Influencer selection is an art and requires proper due diligence on the part of the marketer. Proprietary algorithms or experience with the particular influencer give brands more assurance than the typical data points of an influencer’s audience size or reach. But, when it comes to selecting YouTube influencers versus others, there are different criteria to look for and some potential red flags.
What criteria are different: With YouTube, everything is what we call “naked.” The views, number of subscribers, etc. are available to anyone who wants to view the data. Compare this to bloggers or other areas where data are hidden.
Set realistic expectations. Marketers often think YouTube is all about going viral. A beauty YouTuber’s views could be in the millions while automotive influencer videos might only be 50,000. Views ranging from 50 to 100,000 for a niche product with a narrow audience can be very impressive and the category should be taken into consideration when considering the number of views for a successful campaign.
On YouTube, the number of subscribers doesn’t equal greater influence or engagement. Having millions of subscribers doesn’t mean the readers are any more engaged. Here’s a perfect example: if a YouTube influencer makes a guest appearance on a show, such as Ellen, the YouTuber will see a surge in subscriber base due to mention, but that doesn’t equate to added engagement.
Look carefully at who is watching. YouTube views and audiences can be skewed due to the number of videos that children, in particular, watch. To combat this, placing YouTube video on long form content, such as a blog, can give a greater assurance that the content is reaching the target audience because children aren’t really reading blogs.
YouTube influencers with children often have great subscribership, but their results might not be as impressive. Be sure to look closely at the audience of parental YouTube influencers. Often, many of the views are from children. Pay attention to the comments to understand the true impact of the content.
Look deep at the YouTuber’s metrics. Don’t stop with just looking at views or watch a few videos and say, “He/she looks great.” Look deeper at:
- the engagement rate (number of subscribers vs. engagement)
- the total engagement, including up and down thumbs and comments
- the view rate/how long are people watching
- the total number of views
There are several tools you can use to get the information. The TubeBuddy browser extension is great for uncovering the engagement ratio, how many subscribers per video, view time, and more. Also, look at VidIQ and Social Blade for specific metrics.
Dig deeper beyond metrics with any YouTuber selection. The homework may be time-consuming but it will be worth it in the long run if you look at:
- demographics
- competitor brands
- negative content
- tone of influencer
- the video lighting and staging
- the sound quality
- storytelling capabilities
And last, be sure to work with YouTubers or companies that know the FTC disclosure rules. A survey of our community found 27 percent rely on the companies they work with to tell them the rules on disclosures. YouTube disclosures need to be clear, conspicuous AND visual and audible. Audio disclosure statements must be delivered at a speed, volume, and cadence sufficient for ordinary consumers to easily hear and understand. Disclosures should be near the beginning where they can’t be missed, and where it will be heard before the content is viewed or heard.