Hello, I'm Jessica Kellgren-Fozard.
Today I'm going to talk about YouTube Channel Memberships
and how I've made it work for my channel.
Thanks to YouTube for sponsoring this video.
It's allowed me to talk about my experience with Channel Memberships
and give me the opportunity to help each of you grow your footprint on this platform.
WHAT ARE CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS?
Channel Memberships is a YouTube feature that not only enables a new way to earn money
but also brings communities closer together.
It works like an old-fashioned fan club
allowing super-fans access to extra content
and a closer relationship with their favorite creator.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS?
I was really surprised at how beneficial Channel Memberships has been for my platform.
I was worried what it would do to the relationship with my audience
to ask for money directly
especially when they're not getting something physical like merch.
But it's actually been a really great opportunity
to forge a much more personal relationship with some subscribers
the way I used to do when my channel was much smaller.
Financially, it's made a huge difference to my life.
Having my bills and mortgage covered purely by Memberships earnings
means I can relax slightly
and invest more time into producing better content
both for members and for regular viewers.
Channel Memberships is also a way
to have a closer relationship with your channel's community.
They will be the people who comment on every video
and champion you across the web.
Because now you have the time and space to get closer to them.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS?
I was very keen from the start on using Channel Memberships as a special club
with its own logo and branding.
The Kellgren-Fozard Club.
With a graphic designer friend
I created personalized emojis and badges for my Clubbies.
I created my first piece of members-only content
before going live with my announcement video
to make sure there was something for new members to watch straight away.
The announcement video itself was very simple
Just talking directly to my audience and mentioning memberships frequently
helped them understand what they could expect if they joined.
And I had a lot of sign-ups very quickly
which I attribute to being really clear in communicating Channel Memberships
through announcements in my regular content.
Even people who couldn't sign up because
they're in a country that didn't have Channel Memberships
or they didn't have the money
were really helpful in promoting the feature to my other subscribers.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE STARTING OUT WITH CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS?
My key piece of advice would be
to look at Channel Memberships from a paying member's point of view.
Think about what you would love to get from your own favorite creator or musician
and work out how you can give that back to your audience.
HOW TO PROMOTE CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS TO YOUR VIEWERS?
Over time, I started bringing memberships into the conversation in my channel
I started adding sizzle reels for members-only content to end screens
and linking to members-only content off platform
which helped make non-members aware of the option.
HOW TO GROW WITH CHANNEL MEMBERSHIPS?
My team of members, The Kellgren-Fozard Club, has steadily grown since I started.
The most impactful thing driving new members has just been the Clubbies themselves.
A lot of them reply to people's comments and videos
with details they learned in a behind-the-scenes episode
or tweet about how they enjoy being in the Club.
Which obviously then drives up interest.
The monthly members-only videos have been incredibly helpful
as a place for me to develop content ideas, try new types of filming
and get feedback from a really engaged section of my audience.
My Clubbies are a great focus group, too.
They help me decide on topics for videos or choose between two potential thumbnails.
So having members has improved my regular content as well.
Overall, I think that Channel Membership has been great for my fans
great for the channel community
and great for me, both creatively and financially.
What I would stress is that
every bit of time you spend planning membership perks up front
pays off in spades once you're up and running and new members are joining
and you're improving the content you're putting out
and finding a stronger connection with your fans.
Channel Memberships has become an integral part of what I do as a YouTube Creator.