Read This If You Want To Be YouTube Famous
A former YouTube employee unveils the secrets of how to strike it lucky on the platform
I worked for many years at YouTube as a brand strategist, a role where the job is to deeply understand both the business and marketing needs of Google’s top spending advertising clients, and the intricacies of the platform itself. Understanding creators on the platform was part of the remit, as clients often asked what it took to be successful as a YouTuber.
Sure, I always had a selection of answers on hand that satisfied the people I was presenting to, but it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to write Read This if You Want to Be YouTube Famous that I was able to really truly feel like I knew what it took, because I got to ask over 45 successful YouTubers to tell me their secrets directly. I also spoke with six top industry executives to get their take.
The goal with the book, for me, was simple: inspire people to get started on YouTube. YouTube is more complex and requires harder work than, say, Instagram, where posting a photo is easier than making a more polished video. I’d meet people all the time who would tell me they wanted to be a YouTuber. I remember one woman, a nurse, excitedly tell me that she wants to be a YouTuber and when I asked her what she’d make videos about, she said “I’d probably do makeup tutorials like everyone else.” I kept her in mind when writing; someone who has the spark to do something, but needs some direction in order to take the first step in the right direction.
There’s a ton of advice in the book, but I’ve picked what I consider the five most important things to consider if you want to be YouTube famous.
Know that it’s hard work
The resounding message that came through in every person I interviewed was that being a YouTuber is hard work. Coming up with ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing the videos, posting, managing comments, and repeating the process time and time again is no small feat. One interviewee even suggested people start on Instagram first, graduating to YouTube later. The key here is to know what’s involved before getting started, as that’ll help avoid failure. One friend said once “I tried the YouTube thing”…
