- Hey guys, I'm Will. - And I'm Lauren.
And today, we're gonna be talking about branded content
and how it can help your channel.
And the secret is that brands really wanna work with you.
Exactly, yeah, you have your audience's attention for a reason
and brands really wanna work with that.
For me, branded content is about working with a brand to create something
that's already right in my wheelhouse.
For a lot of creators, this is their full-time job
so it offers a way to have that extra security, knowing that you will
be able to hit those bills this month.
It really depends on the brand and what they're asking from you
and where you are, from like beginning to end
you are making something that is tailored towards the brand.
There are different types of integrations and sponsorships right, so
I would typically separate it into kind of like a shout-out, short integration
or like a dedicated video.
There are the typical, like at the beginning of the video
This video is sponsored by Classic Specs and it is time for your homeboy to try on
some new glasses.
You hit a couple of talking points that the brand has outlined
The try on at home kit is free. So there's free returns
- Yeah - Free shipping
But then there are others that are maybe a little bit more involved, maybe it's some
kind of food recipe that you have to prepare, and then that's a lot of work too because
that's a set-up, that's cooking, that's fire, so
- And I do DIY craft tutorials sometimes - Right
And I also do more topical video blogs where I have a discussion about a specific topic
and so sometimes brands will approach me to make a craft using one of their supplies and
that's such a natural integration, because that's something I would be doing anyway
without their help.
I made a craft tutorial with Syfy Channel, it's a holiday Stranger Things scarf
Sometimes they will send me an idea for a topic that I can have a discussion about
and I really like those, because it doesn't just stop with me, I usually end those videos
with a question, and then the audience can have
- their input on the topic that I talked about. - Oh it's nice, yeah
- It has to be natural. - Yeah.
If my audience knows that I'm just reading off of a script that a brand handed me
- They're gonna pick up on it, yeah. - Exactly, but if I'm using a product
and I'm enjoying using the product and I am reacting to it in a like
- Authentic, yeah. - Authentic way, then people are gonna
automatically wanna go out and buy that thing, I don't have to say "go out and buy the thing."
How big where you when you first did your first sponsored content?
- I think I maybe had 7,000 subscribers - Wow
I have about ten times as many now, and so it's definitely not something
that you need to wait
- until you're super huge to do. - Of course.
In some ways, I feel like it's almost
more valuable for those smaller creators to be representing brands
because people listen to smaller creators
- Yes. - maybe even a little bit more.
Exactly, but there's the niche that is surrounding a channel, and this feels
like the audience is part of some kind of exclusive club
and that's what brands should be excited about, they should be excited about
engaging with that authentic excitement.
I think initially, I was a little bit afraid to do a sponsorship, because I wasn't sure
- if my audience would react badly. - Mm-hm.
I was nervous somebody would call me a sell-out.
Right, you have to be super up-front with those disclosures, I think it creates the idea
with your audience that this is a brand that's supporting me
I wanna let you guys know that they're supporting me
I'm happy to support them on my channel
and everyone's happy.
Part of being able to do that has a lot to do with whether or not
a brand really fits well with you, if it's something that you love already
or something that you maybe were excited to find out about, it can
be a better situation for your audience as well because they can even benefit from it.
They get excited for me when I get sponsorships now, because
they know that it will get me a little bit farther and I can make them
a little bit more content.
The value that I can bring to my audience, for example, if I do a deal and I have
a special promo code or a coupon code, it makes me more excited about doing
the branded deal, because it's something that they couldn't have gotten anywhere else.
Another part of doing branded content is obviously the money
it's all about partnership, it's about me creating content
that an audience is excited about and a brand realising that, rather than
"Hey, you have the numbers, let's change what you do to create an advertisement
for our app or something."
I do think that you end up creating something better in the long run
if the brand is willing to negotiate with you over what the content is.
Right, allow me to be who I am because that's why people are watching me.
Thanks so much for watching, be sure to like and subscribe
to the Creator Academy channel.
And check out part 2, where we discuss how to find and land brand deals.