How to Get Sponsored on YouTube - The Complete Guide

Trying to learn how to get sponsored on YouTube? If so, you've come to the right place.

Getting sponsored on YouTube isn't as difficult as you might think. However, there is a process that must be followed to best position your brand and channel to receive brands deals and partnerships. Doing this incorrectly will lead to poor results.

In this article, you will learn:

How to Get Sponsors on YouTube
How Many Subscribers Do You Need to Get Sponsored on YouTube?
How to Find Sponsors for YouTube

Read on and learn everything you need to know about sponsorships for YouTubers.

How to Get Sponsors on YouTube

While you might think that getting sponsors on YouTube is difficult, it's a relatively simple process. The most difficult part of the process is performing it consistently, as many content creators stop doing it when they don't see success.

Here's how to get sponsors on YouTube:

1. Reach out
2. Prioritize branding
3. Utilize marketplaces
4. Create good content

Let's go over this process in more detail.

1. Reach Out

A big hurdle that content creators need to get over is the fear of reaching out. Many creators feel that reaching out to brands and companies will make them look desperate. In reality, many brands and companies appreciate it when creators reach out to them.

Nowadays, many brands and companies have active social media profiles. So, as a creator, you can build rapport with them by engaging with their posts and eventually reach out through the form of a direct message.

Similarly, there are no rules against sending an email to the individual in charge of influencer marketing (or marketing in general) for a business. Just keep in mind that many marketing professionals receive emails 24/7, so you may need to send a follow-up email a few times.

2. Prioritize Branding

Brands and companies don't want to work with unprofessional, inconsistent content creators. They want to work with creators that have a strong brand that people like. Since this is the case, you should make it your goal to prioritize the branding of your channel and content.

A big turn-off for brands and companies is when a channel doesn't have a selected niche. If a channel uploads a video about dogs one day and a video about video games the next, this will signal to them that the channel might have a fragmented audience.

If you want to work with brands and companies in the future, ensure that you have selected a niche to serve and have professionally branded your channel. At the end of the day, businesses don't want to be represented by a channel that appears unprofessional.

3. Network

A lot of people don't understand that networking doesn't always need to be done for business purposes. Often, the best form of networking is simply being present and making yourself known. This is exactly what content creators should do with brands and companies.

Getting on the radar of brands and companies is as simple as engaging with their content on social media. Doing so will help your brand become more recognizable to them, which can lead to a partnership down the road.

Make sure you follow any brands and companies that you'd like to work for in the future and turn on their post notifications. Before trying to get a partnership with Apple started, however, get one with a smaller, lesser-known brand.

4. Utilize Marketplaces

Believe it or not, many marketplaces exist that help brands and companies connect with content creators. These marketplaces are great because they help bypass the need for cold messages and emails.

Many marketplaces have come and gone over the years. However, there are a few that have been around for many years now that have proven to do a great job at connecting brands and creators.

Some marketplaces to check out are:

• YouTube BrandConnect (formerly FameBit)
• Grapevine Village
• Aspire (formerly Revfluence)

Something to keep in mind is that most marketplaces have subscriber requirements to join. So, depending on the size of your channel, you may not be eligible to join a certain platform until your audience grows.

5. Create Good Content

No matter how often you engage with brands and companies, and regardless of how many marketplaces you join, if your content is not good, you will not get partnerships and brand deals.

Knowing this, you must try your best to create good content. This doesn't necessarily mean having the best video or audio quality. What this means is creating content that your target audience finds valuable.

Of course, your videos need to be enjoyable to watch. Meaning, the video, and audio quality need to be decent. Just remember, good video and audio quality don't make your content good- the value it provides does.

How Many Subscribers Do You Need to Get Sponsored on YouTube?

At this point, you might be wondering- how many subscribers do you need to get sponsored on YouTube? After all, it seems like only channels with a large number of subscribers get sponsored.

There is no set number of subscribers required to get sponsored on YouTube. However, most brands and companies tend to work with channels that have a minimum of 5,000 subscribers (if their audience is active and engaged).

If you only have, for example, 100 subscribers, you can get sponsored by a brand or company. With this said, they will most likely be a lesser-known brand and you will probably be paid via affiliate sales.

Ideally, you should be focused on building your audience and creating good content before approaching any brands or companies. Over time, as your channel becomes more successful, brands and companies will take notice and may reach out to you (if you network well).

How to Find Sponsors for YouTube

In the past, brands and companies were reluctant to work with YouTubers. Nowadays, however, things are different. Since this is the case, it's much easier to find sponsors for YouTube.

Here's how to find sponsors for YouTube:

1. Use social media
2. Find existing sponsored videos
3. Build relationships

Let's go over this process further.

1. Use Social Media

Brands and companies these days are very active on social media. Since this is the case, as a content creator, you can engage with them very easily. Now, you don't need to depend on brands finding you.

Taking things a step further, you can even engage with employees of companies on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Meaning, you can have direct contact with the person in charge of facilitating brand deals and partnerships.

Consider following and connecting with brands that have worked with YouTubers in the past so you can get on their radar. Also, remember to engage with their posts so you become known to them.

2. Find Existing Sponsored Videos

One of the easiest ways to find brands and companies that are comfortable working with YouTubers is to find existing sponsored videos on YouTube. Put simply, if the brand or company has sponsored a video already, there's a good chance they'll do so again.

The easiest way to find existing sponsored videos is to find channels in your niche, look at their videos, and read the description boxes. If a video was sponsored, a disclaimer will be present in the description box.

Alongside this, YouTubers are required to have a verbal disclaimer in their videos whenever they are sponsored. So, simply watching videos will also help you determine which videos have been sponsored.

3. Build Relationships

A lot of content creators try to build relationships with brands directly by engaging with them on social media. While this is a good idea, another good idea is to build relationships with other YouTubers who have previously been sponsored by brands.

You see, YouTubers that have already been sponsored by brands will have the ability to refer you to them. Being able to get your foot in the door through a referral is beneficial, as you will be able to bypass the outreach stage.

With this said, this is not a free pass to befriend other content creators with the expectation that you will be referred to a brand or company. Not all content creators have an inside contact with a brand or company, so they may not be able to refer you.

Conclusion

You now know how to get sponsored on YouTube. While getting sponsored does require you to have an audience and create good content, it can be done. Just remember, brands and companies are waiting to be contacted- reach out to them!