Imagine, as a new creator on YouTube, collaborating with any of the platform’s biggest names? It can amplify your channel’s growth infinitely, bringing you wider reach and engagement.
Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But here’s the biggest problem: Why would a big YouTube influencer collaborate with someone new?
Casey Neistat, for example, is unlikely to work with a creator who has just a few thousand subscribers. Sean Evans of ‘First We Feast’ is unlikely to invite a new YouTube creator. MBKHD won’t team up with someone on YouTube who isn’t established on the platform.
The point is there are no definite reasons why big YouTube influencers would want to collaborate with a small/new creator.
But that said, this isn’t to say the task is impossible. This is where being smart and strategic can come into play for new creators or business owners. A clearly defined outreach strategy that is built on smart steps can convince even the top YouTube influencers to collaborate with you.
Here are four practical tips:
- Start small and then climb up the ladder
Big things don’t happen magically. It is a process that becomes a reality in a gradual manner.
This means if you want to collaborate with the biggest YouTube influencers, you will have to wait! You will have to start small and gradually build your way to the top where those influencers would want to engage with you.
So, as a first step, instead of reaching out to influencers with ten million subscribers, reach out to those who have a few thousands subscribers. From there, collaborate with influencers in the next tier; those who have a slightly bigger reach than the previous one.
Such a process is more practical and realistic!
- Engage with them on social platforms
Don’t DM them, asking for collaboration. Instead, connect with them in a more organic way that doesn’t make you look desperate, or doesn’t reveal your real agenda.
Leave comments under their Instagram pics; respond to their tweets.
Make sure your communication is striking for them so that they remember you.
Keep doing this! After a point, they will come to know you. This is when you can pitch your idea of collaboration. But again, make this all look organic. And, most importantly, don’t rush through this; it will take time.
- Figure out how you can bring them value
At the end of the day, for everyone, everything comes down to “what am I getting in return”. And this is true even for the big YouTube influencers you want to collaborate with.
So, it’s essential you think from this perspective; what will they get out of this engagement?
Yes, you may not have a large audience but you can still give them a lot of value. Maybe you have a Brazilian audience base that this influencer might be looking to capitalize on? Maybe you have an email newsletter with thousands of people who can promote this influencer’s products to?
Again, there are many things you can do for your potential collaborator. Find out why and deliver them high value for their time and effort!
- Be persistent (without being annoying)
Many of the big names won’t say “yes” the first time; especially if you haven’t built a strong brand value.
The key here is to be persistent in your outreach efforts – but without being annoying or invasive.
Every once in a while, after building an initial identity on social platforms – you can send them a polite email and/or message. Explain to them your plan for collaboration and why they should engage; be as brief as possible.
After a point, owing to your persistence, many YouTube influencers may agree to your proposition.
Final words
These are four simple yet powerful tips to outreach big YouTube influencers and convince them to collaborate with you.
Of course, your outreach strategy can include plenty more tactics, like connecting with the people in the network of your target influences.
What’s important to remember is that while it may look like an impossible task, especially if your reach on YouTube isn’t big, you can make it happen with the right approach.
Besides, collaboration is just one of the several ways to grow your brand. From YouTube SEO and YouTube keywords to leveraging third-party solutions, there are many things you can do to grow your YouTube channel.
Vudini is a Google and YouTube certified AI-driven YouTube SEO platform, a growth engine that helps rank your videos on YouTube, Google, and social media platforms three times faster than done manually. Learn more about us here.
