Some companies and individuals don’t think about YouTube as being a search engine, but that’s precisely what it is. In fact, after Google, it’s the second largest in the world. It’s beneficial for virtually all companies at this point who are interested in brand promotion to make some videos for their products and to feature them on their YouTube account. But what’s the deal with YouTube sponsor buttons, and how do you get one on your channel?
What is a YouTube Sponsor Button?
For those who are unfamiliar, a sponsor button on YouTube is something that is only available for a limited number of content creators. When an entity chooses to sponsor you, then they do so through a monthly membership. They get access to an inside member area. They get an iconic badge that identifies them when they choose to comment on a video, and they often get access to whatever exclusive discounts the brand behind the channel sees fit to offer them.
Additional Perks
There are more incentives for entities to back YouTube channels through the sponsor button, though. In some cases that sponsorship is enough that the entity which funds it can meet with the creators of the company that they’re supporting. They may get to go to events at a discounted rate, and if they comment on a video as it is live streaming, then they’ll get an exclusive “new sponsor” green button. These are some fun ways that backers can feel like they’re making a connection with a company.
So, How Do You Get a YouTube Sponsor Button?
If you’re a business that is trying to establish a YouTube channel then getting yourself some sponsorship is a fantastic way to gain traction. At the moment, the way that YouTube is allowing sponsors to connect with possible backers is through a BETA test. YouTube is insistent that at the moment there is no correlation between YouTube SEO, watch time, or subscriber count and the likelihood of your landing a YouTube sponsor.
However, them saying that is somewhat akin to Google claiming that social media search signals have no impact on SERPs. While there might not be any direct impact, if your brand is extremely popular on social media, then the likelihood of your organic search ranking being higher does increase.
Popularity Equals Sponsorship
The same is true for YouTube and the sponsor button. It makes sense to assume that if you want to increase the chances of your finding a sponsor, then you should work on growing your watch time and subscriber counts. You should try to exceed 100,000 followers, and you should create consistently valuable content through engrossing videos that are likely to go viral.
This formula makes sense if you think about it. If you want to sponsor a company, then there isn’t much point to it if that company is a virtual unknown and is likely to stay that way. If you’re sponsoring a company, then that amounts to a tacit endorsement of that brand, meaning that you believe in it enough to put your money behind it. You need to establish through your YouTube popularity that you’re worthy of sponsorship.
Your Payment
As a content creator on YouTube, the sponsor button is a way for you to net a 70% royalty from the sponsorship. YouTube gets 30% after the deduction of local sales tax. It costs $4.99 to sponsor a channel, which doesn’t seem like that much, but keep in mind that if your channel becomes more popular, then it’s likely that you’re going to attract multiple entities who might want to sponsor you. If you’re trying to monetize YouTube, this is one of the sanctioned ways for you to do it.
YouTube Can Work Wonders for Your Business
If you look at the YouTube sponsor button as being a way to bring in some money in addition to AdSense, then you can quickly begin to see how it might be beneficial to you. The production of your videos is going to have a price tag attached, especially if they are more elaborate, and this can be one of the ways for you to offset those costs.
Sponsorship on YouTube is a way for people to see that various business entities feel strongly enough about your products and services to get behind them. It’s a way to demonstrate that your company is on its way toward becoming a powerhouse. Think of the sponsor button as another way to legitimize yourself on YouTube. All that’s left for you now is to create some great content that people will want to sponsor.