed to your product/service, people will be more interested in your product.
Sometimes, when they take specific action directed by the influencer as a “call to action,” you will see a noticeable bump in interest.
This way, the audience can become lifelong customers of your brand or product if you keep them satisfied with excellent customer service and user experience.
Increase Your Numbers
It doesn’t just affect the subscribers/followers of the influencer. It works like a ripple effect because every audience member/follower has friends and family that could increase your sales if they’re satisfied with your product.
If done right, as your audience base increases and you reach more people, there will also be a corresponding increase in your sales numbers, ROI, and overall revenue.
It can make you scale past your competitors and reach new heights. Influencer marketing has proven effective as businesses make $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
How Much Does YouTube Influencer Marketing Cost?
The cost of influencer marketing on YouTube is more expensive than on other platforms. The pay is primarily based on the number of followers a user has, but other considerations may come into play.
Their rates are usually categorized as below.
- Nano-influencers: $20-$200 per video
- Micro-influencers: $200 — $1000 per video
- Mid-tier influencers: $1,000 — $10,000 per video
- Macro-influencers: $10,000 — $20,000 per video
- Mega-influencers: Over $20,000 per video
We will explain the difference between all of the categories when discussing the factors that affect YouTube influencer marketing cost. Also, these aren’t flat rates as some other factors you could consider, including video views, or some others use just that for pricing tiers.
Charges per view can usually be around $50-$100 for every 1000 views. Charging per view is a performance-driven approach as more subscribers don’t always equal views for your campaign. Charging per view is also subject to the number of subscribers and their most recent video view stats.
These costs aren’t standard as they could vary greatly depending on the situation.
Factors Affecting YouTuber Influencer Marketing Cost
YouTube influencer marketing cost could differ vastly based on many factors, which include:
Reach of the Influencer
This usually describes the number of people the influencer has access to on their platform. For YouTube, this is based on the number of subscribers on their channel. Usually, the higher their subscriber count, the higher their rates. You can usually group them by their number of subscribers as:
- Nano-influencers: 1000–5,000 subscribers
- Micro-influencers: 5,000–100,000 subscribers
- Macro-Influencers: 100,000–1,000,000 subscribers
- Mega-Influencers: Over 1,000,000 subscribers
For more information on identifying influencers in different categories, take a look at our post that discusses how many followers to become an Influencer.
Industry or Niche
You would be looking for an influencer specializing in your industry or niche as their audience is the most likely to be interested in what you have to sell. The most popular niches on YouTube, such as fitness and beauty, will have more influencers in the space.
This puts a premium on other niches with fewer available influencers as you don’t have many options. The niches with a few influencers in the space will hold a considerable audience share than those in popular niches.
Usage Right
Depending on the type of content you’re asking an influencer to create, you might want to repurpose it to suit your needs sometime in the future. This is one of the critical details of YouTube influencer marketing that many people fail to cover before starting a campaign.
Be sure to have a discussion with them about that to avoid usage rights troubles in the future. Many influencers will typically charge more for content that you plan to reuse.
Engagement Rate
About 51% of YouTube users visit the platform daily, but more than just visiting, engagement is necessary. Engagement rate refers to how an influencer’s audience reacts to their content and usually a discussion or back and forth based on posted content.
This is a critical aspect of determining the price for an influencer, and you would typically check the metrics for organic content against sponsored content. You will be wrong to assume that influencers with higher subscribers or follower count will have better engagement, but the reverse is usually the case.
Exclusivity
It is not uncommon for competitors in the same industry to use the same influencer for their products. Since they make money from promoting different businesses, this is a possibility, especially if they’re one of the most sought-after in their niche or their niche isn’t as popular as others.
You can ask the influencer to sign a non-compete agreement in their influencer contract to prevent them from promoting another competitor for the stipulated time. Of course, this comes at a hefty price since you are asking them to forfeit their other sources of income.
Type of Content
The type or form of content you’re asking the social media influencer YouTube to create will also influence the pricing. They will typically charge based on the resources, time, skill, and energy they need to spend on what you’re asking.
Influencers will also consider how much content, length of videos, and if you’ll be providing any resources to help them. If you’re asking for ongoing and seasonal campaigns, you should be ready to spend premium cash. We’re going to discuss types of content for YouTube influencer marketing in detail below.
Tools, Samples, and Miscellaneous
Other costs that you will have to pay for include deploying third-party tools and the man-hours put into setting the campaign in motion. Depending on your product or service, you should include the amount spent on gift vouchers, product samples, and the samples you give to the influencers to make their video.
Some YouTube marketing tools can be very expensive. It’s worse when they also don’t produce the quality you need for your campaigns.
Save cost by taking a look at our top 10 list of affordable YouTube marketing software. You can purchase them yourself or recommend the page to the influencer you hire.
Finally, make sure to document any additional costs you spend related to the YouTube influencer marketing campaign.
Types of YouTube Influencer Marketing Campaigns (With Examples)
Check out the types of influencer marketing campaigns on YouTube:
Product Placements
This is an excellent way to showcase your product or service in an influencer’s video. Typically, you will have a particular section of the video dedicated to showcasing your product or brand. It is also called an ad spot, and this period could be 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 10 minutes depending on your agreement with the influencer.
They’re similar to a commercial that might come at the beginning or the end of a video. This helps paint the product in a favorable light and leverage the trust the YouTuber has built with their audience.
Check out this MrWhosetheboss video where he reviews a phone and then talks about Surfshark at the last minute of the video as an example of product placement.
As we’ve explained, he dedicated a portion of his video to talking about a particular product.
Unboxing Video
This is usually applicable if you produce a product rather than a service. There are many unboxing YouTube influencer marketing examples of unboxing videos. It is one of the most effective marketing strategies for tech products, particularly phones, tablets, or other gadgets. In the video, the YouTuber will unpack the product from its box and use it for a short while.
The YouTuber will generally explore its features or give tutorials on how to assemble or use the product. The review also extends to any accessories or parts of the item in the box. These are some of the most viewed videos on YouTube, and some influencers such as Unbox Therapy have made a niche from this video category.
Check out this PlayStation unboxing video by MKBHD, where he starts with a sealed box before examining the contents.
Product Reviews
These follow a similar format to unboxing videos, except the YouTuber might not necessarily unpack the product. A YouTuber will typically dedicate the entire video to a product covering everything you need to know about it. Typically, this also involves using the product and showing its capabilities describing its features thoroughly.
In making these types of videos, clear expectations are required to forge a close partnership with the influencer and brand, making the process easier. Since these YouTubers typically have niche expertise, a brand or product they speak for will naturally impact the target audience.
Check out this review of an electric car which covers all the essential details with an attention-grabbing title.
Contests and Giveaways
This is one of the best ways to reach new customers and attract them to your brand. Make collaborations with a YouTube influencer to make a content video highlighting your brand and a promotional event. You can suggest that the YouTuber gives you ideas on kickstarting the campaigns or check successful giveaway examples on YouTube to see how others did it.
A way to make the contest all the more beneficial is routing your audience to your website so they can put their emails to partake in the competition or subscribe to both you and the influencer’s channel.
Use custom URLs to track the campaigns to follow performance and make it easy for you to sift through entries. In this unboxing video by Unbox Therapy, he is talking about a giveaway where subscribers can win the phone by dropping their Twitter handles.
Product Launches
Many wrongly assume that YouTube influencer marketing is only for existing products that have passed the launching phase. An overwhelming percentage of product launches fail — up to 80%. You can collaborate with YouTube influencer marketers to make sure yours isn’t part of the failures.
Collaborating with a YouTube influencer can go a long way in making your product launch successful. Influencers can post trailers, coming soon videos to create anticipation and give subscribers an exclusive look at the product before general launch when it hits the markets.
Another way to do this is by asking the influencer to create a promo video of the product where they use and praise the product. Digital launch parties with free invites for some subscribers can also increase the buzz of your product and make it more interesting.
This live launch of GoPro had some nice shots that showcased the best features of their product.
As you’ve noticed from some of the links above, many of these videos usually include more than one type of influencer marketing strategy. A YouTuber can often use one video to talk about two different products in different niches and might even benefit from themselves.
Tips to Get the Best Out of Your YouTube Influencer Marketing Campaigns
Check out some of YouTube influencer marketing best practices to get the best out of your campaigns.
Set Clear Objectives for Your Campaign
Document every part of your campaign with the influencer as it progresses, and you should start with what you set out to achieve. YouTube influencer marketing isn’t that far off from traditional marketing, and you should be able to keep track of your results. All of your documentation should include the type of campaign you want, influencers, and the KPIs you are most concerned about.
Every brand should establish their campaign goals clearly with their influencers and discuss every possible detail down to the letter. Also, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be open to ideas, as the influencer will most likely have some on how best to organize the campaign. Your goals will tell on every video that is part of the campaign and will also play a role in your choice of influencers.
Engage with The Influencer’s Subscribers
It isn’t just enough that you engage your influencer and start a YouTube influencer marketing campaign. You can get off the sidelines and also be involved in the process. This way, you stand a greater chance of converting the subscribers to the influencer’s channel. This is more important if you’re after the top-of-the-sales funnel and you’re trying to make sales from the bottom.
You can engage the viewers with conversations or look for any questions viewers may have. The best place to do this is the comment section below the videos. A lot of subscribers will share their thoughts and ask questions there. Try as much as possible to answer all the questions there regardless of how awkward they are. Checking the comment section also gives you an idea of the perception of the campaign and product as a whole.
Don’t Micro-Manage Your Influencer.
YouTube influencers are typically experts in their fields and know how to use marketing to grab attention. That is why they have a large following. So, it is essential not to have too much control over the campaign processes and methods used. You have to trust that they’re capable of delivering since their subscribers come to YouTube to watch the influencer’s videos and not yours.
Give them the freedom to do what they do best, and they’ll be able to curate content you like. This is why it is usually a bad idea to pay influencers to share your already established television commercials. It will be unliked online and might hurt the influencer’s credibility with their followers.
Let them run the channels as they deem fit and be in charge of the creative aspects. You should only work as collaborators with them during campaigns. They are skilled in making engaging content, and statistics show that a visit to YouTube on mobile lasts over 40 minutes.
Pay Your Influencers Appropriately
Just as you wouldn’t expect a traditional television station to advertise your products for free, you shouldn’t expect YouTube influencers to do the same. It can be disheartening and demotivating when you don’t want to pay a YouTube influencer their worth and, as such, not get their best performance. When planning your budgets for your product, you should remember to include influencer marketing just as you would for other marketing efforts.
Even if you are a small business without a sizable marketing budget, you should focus on smaller influencers with a smaller reach than you can afford. You would rack up more influencer marketing costs when you use mega-influencers and celebrities rather than micro-influencers. Some influencer marketing platforms can help in this regard by giving an indication of rates you should expect.
Choose the Right Influencer
Selecting the appropriate influencer to handle your influencer marketing campaign is a critical component of success. There are many influencers in your niche, and it can become challenging to know who is the best option.
Combining this with all of the other tips above will help you master how to use YouTube for influencer marketing in no time. We have covered choosing the right influencer in the next section as we dive into all you need to know about choosing the right influencer.
How to Choose the Right YouTube Influencer
Check below to learn how to choose the appropriate YouTube influencer for your brand campaigns and adverts.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a YouTube Influencer
There are some key details you have to consider before selecting a YouTube influencer, including:
Budget
Your budget for YouTube influencer marketing essentially decides which influencers you’ll be able to work with, the integration you can use, and how many influencers will be part of your campaign. Depending on your campaign, you might want to split up your budget for several micro-influencers or use just one mega-influencer for your campaign.
Even though there are typically no standardized rates in the influencer marketing industry, you can use your influencer metrics, campaign structure, and goals to determine how much you want to pay and use it to choose your influencers. Some of the wealthiest YouTube influencers have their earnings in tens of millions, and these are usually the most popular in their niche.
Content
There are different types of influencers on YouTube, each with a different content creation method. This is one of the details you should consider before selecting an influencer for your brand.
Critical factors like audio and visual quality, consistency, category, and tone are key metrics you should watch for in Influencer YouTube marketing.
This is why selecting an influencer should never be a rash decision; take time to observe them and get all the information you need. You should go after influencers with consistency, high quality, focus, and values that align with your image and goals.
Audience
Influencer marketing efforts should be targeted, and part of achieving that is knowing who you want to reach. YouTube influencers are experts in understanding their audience and determining the best way to get them.
Partnering with influencers to communicate with their audience about your services, products, brands, and relevant experiences makes the message more effective.
So, if you are producing a kitchen utensil, it will make sense to target food influencers and blogs. Other metrics in determining your audience include age range, country, employment status, etc.
Brand Affinity
Many influencers already talk about the products and services they use to their subscribers. Before selecting, you can do quick research to find out if any influencers are already talking about your product or service organically.
Working with influencers that already have a natural affinity for your product or service will be authentic to their audiences, and it is also easier to collaborate with those influencers. It isn’t only influencers that talk about a product’s benefits that can be a partner.
Those who speak of its flaws or competitors’ products are options because they have an audience already interested.
Reputation
Like public figures in the world, influencers also have reputations and images that their audience and the rest of the world see. Some are known to be experts in their fields, some creative wunderkinds, and others are tastemakers.
An influencer’s reputation can work favorably for your brand as long as it is positive and aligns with your ideals. Expert influencers can position your brand as entities their subscribers can trust, and cool influencers can pass that over to the brands they collaborate with.
Brand Safety
There is increased attention on brand safety as a result of YouTube’s ad controversy. Many brands had ads run on objectionable videos that had hate speech and less than acceptable conduct. Brands associated with this type of content gave the impression that the brands condoned that type of content.
There were many YouTube influencer marketing examples of videos in a bad light that the brand had to take down because of controversies. So, it would be best if you chose influencers after observing their opinions, personalities, and even day-to-day lives. This is to avoid any potential or past impropriety that might lead to controversy and a bad image.
Best Methods to Find Influencers to Market Your Products on YouTube
There are many ways to find YouTube influencers to market your product or service. Here are some of the best ways:
Search Engines
This will probably be many people’s choices and the most familiar way to find YouTube influencers. You can use Google or YouTube’s search bar to find some great options. Type in your industry + YouTuber and sift through the results produced.
Google might even give you a link with a ranking or list of influencers where you can make your choice based on your metrics. Most searches will produce the more prominent names in the industry that will most likely cost a lot of money. If you’re working with a small budget, narrow the search to sub-niches that will turn up lesser-known influencers.
Trending Tab
One of the quickest ways to find the top YouTube content creators is from the trending tab. You can check this by logging into YouTube and clicking on the “Trending” tab on the left side of the screen. It will show you the top trending videos at that particular time. You can narrow your search by typing in keywords specific to your niche or business in the search bar. You can check the channels that show from the results and get deeper insights into them. Also, you should know that a trending video today does not mean it will be the next day, and one trending video does not make an influencer. You can also filter this by country as YouTube is localized in over 100 countries, making it easier to specify your target.
Leverage Networks
It isn’t uncommon for YouTube influencers to collaborate with themselves and feature in each other’s content. Many times, they usually operate in the same or affiliate niches and industries.
If you have picked up interest in any influencer or already have a working relationship with one, you can review their past videos to find any featured influencers.
You can also contact them and ask directly for referrals, and some will share their network contacts with you, especially if you have a long-standing relationship with them.
Influencer-Search Platforms
There are some platforms specifically built for finding influencers or can at least help you in your search. An example is Famebit that allows businesses to easily search for YouTubers in their niche open to collaborations and reach out to them with the platform.
You can find big names and micro-influencers relevant to your brand on a YouTube influencer marketing platform like Famebit and others. You can also use freelancing sites like Fiverr under the influencer marketers’ category or hire someone to help you find YouTube influencers.
Hashtags
Hashtags are a great resource to help you find whatever you’re looking for on any social media platform, and that applies to YouTube too. Keying in hashtags relevant to your brand or industry on YouTube can lead you to influencers in that space. If the hashtags lead you to a particular influencer, chances are they already have an audience that will be interested in your product or service. The influencers that pop up with the hashtags are great options because it means they’re already talking about things relevant to your business.
How to Interview a YouTube Influencer
After finding an appropriate social media influencer YouTube, you might need to interview them before closing the deal. In many ways, they are interviewing you just as much as you are interviewing them, and your conduct can make them agree to collaborate with you or decline. Check below for tips on interviewing a YouTube influencer and vital questions you might need to ask them.
Tips For Interviewing a YouTube Influencer
- Find the right environment to conduct the interview — in person or over the phone/computer.
- Keep the audience engaged throughout the interview process
- Write out and vet your interview questions in advance
- Don’t rush through the questions because of limited time
- Avoid arguing with the influencer even if you disagree with their facts or any details
Vital Questions to Ask a YouTube Influencer
- What is your inspiration for becoming a YouTuber?
- What would you like to tell your subscribers?
- In your opinion, what content works best on YouTube?
- What videos are upcoming on your channel?
- Do you have a tattoo?
- Are you a more mathematical or artistic person?
- What would you do if you weren’t a YouTuber?
- How do you react to negative comments on your videos?
- Tell me some of your craziest YouTube moments.
- Describe your YouTube channel and personal brand.
- What changes do you see happening in influencer marketing in the future?
- Have you always been an entertainer, or did you transition as your channel got popular?
Frequently Asked Questions About YouTube Influencer Marketing
Here are some of the most common questions on people’s minds when they hear about YouTube influencer marketing.
Is YouTube Influencer Marketing Effective?
Yes, YouTube influencer marketing is an effective method for your campaigns. YouTube influencers are more important and have a lot of reach today more than ever, partly due to the increase of videos online. With over 2 billion active users monthly, it has an extensive reach, and using it to your advantage is beneficial to your brand. More people have access to robust devices and internet connections, making it easier to access videos and watch online. Using YouTube influencer marketing gives marketers access to one of the biggest online audiences through hosts that viewers trust.
How Much Should I Pay a YouTube Influencer?
Many factors determine how much you should pay a YouTube influencer. They include the type of promotion/campaign, level of the influencer, content expectations, etc. There is no laid-down structure to how much to pay influencers as many of them make their rates. It usually depends on how you can negotiate with the YouTuber; remember to stick to your budget. We’ve covered this in-depth in the section above — “How much does influencer marketing cost?”
Is YouTube a Good Platform to Market a Brand and Why?
Yes, YouTube is an excellent platform to market a brand. YouTube has a large audience due to video popularity that many marketers are already leveraging for their brand.
Statistics show that about 55% of marketers use YouTube for marketing, making it the most used video platform. Also, establishing a presence on YouTube ensures you stay competitive with other brands and directly connects you with audiences interested in your product or service.
Can I Market Services on YouTube?
Yes, you can market your services on YouTube. Many wrongly assume that YouTube is only for selling products, which it isn’t. In marketing services, you only have to change the content’s structure, and you can hit the right audience. Regardless of the type of service you deliver, you can market your services to audiences as long as there are YouTube influencers in that niche.
How Do I Approach a YouTube Influencer?
Before approaching a YouTube influencer, you should have gathered enough information and learned as much as possible about them. You should approach them by referencing a specific video you liked or the most recent one they posted. This shows that you’re familiar with their content and instantly creates a form of connection.
You can also subscribe to their channel, so it’s more impactful. If you’re sending an Email, introduce your company/product, what you do, and why they should consider a collaboration with you. Try to prove that you’re not just any brand and highlight what they stand to gain from a partnership with you.
Conclusion
YouTube influencer marketing isn’t going anytime soon, so you might as well use it to get your brand on the map. Its influencers and content creators have editing and video shooting skills that many creators on other social media platforms do not have. It can keep your audiences engaged with professional video content and build an interest in your brand.
Follow this guide to kickstart your campaign and follow the steps carefully. Remember, keeping in line with YouTube influencer marketing best practices can help you develop excellent campaigns that yield results and increase your ROI.
A big part of your campaign is getting the right YouTube influencer, approaching them, and knowing the right questions to ask.