– Guest Contributor – Jamie Wu –

We’ve all seen it and we’ve all fallen under the influence of it. The magnetism of a digital media influencer called a YouTuber. But what about them captures our attention and makes us want to see them more?

 Traits Found in Irresistible Influencers on YouTube

We include some of our favorite influencers 

1. Storytelling

Everyone has something to say. But no one wants to listen unless the story itself provides some kind of value for the listener. And in order to provide value, successful YouTubers have had to learn the art of storytelling. By doing this, they captivate their audience’s interests and connect with them beyond the scope of one video.   

There are 3 parts to being a really good storyteller.

• Giving purpose to the story. Every story should aim to narrate, inform or persuade. If it doesn’t do any of these things, it doesn’t give the listener a reason to watch the video.
• Making the story move forward. There has to be a cohesive beginning, middle, and end. Build up the story with characters, a setting, a time, a conflict and a solution so that the audience can feel a sense of completion by the end of the video.
• Adding emotions. Most of the time, it’s not the content of the story that matters the most; it’s how it’s delivered. The most successful YouTubers always start their videos with a hook and this can mean using a joke, a short story, flattery or even a surprise. Then they add a myriad of emotions by changing their cadence, tone, volume, body language and facial expressions during their videos.

Swoozie is a prime example of a good storyteller. Most of his videos are about his own dating experiences, relationship problems, and bad high school memories. But he goes above and beyond by using animation to exaggerate things that are hard to capture on camera and often unrealistic, such as someone dressing up as Aladdin and throwing blue tea in another person’s face.  

2. Authenticity

The most liked YouTubers are authentic. This is really important because it builds trust. And trust is needed in any relationship in order to persuade others to think or act in a certain way. So whether their personality is sarcastic, sweet and innocent or straightforward, they need to own it in their videos. If they try to copy someone else’s personality or brand, the audience will automatically sense it and be turned away.

Take Gary Vaynerchuk for instance. The reason why fans love him is his no-bs attitude. He says it like it is, even if it is offensive in the moment or contrary to popular opinion. Although he comes off as abrasive, his personality is the same in every single video and his viewers respect him for it.  

3. Endearing Qualities

Emotions are universal. Sadness, anger, surprise, and ha, are all things everyone can relate to. And popular YouTubers have used this fact to connect with their fan base. They are vulnerable and not afraid to show their faults. If they’re having a really bad day or they’re confused about something, they show it on video. When a viewer knows that the person on the other side of the screen is a peer that exhibits their same emotional qualities, an instant connection is built.

Mark Edward Fischbach (AKA Markiplier) has a fan base of over 19 million subscribers. His subscribers love him because he adds so much emotion in all his videos. When he’s laughing at a new video game, his laughter is loud and contagious. Or when he’s frustrated, he yells. Although usually known as a funny video game commentator, he isn’t afraid to show tears. During his “Markiplier Reacts to 6 Million Fan Music Video”, he starts crying at the very beginning because he’s overcome with gratitude for his fans. In fact, he ends up tearing up for the majority of the nine-minute video. Yet, all his comments have only shown positive reactions and support.

4. Understanding of their audience

Unless you already have a huge following on your social media accounts, chances are that people are only interested in what’s in it for them. They subscribe or follow you because you’re offering them certain information or entertainment. But when you make videos based off of what you like, you’re not taking into consideration what the audience wants.

The most successful YouTubers are actually just really good salespeople. Their product is their personality and their videos. And their target market is their viewers. And in order to “sell” their product, they need to understand what their audience craves. They understand how old their audience is, what videos they watched the longest or gave the most likes to and what they’re saying in the comments section. By using YouTube analytics, they know what certain demographics they should cater to. And once they know what videos are popular, they continue making those types of videos.   

For instance, if you make videos on vegan recipes and then all of a sudden switch to making video game commentary videos, your audience is going to be confused and not very happy because they subscribed to you based on your vegan recipes videos. Stick to understanding your audience and delivering based on what they want.

Rosanna Pansino is a perfect example.

She is an American Baker and makes baking videos such as “How to Make a Frozen Princess Cake”. Her channel is dedicated to everything baking and she understands that’s why her audience watches her. She is continually making those types of videos and it’s making her viewers come back.

Although it is hard to be a digital influencer because it involves making people like you, there are certain traits that are common amongst the most popular of YouTubers. Ask yourself if your channel encompasses any of these traits and if not, how you can acquire them. Before long, you’ll be on your way to being an irresistible YouTuber.