YouTube influencers can be a key part of a successful marketing strategy.
Not only can they help promote your brand, but they can increase your audience reach on one of the biggest content platforms out there.
Most importantly, the right influencers are relatable, trustworthy and get your target audience’s attention.
Sounds good. But what about all the hard work it takes to find the right influencer for your brand?
Let’s look at some fast, easy and efficient ways to find your next YouTube influencer.
Why use YouTube influencers?
There are more than two billion active users on YouTube – that’s a huge pool of people to potentially build brand relationships with. And, because of its scope and popularity, YouTube is the second most preferred platform for influencer marketing.
But it’s not just the size of YouTube that makes it such a powerful tool for influencer marketing. Google research shows that influencers on the platform have the same power to guide people’s purchase decisions as celebrities.
So, rather than trying to leverage famous names, brands can tap into the same persuasion through the array of influencers.
Video content always resonates well with audiences. It’s accessible, interactive, and humanizing.
In modern marketing, audiences want brands that represent real people, and so by working with YouTube influencers, you demonstrate that you have value, vouched for by influencers they recognize.
YouTube influencer videos can take many formats but a few popular examples are:
- Unboxing (an influencer opens and uses a product/service for the first time)
- Product reviews (an influencer provides an honest opinion of a product/service)
- Contests (influencers provide brand products/services as prizes in their content)
- Hauls (an influencer rates products/services from different brands)
- Tutorials (products/services appear in steps for influencers’ explainer content)
- Day-in-the-life-of (products/services feature in influencer videos of their daily routines)
What makes a good YouTube influencer?
With 250 million subscribers, MrBeast might be the most popular influencer in the world, but does his core audience align with your brand objectives? And will your budget stretch far enough to work with him?
Don’t dive in and start contacting people right away. Like any element of your marketing strategy, finding the right YouTube influencer requires research.
First, you need to ensure that your influencer has the audience size and reach that you’re looking for. They also need to have a voice that aligns with your brand and messaging, as well as a price that matches your budget.
Once you’ve checked those basic characteristics, delve deeper into their previous content and online presence.
Pay attention to the number of views they get per post, the average number of likes, and links to any other social profiles they may have. You can do this manually or by leveraging influencer marketing tools like Influencer Analytics.
It’s also worthwhile asking yourself a few questions before you reach out to influencers.
- Is there a clear connection between the influencer’s content and my product/service?
- What problems/pain points does the influencer’s audience have that my product/service could solve?
- What values does my brand share with the influencer?
- What would motivate the influencer to collaborate with my brand?
- Would my target audience listen and trust this influencer? Why?
How do I find a YouTube influencer?
You can find YouTube influencers either manually or using specific tools.
Start by searching keywords that relate to your brand or product in YouTube and browsing influencer videos that appear. You can also dedicate time to research influencers through social media, search engines, blog posts, and recommendations.
Once you have a group of influencers that you’re interested in, review their past collaborations and content and determine if they’re a good fit for you.
This approach can bring good influencer partnerships, but it is time consuming and your scope may be limited. Not to mention, you won’t be able to access important engagement metrics like the average number of views and likes per post.
A savvy alternative is to use influencer-finding tools like Influencer Analytics from Semrush.
How can I find YouTube influencers with Influencer Analytics?
Influencer Analytics is an influencer marketing discovery and competitive intelligence app. One of its main offerings is helping brands find YouTube influencers.
In the ‘Influencers Discovery’ tab, you can select the platform where you’re targeting influencers (in this case, YouTube).
You can then enter keywords and apply various filters to your search, including the influencer’s country, language, audience size, contact info, and more. You can save your filter choices too, so they are automatically applied to future searches throughout the app.
For example, if your product is in the auto industry and you wanted to find influencers in the United Kingdom and the United States with a budget of $15k or less that have an email address available to reach out to, you’d apply those three filters and save them here.
Next, you’ll be shown a list of suitable influencers.
You can click on individual influencers and view information about how often they post content, the estimated cost of advertising with them, and the number of views and subscribers they have.
You can select various influencers and create custom lists of people you’re interested in partnering with – these are stored in the ‘Lists’ tab. You can equally download your lists as spreadsheets.
Additionally, you can see the search volume and top most-watched videos for those keywords/search.
Why use Influencer Analytics to find YouTube influencers?
Influencer Analytics helps you:
- Save time searching for YouTube influencers
- Find contact information to reach out to influencers
- Make data-driven decisions about YouTube influencer partnerships
- Discover new influencers before your competitors
- Research influencers’ previous content, metrics, affordability, and compatibility all in one place
The Influencer Analytics platform can give you thousands of relevant influencers for your brand in seconds, and narrow your search according to your brand keywords and preferences.
And, because Influencer Analytics is a comprehensive database of over 29 million influencers (across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch), you can discover new players entering the space before your competitors.
Not only does Influencer Analytics save you time and effort, it provides performance statistics that help you select the best influencer for your brand.
With recent data about the average number of views per post, likes per post, and links to influencers’ other social profiles, you can make an informed decision about who to work with.
You can also watch influencers’ content in the ‘Video’ tab without leaving the platform. By looking at creators’ past content you can decide if their style, messaging, and appeal aligns with what you want.
Likewise, click on the ‘Sponsored Videos’ tab to view other brands that the influencer has promoted and assess the authenticity and outcomes of their previous partnerships – you can do so by checking audience sentiment in the comments and the number of likes for the video(s).
Each video will show a cost breakdown too. This figure is based on a set of estimates around Cost Per Thousand (CPM) per region, engagement rate, account quality, and audience age, as well as the cost of paying the influencer for their service.
In short, it tells you what to expect in terms of production quality and payment for the particular influencer.
Once you’ve selected the influencer(s) you want to collaborate with, you can find their email address or contact them directly via YouTube. Any available contact details will be shown on the influencer page.
Using Audience Intelligence to Find YouTube Influencers
The Audience Intelligence app can show YouTube influencers whose audiences align with your target market.
Note: Apart from showing you influencers, this tool also gives you demographic and interest data. That allows you to drill down into specific audience segments based on lifestyle preferences, online behavior, and content interaction patterns.
To find YouTube influencers start by going to your report and clicking the “Top Influencers” section.
Here, you’ll see a list of accounts that your followers also follow. You can filter by country, audience interest group, and platform of interest.
To continue, click on the filters button in the top left corner of the table.
Then, click the dropdown menu under the “Content Creators” section and select the checkmark beside “YouTube.”
Click “Apply.”
Review the list of influencers the tool suggests based on your filters to find YouTube influencers.
For example, the generated list shows that the top YouTube micro-influencers for the Marriott brand focus on travel and storytelling content.
Use the Audience Intelligence app to find influencers with whom you can forge successful partnerships and reach the right audience.
How do I reach out to a YouTube influencer?
Building a relationship with a YouTube influencer is a two-way process. Just as you have criteria to find your perfect match, you also have to demonstrate to influencers why you’re worth their time.
When you begin to contact influencers, message them through their official channels or try to find a direct email.
You should personalize your message for each influencer, explaining why you’re interested in collaborating with them specifically, how your brand aligns with theirs, and what you can offer.
Be professional and sincere but emphasize your unique selling points.
Keep in mind that high-profile influencers will receive many proposals for brand partnerships, so they may not reply immediately or at all. Don’t be discouraged, follow up when appropriate, and cast a wide net so your campaign isn’t dependent on one influencer only.
Here’s an example of an initial email to catch influencers’ attention:
Dear [influencer name],
I’m [your name], [position] at [company name], [brief description of company]. We've been following your content on YouTube and think that your influence and expertise align perfectly with our brand values and objectives.
We’d love to discuss collaborating with you. We’re currently promoting [product/service/campaign] and believe it speaks to your audience because [value proposition].
We have some ideas about what the partnership could look like, including [product reviews, tutorials, sponsored videos, giveaways, etc.]. In return, we can offer [budget, free products/services, exposure], as well as help to deliver even more value to your viewers.
Let us know if you’re interested in working together and we can discuss details.
Thanks,
A Match Made in Marketing
YouTube influencers can boost your brand visibility and bring a new lens (literally) to your campaigns. With such a broad selection of influencers, finding the best person for you should be done with care and tools that streamline the process without compromising quality.
Ultimately, you should work with people that are compatible with, and can grow, your brand. With an authentic approach and smart toolkit, you’ll be on your way to finding the right YouTube influencer.