Influencer Marketing Means Ripping Up The Rulebook

The world of YouTube can be a bizarre place for the uninitiated. Where teenagers narrate video games, amatuer sports-fans share their most extreme adventures and we can learn about anything, from niche academic subjects to the most mundane of household tasks.

The creators of these films are growing rapidly in number and influence. In 2013, there were less than 15,000 YouTube creators with over 30k subscribers. In 2016 that figure rose to 34,000, and, by our reckoning, if that growth continues there will be 74,000 in 2019.

Of course, it hasn’t taken long for brands to engage with them, and over recent years we’ve seen a surge in ‘influencer marketing’. The market is ripe but it’s an opportunity that has yet to be grasped in full and it has become a minefield for the brands and agencies that want to work with them.

The main challenge is that we are still trying to apply an existing knowledge of working with media to working with YouTube influencers but it doesn’t add up. In this world, neither a little black book of contacts nor an eye-watering budget will guarantee success. There’s poor understanding of what leads to success. It’s about understanding the relationships creators have with their audiences - why over 800,000 people subscribe to watch Anna Saccone' 'hauls', i.e. unpacking her latest fashion purchases. 

YouTube’s magic is in its wealth of niche content, meaning that audiences are incredibly targeted so it doesn’t necessarily equate that the more subscribers someone has the better the collaboration with your brand. We built Peg as a search tool to help brands discover and understand creators better, encouraging valuable collaborations.

YouTube creators have spent years building a brand of their own and a dedicated following. And whilst they’re savvy enough to know their commercial value, their core focus is creating valuable content for their audience. They know their audience better than anyone else, and therefore should be a part of the creative process. There are no set rules to making a campaign successful. But this is the time to learn, and take inspiration from those who have done it well.

One collaboration that's worked really well was between Jacksgap and Skype, where globe-trotting vlogger Jack Harries documents how a charity in Bagamoyo, Tanzania is trying to support the local economy, infrastructure, and education system, with Skype deeply embedded in the story.

The videos were stunning and had excellent production values but it was what I like to call a ‘win, win, win’ scenario. In this case Jack gets the opportunity to do something he's always wanted to but never been able to - produce high quality documentaries - the audience receive great quality, meaningful content without it feeling like an advert, and Skype get an incredible integration into a very successful series of videos.

So what does it take to be successful? We’re all still learning but we know that the people holding the power are the creators. So the most successful campaigns are led by brands who give them something of value, who take them seriously and spend time understanding their world. This isn’t about buying airtime, it’s about creative collaboration and that’s what it takes to win.