Back in 2005 when YouTube first launched and people were questioning the value of putting free content online, establishing any YouTube presence at all was akin to becoming an authority.
People went on YouTube not to sell their products but to show people that they are (or could be) thought leaders in their fields. Nowadays, people go on YouTube to be popular, because as long as you are famous, your success in both endeavors is just about guaranteed.
Check out some of the most effective ways to become popular on YouTube and build a successful business. Learn from the examples of others, and establish yourself as a major influencer sooner rather than later.
Up your social proof
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that influences people to copy what others are doing when they are unsure of the right behavior, attitude or decision. On YouTube, the number of Views you have is an important part of your social proof because the massive amount of Views you have (or the paltry few you’ve garnered) will affect people’s decision to watch or not watch your videos.
Have you ever clicked on a YouTube video simply because it has a million Views and you wanted to know what the fuss is all about? That’s social proof in action.
Try buying YouTube Views to encourage people to watch your videos and to give you more authority online. It’s also the best way to kickstart your YouTube popularity campaign as bought Views will drive organic viewers and subscribers to your channel.
He doesn’t upload every day now, but this prolific YouTuber still makes videos regularly and still gets big sponsorship projects. One of his most recent was a TV commercial for Samsung that was aired during the Oscars Academy Award broadcast.
Post regularly
As with all other social media channels, publishing consistently is a key to having a strong presence on YouTube. If you don’t post regularly, your audience might forget you exist. You also don’t grow your subscribers much when they can’t expect regular updates – why subscribe if you might not see more content any time soon?
People like subscribing to active channels and without a regular posting schedule, your channel might be seen as inactive. Having a schedule will also give your viewers something to look forward to and talk about.
Uploading regularly is how Casey Neistat became as popular as he is today. Casey Neistat used to upload videos every single day for almost two years until he decided he needed a break from daily vlogging in November 2016. When his daily vlogs stopped coming, his legions of fans expressed their hopes and wishes that he’ll go back to uploading videos daily.
Once you’re that popular you can take some time off too, but until then you’ll need to work hard and often.
Be unique
300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute! If you are just starting out and have no solid following just waiting for you to upload a new video, 300 hours every minute is serious competition.
Stand out from the rest by offering something unique to viewers. You don’t have to have a unique niche, although that would help too. Just find a distinct theme that will set you apart and will make viewers want to watch you because of it.
That is how Natalie Tran, an Australian vlogger, hooks her audience to her Community Channel on YouTube. Natalie’s videos are based on her observations, life experiences and hypothetical questions all presented in a hilarious and relatable way, but one thing that sets her channel apart is that her videos are like short movies with her playing all the parts.
Image credit: Community Channel YouTube
Natalie has received wide print and TV coverage in Australia. Aside from her YouTube channel, she now has her own website where she sells shirts printed with phrases she often used on her channel. If your personality game is strong, even your word choice can capture your audience.
Make fun, entertaining, and relevant videos
More and more people prefer to watch YouTube than TV. In fact, Millennials, one of the biggest age demographics on the platform, prefer YouTube to TV. Their reason? YouTube is more entertaining and relevant. Maybe you’d agree?
So aim to make your videos entertaining and relevant to your audience. Thus, it’s important to profile your target audience and know the kind of content they’re looking for on YouTube.
Consider how Jenna Nicole Mourey, better known as Jenna Marbles, keeps her audience interested in her content. Some of her most popular videos include “How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To,” and “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking.” Apparently, these are the topics that connect most with her viewers, and she knows it.
Image credit: JennaMarbles YouTube
She still shoots and edits her videos all by herself but with offers left and right, she now has people to help her professionally manage her ever-growing popularity on YouTube. She has also ventured into selling her own branded dog toys and other items with her famous quotes on them – another example of the power of a strong personality.
Create high-production videos
Some people like Jenna Marbles can certainly get away with low-budget videos. However, it’s always recommended to make high-quality videos. People don’t go to YouTube to watch a blurry video. So, invest in good video recording equipment and learn some video editing skills.
Learn from Ryan Higa‘s videos. Ryan Higa, also known as NigaHiga, is known for his high production-value videos. He may act silly in his videos but they all look professionally made.
Image credit: nigahiga YouTube
This top YouTube star earns more money outside of YouTube but it’s because of the platform that his merchandise, including a mobile app, sells so well, and it’s also the reason behind his endorsement deals, music performances, and appearances. His net worth is estimated at $5 million!
Create a brand
It’s important to create your own recognizable brand when you’re trying to build a name on YouTube. Create consistency in your end cars and thumbnails, or use the same intro/outro music in each video to create a theme.
You don’t have to limit this to YouTube’s features. For instance, Dan TDM, another popular YouTube personality, almost always begins his videos with the words “Hi everyone!” using the same tone. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (aka PewDiePie), the most subscribed YouTube channel, always ends his videos with his fist covering the camera. These little quirks help people to remember you better. Later on, you may even create your own products based on those.
Now, take a look at how FailArmy, a brand on YouTube, creates consistency in their thumbnails.
Image credit: FailArmy
Getting the idea?
Collaborate with others
Find influencers in your field and collaborate with them on a video. If that’s not possible, then tap into the influence of YouTube creators who can work on a collaboration video with you for a fee.
The result of this kind of influence can be illustrated by the way PewDiePie’s mere mention of Jacksepticeye brought him to the attention of many users, later resulting in Jacksepticeye’s spiking popularity.
Another top YouTuber who likes to collaborate is Lilly Singh, also known as Superwoman. She often works with fellow YouTubers and keeps a separate section on her channel for collaborations.
Here, Lilly Singh collaborated with Connor Franta in this short, funny clip.
Remember, you can also kickstart your popularity on YouTube if you buy Views and other signals of engagement. Not only will your Views serve as social proof, you’ll also end up ranking higher on the platform, as well as in Google.
Be authentic
What most of these big YouTube stars have in common is their ability to connect authentically with their viewers. They’re not afraid to show their true selves and their viewers love them for it.
One way for brands to reach their audience while appearing authentic is by having a collaboration mentioned above, where you can converse with someone else and show how you act in a real-time situation. You can also create authentic relationships with your viewers by making sure you give value to your audience consistently, which will go a long way towards building trust. In short, the focus of your videos shouldn’t be your brand but your viewers.
Examine how Dan Howell of Dan is not on Fire connects with his viewers. Dan Howell is another YouTube icon able to build a business because of his popularity on the platform. He now has his own radio show and sells stuff, including his own book, on his website.
Image credit: Daniel Howell
If others can, so can you!
A study of these famous YouTubers will lead you to the quick conclusion that they all share the qualities mentioned here, and use very similar approaches in their YouTube marketing. They also have strong social proof which they’ve built up over time, which makes them even more popular.
Build your own social proof and buy YouTube Views from reputable providers to get you moving along your way. All these tips combined will help you build a successful business, not just on YouTube but everywhere else as well.