You likely already understand the power that YouTube can have as a marketing tool for businesses. But some people have also been able to actually build entire businesses around the platform.
And it isn’t just the big name YouTube personalities either.
There’s a growing community of lesser-known YouTubers that are finding ways to work with brands and build financially successful businesses just by posting YouTube videos. DayLynn Contreras is one of those YouTubers. She runs the channel Jelly and Day with her fiancé, Angelica Perez. The channel has just more than 100,000 subscribers and features videos about different products that the couple uses on a daily basis.
Until recently, the channel didn’t bring in much money. But when Contreras and Perez discovered FameBit, a platform that connects brands with YouTube creators, that all changed.
The platform launched in May 2014 and works with more than 1,000 brands including big names like Adidas and L’Oreal, and even small ones like DogVacay. On the YouTube side, FameBit says there are about 8,000 YouTube creators that have signed up for the service.
For example, here musician Chad Neidt follows a mashup of songs by rock band Queen with an endorsement for Bohemian Guitars:
Those creators get paid a minimum of $100 to upwards of $20,000 for working with brands to develop video content. Each one can bid on campaigns to work with various brands. Some videos might be devoted to one brand or product. And other channels, including Jelly and Day, sometimes create videos that feature many different products. YouTube creators can price their bids accordingly.
Cassandra Bankson of the YouTube channel DiamondsAndHeels14 is another video creator who has taken advantage of the FameBit platform. A beauty-centric channel, DiamondsAndHeels14 features products from brands such as Redken. And Bankson often demonstrates and gives her personal take on the products, as well as speaking directly with brand representatives.
Musician Brandon Skeie also uses the platform to fund his musical career. Most of the videos on his channel feature his musical performances. But a few personal and product related videos are mixed in. This allows him to show a different side to his subscribers, and also make some extra money at the same time.
Fashion channel URBANOG also uses the platform to work with various fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. The channel offers content such as different ways to wear a leather jacket. So it naturally lends itself to featuring fashion items from specific brands.
For the brands that work with FameBit, the benefit is increased reach to real people who research products on YouTube. And by focusing on mid-range YouTube channels, those brands can work with more than just one channel for a reasonable amount of money. FameBit co-founder Agnes Kozera told CNN:
“You hit that same reach and you have a lot more content. [While] it’s awesome to have that one viral video with a giant star — it can be a hit or miss.”
Images: Jelly and Day, DiamondsAndHeels14, Brandon Skeie, URBANOG
Aira Bongco
And it is not just on Youtube but on other social media channels as well. I guess it has something to do with people looking for an inspiration and they are willing to pay for anyone who will inspire them.
Annie Pilon
That’s definitely true. It’s a concept that people use on a lot of different platforms, but it’s just really taking hold on YouTube. So it’s cool to see!