Felix Kjellberg aka PewDiePie
“Creativity out of necessity.” In 2005 the most successful free video streaming site was created by three college graduates who had a major dilemma…
…They couldn’t find footage of the famous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2015 Super Bowl halftime show….
And so YouTube was born.
YouTube has evolved to so much more than a free and easy way to see inappropriate videos of celebrities. Now it’s so sophisticated that people can earn their livings video blogging, or vlogging, about anything they want. The site started with one unfortunate (or maybe fortunate, depends on how you look at it…) celebrity “wardrobe malfunction,” and now YouTube is making a whole new category of celebrities; self-made vloggers.
Jenna Mourey aka Jenna Marbles: YouTube personality, vlogger, comedian, and actress
Just as YouTube has changed over the years, the vloggers that scramble to be the next big internet sensation have started to move from computer screens to larger ones. Jenna Mourey or Jenna Marbles as she is known on YouTube is the top female vlogger with well over 15 million subscribers which ranks her channel seventh overall. Mourey now can be seen in episodes of Epic Rap Battles in History, Fake n’ Bacon, and Ridiculousness. Hannah Hart who rose to fame with My Drunk Kitchen, and hosting cameos on Mental Floss sat down with People last week to promote her upcoming TV mini-series Electra Woman & Dyna Girl airing in 2016. Then there is PewDiePie, with 40 million subscribers and over 6 billion views Felix Kjellberg has raised YouTube vlogging to an art form. By basically inviting the world into his living room to watch him play video games, Kjellberg makes $12 million dollars a year and is helping to shape the indie gamer market. Like the Oprah effect, when Kjellberg mentions a game it sees a spike in sales.
According to People.com, these YouTube blogger channels make the most money:
1. Felix Kjellberg
– $12 Million a Year
Channel: PewDiePie
Subscribers: 40 million
Shtick: Playing video games and making jokes
2. Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla
– $8.5 Million a Year
Channel: Smosh
Subscribers: 21 million
Shtick: Live-action comedy sketches
3. Benny and Rafi Fine
– $8.5 Million a Year
Channel: Fine Brothers Entertainment
Subscribers: 13 million
Shtick: Reacting to things
2014 VidCon Youtuber Convention
YouTube has become so popular that they have dedicated a whole convention, VidCon, to the videos and YouTube “stars”. VidCon features workshops and speeches on how to launch your own YouTube career, video highlights, and YouTube celebrities waiting to meet their fans. For a few hundred dollars fans can attend the three-day conference, with varying levels of entry to events. Tickets range from general entry at only $100 for the “Super Early Birds”, to $750 for the Industry Standard Price. For those interested in the online video industry beyond basic video production the industry ticket is the way to go.VIdCon offers a variety of events for industry professionals including: seminars, keynote speakers, and helpful tips on how to use online video to promote your company.
There are many benefits for marketing your brand via YouTube:
- Capturing attention: Posting creative content on YouTube is an easy way to catch viewer’s attention.
- High Traffic Volumes: There are over 1 billion users on YouTube which is an excellent platform to reach people all over the world.
- Viral Marketing: YouTube videos are easily shared between friends and family members and can be shared with others, thus creating a ripple effect.
- Multiple Video Marketing Channels: Creating and posting videos to YouTube is a powerful and recognizable way for users to view your content.
- Search Engine Rankings: Google owns YouTube, which why it is so highly ranked when you search for videos on Google’s page.
- Social Media Marketing Integration: YouTube videos can be shared via email, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Reddit and other social media platforms.
- World-Wide Accessibility: Posting content on YouTube can be seen in 75 different countries, since YouTube is available in 61 languages. This is one the most effective marketing strategies since YouTube is available 24/7.
Who are your favorite YouTube stars? Do you have your own YouTube channel? Share with us in the comments below!
Aki Suzuki, Carey Poniewaz, Carey Shetterley, Lexie Trimnal, June Wilkinson
IMC Hawks Blog 
I think youtube is amazing. I do have my own specific channels I like to watch that range from the comedic to the wild and bizzare. I think what makes youtube so great is that it is so much easier for you to just type in a topic hit search, and find some form of content for whatever it is you are looking for. I typically love going straight for youtube simply because of the many times that I have sat on the couch spending endless hours channel surfing only to find nothing interesting to watch. It’s really hard to go on youtube and not find something that really sticks out and captures your attention. Whether it is crafty or just plain stupid, somehow it still finds a way to suck you in..
I will admit, I’m not big into watching YouTube. I mainly go to listen to music, check out some scenes or trailers, or watch some random video my friends insist I watch. I did however use to have an old YouTube channel where I tried to follow the trend and try to become famous off of YouTube, but that seem like a pretty far stretch and I wasn’t good with a camera or editing. Teenage me thought it would be an easy task, but over time I realized it takes a lot of work and effort to actually have a YouTube channel and create and edit videos.