Don’t fool yourself; you also want to get brand deals as soon as possible. In a YouTube career, securing brand deals is the pinnacle of content monetization. Yes, you can earn from ad revenues or selling your merchandise. However, you can put your creativity on YouTube, and brand deals will pay you for it. You have earned your audience using your creativity; now it’s time to capitalise on those efforts.
The blog will discuss what you need to do to make your channel brand-ready, including pitching techniques, industry methodologies, and insights into brand expectations.
By the end of the guide, you will know how to get brand deals on YouTube. So, let’s get straight to the point.
Build a Personal Brand
Start by creating a visual identity for your channel. This will be followed by a strong channel presence, resulting in a personal brand. For example, what channels come to your mind when we talk about YouTube tech review channels? MKBHD (Marques Brownlee), Linus Tech Tips, Unbox Therapy, and Mr. Who’s the Boss. It’s self-evident if any of these came to your mind.
These creators have invested years into making a YouTube career. During those years, they had a clear identity for the channel and its content. The approach made them memorable and trustworthy.
Search engines, AI models, brands, and YouTube frequently mention these channels when discussing technology reviews or tech channels. Develop a YouTube Influencer marketing campaign to acquire a new audience and build a strong connection with existing ones. Fostering an audience from new to old while pleasing brands is what building a personal brand looks like.
Grow a Dedicated Viewership
Creators often think getting millions of views will land them a brand deal. But that’s just half the story. It’s not about viewership, it’s about your influence over the audience. It’s a fact that brands will approach those channels that can increase their sales.
Brands work with channels that have a strong influence. Yes, content is king and needs to have entertainment value. However, you must first form a loyal audience base. For example, increasing your community, membership, engagement rate, views-to-like ratio, etc.
Create your presence on other social media platforms. Why stick only to YouTube? People, not platforms, will value your creativity. Enhance your engagement with the audience through comments, polls, and discussions. Yes, you must create awesome YouTube videos that please the algorithm, but the human connection will be at the core of your success.
Use YouTube Studio to Analyze the Audience
YouTube Studio analytics will provide you with a clear picture of your current standing. The metrics can tell you what you need to work on to secure a brand deal. The metrics include demographics, likes, views, etc. Think of metrics as a check mark, what brands want, and what you must achieve.
The analytics will help you develop a more effective content strategy. In YouTube Studio, you can learn about your viewers, including their age group, location, interests, and more. You can also discover what your audience watches on your channel, how long they engage with your content, and whether your videos are liked, shared, or saved.
Use analytics and feedback to shape your content. Tweak your content for the audience while keeping the targeted brands in mind. These steps help you understand how do YouTubers get brand deals effectively.
How to Pitch for a YouTube Brand Deal
We have seen why a channel needs to evolve into a personal brand, the importance of viewership for brand deals, and the use of Studio analytics to track progress. Now, it’s time to reach out to potential collaborators and learn how to get YouTube brand deals.
Approach brands that align with your channel’s content. Look in your niche specifically. For example, a tech channel or vlogger can contact electronic companies, while a fashion vlogger can contact local fashion brands.
If eligible, use YouTube BrandConnect to form a deal with brands. Update your BrandConnect media kit, including channel stats and performing videos. Brands will be able to better see your potential.
A classic deal technique is to talk about what the other party wants. In this case, it’s your channel strength, your content’s unique selling point (USP), and the audience demographic that brands need.
Your proposal should be realistic, backed by data, and exciting enough to hook attention. You will not get a brand deal based on an outstanding presentation. Build a repo with brands. If you are eligible, use YouTube’s platform to look for the brand’s open call for a campaign.
Reaching Out to Get a Brand Deal on YouTube
It’s no secret that brands receive dozens of proposals. To acquire a deal, you have to build a relationship with them. Network with brands, try to create a repository, attend YouTube creators’ events, and don’t forget the most effective methods, including social DMs and cold emails.
Whether you are sending a cold email, giving a presentation, or sending a social DM. All these approaches share a common factor: the benefit that this partnership would bring.
Tips to reach
- Reach out to advertisers, agents, managers, not the brand.
- Be more personalized, as if you were approaching them directly.
- Build a face-to-face connection
- Attend conferences, events, talks, and exhibitions to interact more
- Yes! YouTubers can have a business card
Get on the Same Page with Brand
It’s not only that the brand wants something from you. A creator should also have some expectations from brands. Chances are, as soon as a brand approaches you, you will be the first to agree to terms. A collaboration must be mutual; you are not working for the brand, but rather collaborating with it.
- See if the brand’s target audience aligns with yours.
- Do you believe in the values of the brand?
- Sponsored video should align with your channel content.
- Whether the paid content is valuable & relevant for your audience.
Aligning with brands can lead to effective promotion, increased audience engagement, and refined content creation.
Negotiate a Brand Contract
You will do better in a negotiation if you know your content capabilities and reach. A personal suggestion would be to consider hiring someone who can negotiate on your behalf. Yes, you might be an individual creator who is doing everything on your own. However, securing a brand deal effectively conveys your ideas, approach, and financial perspective.
Remember these points to get a fair deal:
- Recognize your channel and content value.
- Rely on data; the important ones are view count, engagement, reach, demographics, etc.
- Research the standard sponsorship rate in your niche.
- Don’t undersell yourself; make room for negotiation.
- Ensure your content is copyrighted and protected under intellectual property by you, not brands.
Remember both brands, and you should benefit from the deal.
Get Associated With an Agency
Talent management is now a booming industry. Third-party influencer marketing companies like StreamElements and Agentio collaborate with YouTube BrandConnect. They manage famous creators and influencers and also actively seek brand deals for small YouTubers. They also help them negotiate better contracts and stay relevant in their niche.
- Partnering with an agency can provide you with access to a broad network and offer a range of potential partnerships.
- Negotiate contracts on behalf of the creator.
- Protect creators rights and intellectual property.
- Protection of content usage and creative control against brands.
Getting associated with an agency is a one-time effort. Influencer marketing becomes seamless when you partner with them. In short, they bridge the gap between brands and creators.
Fulfiling Brands Expectations
Getting a brand deal is just the start of the sponsorship journey. You have to deliver what the brand expects from you. This will help you secure future deals.
- Ensure you deliver content on time.
- The content should meet the provided standard quality.
- Be professional even if you have a friendly relationship with advertisers.
- Maintain regular and open communications with advertisers.
- Explain your concerns as soon as possible.
- Provide an update on the content progress.
- Nurture long-term deals for lucrative pricing.
Finally, the more professional and easier you are to work with, the more likely you are to sustain the brand deals.
Bonus Tips
If you are a creator who hasn’t been part of the YouTube partner program, use these tips to get a chance to produce sponsored content.
Approach Solepreneurs and Startups: Not everything has to be a money deal. Barter with them so that both parties benefit. You will learn what it’s like to work with a brand. Along with a sponsored tag on the video, this will let the brands know you understand the sponsorship business. This is a great way for small YouTubers to acquire brand deals.
Highly Professional: When doing cold mailing or DM, be highly professional. Instead of reverting, the goal is not getting into the spam or block list.
Show data, then talk: Pitch with data instead of confidence. Show metrics of performing content and add your highly creative content.
Conclusion
Securing brand deals on YouTube may seem challenging at first. However, a strategic approach can soon provide you with sponsorship opportunities. Begin by establishing a personal brand and cultivating a loyal audience. Host YouTube giveaways to foster a sense of community among your audience. Use analytics to connect with the audience more effectively.
Pitch to brands using the strategies provided in the blog. Leverage the channels to connect with brands and align with their goals without compromising your content’s privacy and values. Take ownership of the creator’s rights and content control.
Finally, learn how to negotiate a brand deal or partner with a talent marketing agency to secure a deal seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How much do you get from brand deals on YouTube?
Earnings range from $500 to $2000, depending on metrics such as average viewership and engagement. You can enter into long-term partnerships or work on a project-by-project basis.
Q2. What are Brand deals on YouTube?
A brand deal is a form of sponsorship agreement between a creator and a brand. In this deal, the brand pays the creator to promote their content to the creator’s audience.
Q3. What brands sponsor YouTubers the most?
Brand sponsorship is based on a niche. For example, learning platforms such as Skillshare or Coursera have sponsored much of YouTube’s content.
Q4. How to get brand deals on YT?
If you are from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada, sign up for YouTube BrandConnect. Then, visit the brand’s website and pitch them using the contact form. You can also connect with advertisers on LinkedIn or use another social platform to broadcast your idea.
Q5. How many subscribers do you need to get a brand deal on YouTube?
There is no magic number. You can secure a brand deal even if you have only 1,000 subscribers. To increase your chances, aim for 10,000 subscribers and strive to become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.