You’re a content creator on YouTube and you are ready to take the next step in your journey. One of the best ways to grow your channel and make money from your videos is by getting sponsored. In this article, we’ll go over the steps you need to take to get YouTube sponsorship as a creator.
We’ll cover everything from the types of YouTube Sponsorships available to building your brand and creating high-quality content to finding sponsors and negotiating deals. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear plan for getting YouTube sponsorship and be on your way to becoming a successful creator.
This blog on getting YouTube Sponsorship will cover the following:
- Types of YouTube Sponsorships Available
- Steps involved in getting Youtube sponsors
- Bonus: Other Ways to Monetize As a Creator
Before we begin with the steps to getting sponsored for your YouTube Channel, let’s examine the types of Youtube sponsorships available.
1. Types of YouTube Sponsorships Available
1.1. Product Sponsorship
Product sponsorship is when a brand provides products for free or at a discounted rate. The content creator, in exchange, promotes the product or brand on their channel. Product sponsorships can take various forms, depending on the product, brand, and creator. For example, a beauty content creator might get a makeup box from a makeup company to review and promote on their channel. An outdoor content creator might get a tent from a camping company to review and promote. A tech content creator might get a laptop from a computer company to review and promote.
1.2. Paid Sponsorship
In a paid sponsorship, a brand pays a flat fee for a creator to endorse or promote their product or service. Think of the last sporting event that you watched. Chances are there were numerous companies and brands posted all over the arena and the player’s jerseys. These brands pay for the exposure of being put in front of the audience. The same concept applies for when a brand sponsors a creator. The hope is that the creator’s followers or fans will purchase the product or service, thus boosting the brand’s sales or reputation.
1.3. Affiliate Sponsorship
In an affiliate sponsorship, creators typically receive a commission for each referral that leads to a sale . These types of sponsorships are popular since there is almost no risk for the sponsors that offer these deals since they only payout for each direct sale that the affiliate brings them.
You might have seen your favorite YouTuber offering a unique discount code and link for a sponsor’s product. These codes allow the sponsor to keep track of what sales are coming from the affiliate sponsorship and credit the YouTuber accordingly. Another way that YouTubers participate in affiliate programs is through affiliate links. Sites like Amazon have a very generous affiliate program that pays out a % of revenue to the YouTuber when a customer makes a purchase using their link. This is why almost every YouTuber has amazon links in their video description.
Affiliate sponsorships are a great way for creators to earn passive revenue as there are often no time limits, so your videos can earn you commission for many years to come. Now that we know the different types of youtube sponsorships available, let’s look at the steps involved in getting sponsored for a Youtube Channel.
2. Steps involved in getting Youtube sponsors
2.1. Create quality content on your Youtube channel
The foundation of getting sponsored on YouTube is to create quality content. This means creating videos that are interesting, entertaining, and well-produced. It can also be beneficial to add subtitles to videos, to make them accessible and understandable to a larger audience, including non-native speakers and those with hearing impairments. Make sure your videos are focused and consistent and make sure they’re engaging enough to keep viewers watching. Ensuring these things should be your primary objective until you have built up a consistent audience.
2.2. Build your audience
Once you have a recipe for pumping out quality content, it’s time to build an audience. This means promoting your videos on social media, participating in conversations related to your topics, and engaging with your viewers in the comments. Trying reaching out to other influencers that have a similar following in order to try to cross promote. At this stage, your focus should be building up your core audience. Aim for at least a few thousand subscribers before you start pitching to brands.
2.3. Reach out to potential sponsors
Once you have an audience, it’s time to start reaching out to potential sponsors. Look for brands related to your topic and approach them with a proposal for a sponsored video. To do this, create a media kit. Think of this as a pitch deck that includes statistics about your channel, such as viewership, engagement, and demographics.
Here are some amazing templates to create a media kit.
Another way to find potential sponsors is to leverage your network. Reach out to people you know and ask them if they know of any brands that might be interested in sponsoring you. You never know who might have a connection that could help you!
2.4. Leverage YouTube sponsorship platforms
A YouTube Sponsorship Platform makes it easier for brands and YouTubers to find each other and collaborate. Let’s look at some of the most popular YouTube sponsorship platforms.
2.4.1. Youtube Partner Program (Formerly FameBit)
The first youtube partner program on the list is the YouTube Partner Program. This program allows businesses to monetize their videos through advertising. When you become a YouTube Partner, you can place ads on your videos and earn money from the views that your videos receive. The amount of money you earn depends on the number of views and the type of ad. This program is a great way for creators to monetize their YouTube channel and grow their brand. However, to get paid for YouTube ads, creators need more than 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 video watch hours.
2.4.2. Grapevine Village
Grapevine village allows creators to find brand sponsorship opportunities and get paid on the same platform. To signup on grapevine and find youtube sponsors, you will need to have 10,000 subscribers
2.4.3. Tapfluence
Tanplfulence helps creators in the lifestyle niche (food, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle) to connect with relevant lifestyle brands.
2.4.4. Izea
Similar to Tapfluence izea connects creators in the food, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle niche to connect with brands. This platform can be of great use in finding youtube sponsors.
2.5. Negotiate the Deal
Once you’ve found potential sponsors, it’s time to start negotiating the deal. Be sure to discuss what type of video you’ll be creating, the length of the video, and the payment details. Also, be sure to get everything in writing, so you have a clear understanding of the terms.
If the terms of a sponsorship deal aren’t favorable, don’t be afraid to pass on the deal or be selective until the right opportunity comes along. It’s important that you maintain your integrity, reputation, and the trust of your audience. Ensure that there is nothing in the terms that prevents you from giving your honest opinion about a product if you’re doing a review. Do your due diligence and make sure that you have an understanding of the product or service that you are being asked to promote. No amount of advertising dollars is worth losing the trust of the audience that you worked so hard to build.
3. Bonus: Other Ways to Monetize As a Creator
3.1. Selling Digital Downloads
One way to monetize your YouTube channel is to sell digital downloads. Digital downloads are digital products such as eBooks, videos, music, etc., that can be sold online. You can create digital products related to your YouTube content, such as PDFs of your scripts, tutorials, or webinars. These digital products can be sold on your YouTube channel or your website with the help of tools like CheckYa, which allows you to list your digital products in a branded profile page and collect payments directly from your audiences.
3.2. Offering Paid Membership and Community
Another way to monetize your YouTube channel is to offer paid membership and community. You can create a membership program for your channel and offer exclusive content and benefits for members. You can also offer a private community where members can interact with each other and discuss topics related to your content. This can be a great way to build an engaged community and generate additional revenue from your YouTube channel.
