How To Use Influencer Marketing On YouTube
The first step in any influencer marketing strategy is finding the right one for your company. But after connecting with a compatible influencer, many brands struggle to choose the right platform to make the partnership effective and profitable.
This is often because brands only associate influencer marketing with Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. While these social media platforms are great for short-form content, brands should also be considering YouTube for their influencer strategy.
YouTube provides the perfect platform for influencers to take a deep dive into topics, give detailed product reviews, and produce other creative long-form content.
To help brands get started with influencer marketing on YouTube, we have outlined five different types of content below.
Day In The Life Vlogs
One of the easiest, and most natural, ways an influencer can incorporate a product or service is through day in the life vlogs.
These video blogs typically cover the influencer’s entire daily routine or a specific part of the day, such as morning, night, or workout routine. This allows the influencer to give viewers a realistic look at how they incorporate the product or service into their day-to-day life.
While some ad placements can be unbecoming or jarring, subtle product mentions can be weaved organically into the video. Influencers can even place the brand and product in the title of the video so users know what to expect and do not feel broadsided.
If influencers want to be even more upfront with their viewers, they can give a shout out to the sponsor right in the beginning or at the end of the video. This approach is great if the brand wants a dedicated portion of the time in the video.
Regardless of where the influencer mentions the brand, they should provide links to the brand/ product in the description box and at the end of the video. The links will encourage users to learn more about the brand, or even purchase the products and services shown in the vlog.
How-To Videos
Consumers tend to steer clear of products and services if they do not completely understand them. That is why “How-To” videos have become a leading tool in influencer marketing.
For these specific YouTube videos, brands and influencers can work collectively to create evergreen video content. The video should explain to viewers how the product works, describe the product’s key features, and answer frequently asked questions.
In addition to the product demonstration, it is also important for the influencer to share their personal experience with the product or service. Seeing people “just like them” use the products will restore user trust and confidence, and hopefully lead to an increase in sales.
Not only do “How-To” videos help potential consumers, but they also serve to help existing customers. Over the years, YouTube has become the “go-to” platform for consumers with questions or concerns that need to be addressed immediately. All consumers will be able to go back and reference these videos in the event of a problem, issue, or question.
Shopping Hauls
If your brand is looking to create highly effective sponsored content that does not disrupt the overall user experience, we highly recommend shopping haul videos. The purpose of these YouTube videos is for influencers to highlight specific products and services they have recently purchased.
Rather than focusing on a singular product or service, influencers can discuss a variety of items within a specific topic. This prevents the video from coming off as too “salesy” and off-putting to viewers.
As the brand, it is best to confirm with the influencer you are partnering with beforehand to make sure they are not including products from competing companies. For example, if your business sells purses, the influencer should not include purses from other brands. Instead, the influencer could showcase shoes, clothes, and other accessories.
Unboxing Videos
Even before the world went virtual, consumers loved getting products in the mail. There is nothing like the excitement of coming home to see a package waiting for you on your doorstep and rushing inside to open it up.
As a result, unboxing videos and reviews have become an extremely popular type of content on YouTube. They allow users to not only live vicariously through the influencer, but also learn what to expect when they receive their own product in the mail.
The reasons why unboxing videos are so effective and entertaining to watch is because they allow the influencer to be extremely detailed and transparent. The video typically starts with the influencer giving a brief introduction to the brand and sharing their excitement for the product.
Through the unboxing process, the influencer should be describing anything and everything, including the packaging, collateral materials, personalized cards, and anything else that makes the experience unique and special for the consumer.
Once they have taken the product out of its original package, influencers can then walk viewers through the different features and share their honest opinions in real-time.
Overall, unboxing videos serve to show off the full potential of the product, in an effort to reassure consumers that might be hesitant to purchase or encourage interested consumers in the decision-making stage to finally take action.
If you would like more information about how to use influencer marketing on YouTube, need help managing your influencer marketing strategy, or other digital marketing services please contact Pink Dog Digital at (410) 696-3305, email us at info@pinkdogdigital.com or visit us on the web at www.pinkdogdigital.com.