How to: Earn Revenue and Remain Authentic
It’s no secret that online influencers will get sponsors from time to time, which is considered a strategic PR move given their large following. This is largely demonstrated by beauty influencers on YouTube. While some are supported for being sponsored, others are criticized for “selling out”.
Some users develop strong feelings towards their favourite YouTubers and usually value their opinions and inputs. However, when these vloggers are paid to promote an object/product/service in a video, their subscribers may not fully appreciate it. This is because fans feel like these content creators are masking their opinion for the sake of making a living. In addition, the feeling of betrayal will be more pronounced if the YouTuber attempts to hide the fact that they are being sponsored. Before YouTube made it a requirement to outwardly state whether there has been paid promotion, some people only made a disclaimer available in their description box. Long time subscribers may feel like their sponsored content is less personal. Additionally, if the product or brand that is being sponsored has not been mentioned by the influencer in the past, then this will make it look like they’re selling out.
One influencer who is able to avoid this dilemma well is Jenn Im, also known as clothesencounters on YouTube. With over 1.5 million subscribers, her content has been gaining more and more attention. She focuses on a minimal aesthetic and posts an array of videos consisting of beauty, fashion, useful tips and more intimate vlogs. Since she has a large following, she has been receiving sponsorships from various makeup and skincare companies. One notable example is her partnership with Simple Skincare.
What sets her apart from others is the fact that she continuously partners up with this brand, showing that she is still using the products shown. She even mentions this brand in videos that are not sponsored, which reinforces her authenticity. Jenn also incorporates the products into her videos in a smart way, by not having the video revolve around the sponsored products. This makes it enjoyable for her audience as they don’t feel like they’ve just watched an advertisement, which people usually try to avoid with the help of extensions like AdBlock. Her partnership with Simple was not a one time thing, as she has made multiple videos advocating for their skincare. Jenn’s loyalty to this brand reinforces the idea that they are a good company that offer good products.
The vanity metrics of her view-count and like-to-dislike ratio aren’t affected by her sponsored content, which is a sign that she is able to successfully make a living by supporting brands that she loves. She is not shy to make her appreciation and love for the brands she partners with apparent, which translates well with her audience. In fact, most even encourage her to accept sponsorships. Due to their connection with Jenn, they can’t help but feel proud that she is given these opportunities after watching her online presence and channel grow. By not having overproduced and scripted videos to promote products, she is able to show her true self to her viewers to make it more relatable and reliable.
In addition, she was not afraid to address the judgement she has received for producing many sponsored videos at once by being more transparent with her viewers. Jenn explained that she is presented with a deadline for videos in collaboration with other companies, making it inevitable for the amount of sponsored content to take over her channel. Overall, by reasoning with her audience and showing her genuine enjoyment of the products, she is able to gain the support of her followers.
