Can ‘vloggers’ offer brands a shortcut to consumer trust?
Young people video blogging from their bedrooms and posting the content on YouTube are providing brands with opportunities that traditional media cannot, a leading UK ‘vlogger’ has said.
Speaking to Newsline, Callum McGinley – known to his 262,000 YouTube subscribers and 77,000 Twitter followers as Callux – said that alliances with vloggers is allowing brands to create a relationship with audiences that is “limited” with platforms such as TV and radio.
“Vloggers engage with the community that’s right there,” McGinley said. “They’re online; they’re the ones that can comment, like and share content.
“When you watch TV, adverts are thrown in your face. They range so vastly that although you might enjoy them at the time, you won’t necessarily remember them. But you remember content that you really engage with.”
The 21 year-old added that online videos can target their audience “much better” than other platforms, whilst partnering with original content producers allows brands to piggy-back the audience’s earned trust.
“Vloggers already have a relationship with their audience and their viewers trust what they say,” he said.
McGinley, who began vlogging at university where he uploaded nearly a thousand game-related videos, follows in the footsteps of YouTube celebrities such as Zoella and Marcus Butler who have secured millions of views on their own YouTube channels. Since then McGinley has produced dozens of videos for his YouTube channel – with many reaching close to half a million views.
The drama graduate’s comments were made at the latest Video Upfronts, which this year saw leading players from across the online video market present original content, pre-production material and channel opportunities available for advertising or sponsorship, and to highlight branded content potential.
With the average banner click-through rate at just 0.1%, brands have been impressed with what vloggers have been able to achieve on their behalf.
Zoella, who last year partnered with Topshop to offer viewers the chance to win a £500 gift voucher if they clicked on the ad below her beauty ‘how to’ video, saw the click-through rate hit 40%, demonstrating, Newsline was told, an “implicit trust” in the channel.
However, McGinley warned that it is essential that advertisers invest in content that is authentic and relevant to the brand.
“The great thing about YouTube and linking advertisers with vloggers is that you can choose your vlogger depending on their audience,” he said.
“The content has got to be genuine though. That’s what people like.”
Asked what the secret to YouTube success was, McGinley said it was important to offer up a memorable and positive experience.
“Make people laugh,” he said. “And keep watch-time up – how long people stay on your video for is a key metric right now.”
Richard Mansell, founder of Base79 – a network for video creators, content owners and brands – echoed the importance of authenticity in video content and brand strategy.
“It’s not just about finding a vlogger to make a video that will get a lot of views; it’s about finding somebody with the same appetite for the brand,” he said.
“And at the same time it’s not just about a YouTube creator’s desire to make money; it’s about creating something sustaining and tapping into different niches.”
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