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Looking to get sponsored on YouTube? No matter your subscriber count, become a valuable partner to brands through sponsored videos and branded content. As long as you have an engaged audience and professional content, the sponsored opportunities on YouTube are endless.
Read on to explore what YouTube sponsored videos are, how to secure YouTube sponsorships, and understand what sponsors are looking for.
What are YouTube sponsored videos?
YouTube sponsorships, also known as branded content, are videos seamlessly integrated with promoting a brand, product, or service. A brand pays for YouTube sponsorships with either money or product payment, similar to Instagram sponsored videos. YouTubers can collaborate with brands that fit their channel genre, topics, and personal interests, so sponsored content resonates with subscribers and target audiences.
Product sponsorships, affiliate sponsorships, and paid YouTube sponsorships are the three main types of sponsorships on YouTube. YouTubers can create branded content through sponsored mentions and fully dedicated videos. Sponsored mentions are a specific time frame segment within a YouTube video that a brand sponsors. Fully dedicated videos are more of a commercial-style video for a brand, with the whole video dedicated to the sponsorship.
How to prepare your YouTube channel for sponsorships
1. Familiarize yourself with YouTube’s guidelines
Before you start looking for YouTube sponsorships, be sure to upload content that fits YouTube’s values, ethics, and guidelines. YouTube’s community guidelines apply to all content creators sharing videos, comments, links, and thumbnails on YouTube. Brands will associate with like-minded content creators that share a positive and kind environment on YouTube.
2. Choose your YouTube channel niche
When creating YouTube video content, make sure to define who your audience is and your channel’s niche. Showing a clear target audience and channel genre might spark a particular brand sponsorship interest.
3. Make your YouTube channel look professional
Make sure your YouTube channel looks professional regardless of your number of subscribers. Creating eye-catching channel art and on-brand thumbnails can make your channel look aesthetically pleasing to viewers and brands. Consistent channel art and thumbnails also contribute to how recognizable your channel is, leading to greater brand awareness. Including YouTube SEO and social media links in video descriptions and using tags and chapters on videos can contribute to your channel's professionalism.
4. Create and upload quality YouTube videos
Creating a wide range of consistent and accessible content for potential sponsors to view might score you a brand deal. Look at your YouTube competitors within the creator economy and see what’s working for them and which videos brands are sponsoring. Once you know what’s trending and engaging, batch create videos to avoid forgetting to post, keep your channel consistent and build a loyal subscriber base. Regular video posts also positively contribute to YouTube’s algorithm. The more video uploads your channel has, the more likely YouTube will recommend your content to potential views, improving brand awareness and traffic.
5. Make your YouTube channel accessible to sponsors
Potential YouTube sponsors need a way of contacting you directly. Creating a video portfolio is a great way to showcase your personality, snippets of the best videos, and even start a conversation. Make a video portfolio using a ready-to-use template in Clipchamp’s free online video editor. Publish your video as an unlisted video on your channel, then link the video to your channel and video descriptions for potential sponsors.
How to get sponsored as a small YouTuber
1. Sign up with the best sponsorship websites
One of the easiest ways for YouTubers to connect with brands is through trusted sponsorship websites like:
YouTube BrandConnect (formerly known as Famebit)
Just set up a free account connected to your YouTube channel and review different products that suit your channel’s niche. Make sure to keep track of your engagement metrics and analytics.
2. Apply to YouTube’s BrandConnect
YouTube BrandConnect is a monetization service that connects selected YouTubers with potential branded sponsorships. To sign up to YouTube BrandConnect, make sure to meet the minimum eligibility requirements:
You’re over 18 years old
You’re a part of the YouTube Partner Program
You’re based in the U.S., Canada, or the United Kingdom
You have no active Community Guideline strikes
3. Directly reach out to brands
Reaching out to potential sponsors might sound like a time-consuming task, but it’s one of the most effective ways to score a brand deal. Create a list of 50 - 100 potential sponsors, collect their contact information, then send a personalized email. Make sure to include your video resume or pitch video, link all of your social media handles, and the best live example videos. Don’t forget to define your channel’s niche and how your brand can complement theirs.
4. Be prepared with video package deals
If you’ve got contacted by a potential sponsor via email, be prepared to discuss a set of video packages with them. Creating a variety of pre-made video package deals to select from can reduce the time of getting started and also helps establish your price range and inclusions. Clearly define what video content you can offer, how many tags and sponsor links you can include and your rates.
5. Grow your subscriber base
We recommend having at least 1000 subscribers before reaching out to brands for potential sponsorships. Brands are looking for YouTubers with higher views and an engaged audience who could be potential customers. By creating consistent content, being visible in your YouTube niche, sharing videos on different platforms, and learning the right YouTube SEO tricks, you’ll be able to grow your channel in no time.
How to create YouTube sponsored videos
There’s no need to download expensive video editing software to create YouTube content brands will love. Easily create professional YouTube sponsored videos with Clipchamp’s free online video editor. With Clipchamp’s ready-to-use templates for YouTube end screens, intros, outros, and unique subscribe GIFs and stickers, creators can make quality video content in no time.
Share your YouTube videos with brands via email, Google Drive, OneDrive, or upload directly to YouTube. If your video’s too large to share, send videos using Clipchamp’s Sharepages. Copy and paste the video’s shareable link and enjoy viewing it online.
Common YouTube sponsors and video examples
Take a look at some popular YouTube sponsored videos below.
Skillshare YouTube sponsored video
Jimmy Tries World’s YouTube video is a dedicated sponsored video about Skillshare. He shares the sponsorship by trying out the brand for three weeks to show his subscribers his authentic review.
Dollar Shave Club YouTube sponsored video
Zane Hijazi’s YouTube video includes a sponsored mention of Dollar Shave Club. This seamless integration shares everything his subscribers need to know about the brand, his friend's personal reviews, and an affiliate link in the description box.
HelloFresh YouTube sponsored video
OKbaby’s YouTube video includes a ‘commercial break’ style sponsored mention of Hello Fresh. The YouTubers integrate the sponsored mention and affiliate link halfway through a daily vlog, making viewers more inclined to keep watching.
SeatGeek YouTube sponsored video
David Dobrik’s YouTube video is a dedicated sponsored video about SeatGeek. He openly shares in the video that this sponsorship, and many others in the past with SeatGeek, have helped him surprise his friends with luxury dream cars through the affiliate link in the description box.
Honey YouTube sponsored video
Morgan Adams’ YouTube video includes a sponsored segment about Honey. She shares the sponsorship information at the beginning of the video, telling her viewers all about the brand, including an affiliate link in the description box.
Notion YouTube sponsored video
Thomas Frank’s YouTube video is a dedicated sponsored video about Notion. His entire video shares a tour of Notion setup and how he uses it, including an affiliate link in the description box.
Frequently asked questions
How much do sponsors pay YouTubers?
YouTube sponsorship payment varies on every brand deal and is unique to individual YouTubers. The amount depends on how many subscribers the creator has, what content they’re providing, and the brand's budget.
Do subscribers dislike branded content?
No. Brand deals support creators’ ability to make more content, so subscribers usually don’t mind branded content as they know it shows growth in their favorite creators’ YouTube careers. Subscribers can learn about products they might be interested in and usually receive a discount on the product or service.
If a subscriber doesn’t want to view the sponsored segment, they can skip to the marked commencing timestamp in the description box.
How to get gaming sponsorships on YouTube?
Along with using the above tips to get sponsored on your gaming YouTube channel, creators can make sure to create a professional channel, stream and post entertaining gaming content, build a community of viewers, and interact with subscribers. Create a professional gaming video today with our ready-to-use YouTube gaming video templates.
Create professional branded content today
Ready to create your own sponsored YouTube videos? Make engaging video content that your subscribers and brand sponsors love with Clipchamp.
