YouTube Stars Becoming Brand Ambassadors
As online viewing figures continue to rise, brands and advertisers are looking for new ways to reach their target audience. Their next port of call? YouTube.
getchute.com
YouTube advertising on the whole is nothing new. I’m sure you've all been frustrated by seeing an advert at the start of a video you’re trying to watch, even more infuriating when that advert is longer than the video and won’t let you skip it! (I’m not bitter at all…)
The latest approach, however, puts a different spin on the tried and tested techniques. By collaborating with YouTube stars who have managed to accumulate a large following, brands are hoping to build a rapport with their customer base on a more personal level. The ambassadors are often content creators who focus on independent product reviews, a style that helps them to earn their viewers’ trust, as they will only endorse a product they have themselves tested and liked.
A major factor in why these people have amassed such large following is the genuine and personable feel you get from an independent YouTube star, as compared to a generic TV host. When a major YouTube star such as Zoella (recently appointed digital ambassador for the charity ‘Mind’) advises her viewers to invest in a particular product, they are more often than not taken on their word. They carry with them a certain level of credibility accrued from years of making videos, meaning their audience now are likely to have been following them for a while, and keep coming back because they enjoy, and importantly trust, the content.
thenextweb.com
When selecting a brand ambassador for your own business, getting the right representative is key. Make sure you’re hitting your target market, there’s no point in a make-up company teaming with a cooking channel, to make an obvious example. Once you've found your demographic, aim to find a YouTuber who is passionate about your product. They need to believe in what they’re selling or that edge they gain for being genuine with their audience is lost, and they may lose credibility as a result. Of course, that would be bad news for both your marketing campaign, and the star’s subscribers.
Done right, a brand ambassador can dramatically boost your business, but make sure you know the rules. Oreo recently had a YouTube marketing campaign banned for misleading viewers. The purely promotional videos were not labelled as such, and YouTube decreed that as it was unclear that the videos were paid for they had to be taken down. As long as you follow the guidelines however, a YouTuber on your side can be a big advantage.
By Sam Bonson
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