What’s one thing that all professionals can learn from the success of unlikely brand stars like YouTube celebrities?
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1. Don’t Take the Well-Trodden Path
“I believe that YouTube celebrities don’t feel bound by the norms of an industry. Most have found their own niche by doing things in a very unique way. Generally speaking, professionals try to follow accepted practices and follow well-trodden paths. But YouTube stars show that sometimes being unique and out-of-the-box and finding your own way to do things can be a much quicker path to success.”
Tyler Gallagher, Regal Assets
2. Build Personal Relationships
“YouTube celebrities who share many aspects of their lives with their audience are building personal relationships with their fans. Their fans truly feel like they know the YouTuber because of their openness, even though they’re only watching them on a screen. Professionals can look at this and see how important it is to share more and build personal relationships with their audiences.”
Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
3. Be Consistent and Engaging
“YouTube celebrities know that if they want their audiences to stick around, they have to provide relevant content consistently. Consistency also plays a key role in any professional’s career progression. YouTube celebrities engaging with their target audience and harvesting relationships are other aspects that professionals can incorporate into their lives. Customer retention, after all, is crucial.”
Derek Robinson, Top Notch Dezigns
4. Do What You Love
“Many YouTube celebrities have captivated audiences by enjoying what they do and having fun doing it. Since people gravitate toward others who make their day a little brighter, do what you love, and publicly share it to build your personal brand. Let everyone know you’re in your zone and that it’s the best place ever.”
Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
5. Self-Promote, But Provide Value
“Ultimately, YouTube celebrities and influencers use the notion of “If you build (show) it, they will come.” I think the key to the successful ones is that they do it in a tactful, interesting and insightful way. It’s okay to self-promote as long as you add value in some way and people walk away from it with knowledge or a tidbit that can help them in their daily lives.”
Vincenzo Villamena, Online Taxman, Global Expat Advisors
6. Help Others
“There’s a common theme among a lot of popular YouTube celebrities: their focus on helping others. Whether it’s sharing favorite recipes or business trips or just sharing information in a new way, think of ways that you can add value in your own unique way.”
7. Collaborate With Others
“It’s not always about you. Collaboration and cross promotion are huge with vloggers and podcasters, so look to your own network for opportunities to work together, conduct expert interviews and share with your industry.”
Sam Saxton, Paragon Stairs
8. Be the Best Version of Yourself
“You can jump on YouTube and find thousands of videos about anything. So why are some channels more popular than others? Because the people on those channels are awesome. No matter what their expertise may be in, they have a personality and charisma that attract a crowd both online and off. Practice being your best self no matter where your business is based or what you do, and you will win.”
Jason Criddle, Jason Criddle and Associates
9. Be Authentic
“Following your personal passion and being authentic in who you are as a person or company brand is key. Many people have a celebrity they follow for inspiration, but who we follow largely depends on who we can relate to. Transparency and authenticity help create real, organic followings with die-hard fans.”
Mark Krassner, Expectful
10. Provide Clear Calls to Action
“YouTube celebrities are known for reminding us to subscribe to their pages and “comment down below.” This is because calls to action work. Whether you’re writing a blog post or designing marketing materials, don’t forget to have a clear call to action giving people instructions on the next steps.”
11. Know the Value of Simplicity
“Many YouTube celebrities aren’t doing any fancy editing, camera work or effects with their videos — some of them are even using their smartphones to film themselves. Professionals can take from this the fact that you don’t need to get complicated with video for it to be a success. You can market your business on YouTube too or use video in your marketing. Make it engaging, but keep it simple.”
John Turner, SeedProd LLC
12. Aim for Reach, Relevance and Resonance
“The success of unlikely brand stars like YouTube celebrities can be attributed to three R’s: reach, relevance and resonance. They have the ability to reach out to their target audience and curate content that is relevant and resonates with the people following them.”
Rahul Varshneya, Arkenea
13. Understand the Importance of Audience Loyalty
“When it comes to YouTube stars, the first thing that stands out is just how loyal an audience is to a personal brand vs. a company brand. We can harness personal brand loyalty to help us either stay at our current height or grow to new heights when used properly.”
