Written by: Kennedy Harrison
Over the course of about 100 years, people have watched the advertising sphere shift from medium to medium. First, it began with pamphlets and flyers, then to newspapers and radio. Towards the end of the first half of the 20th century, advertising was being prepped for a digital and technological format.
Advertising began to shift from the senses of touch and smell to sight and sound. The rise of radio and television opened an entirely new way to sell a brand or product.
Today, we see much more than just radio and television. One of the most popular forms of advertising is through social media. We are walking advertisements. We see someone famous wearing some pants, we want those pants. We see our favorite TV star quoting a passage from a book, we order the book on Amazon. In almost seconds, a brand can reach us directly, without having to spend billions on a billboard. Not only do they reach us faster, but it feels personal.
One of the most interesting forms of advertising I’ve experienced lately is vlogging. Much like normal blogging, vlogging is just as it sounds, video blogging. If you search YouTube and type in “blogger” or “vlogger,” thousands of videos appear: ranging from couples going on lavish vacations to famous mom bloggers giving diaper tips. Although this may sound as if every vlogger is unique and has entirely different motives for their own vlog, you begin to see a similar thread throughout them all. These vloggers are constantly advertising.
Whether in the end, the beginning, or threaded throughout, these vloggers shamelessly “plug” their sponsors effortlessly, as if it’s a natural part of their everyday experience. As a viewer who regularly watches YouTubers, I will admit that I rarely skip through these sponsored 30-second sections of my favorite vloggers. In fact, there have been several times when a vlogger has introduced me to a brand I have never heard before. And, almost every single vlogger does it and here’s why: this is how they make money. As I began researching how much these sponsorships pay famous YouTubers like Sarah Baska and Cody Ko, I was shocked by the results. Some of these better brands are paying $10,000 for every 100,000 views. So, for more famous YouTube sensations like Jess & Gabriel, they make near $100,000 for every video they post.
This change in advertising has shifted how advertisers approach how much they spend on billboards, magazine spreads, and Instagram ads. Sure, they can pay $1,000,000 for commercial spots on popular daytime television, but modern-day advertisers have begun to shift their focus towards this fascinating new medium called Vloggers.
SOURCES:
https://influencermarketinghub.com/how-much-do-youtubers-make/
https://millennialmoney.com/how-much-do-youtubers-make/
Author: Kennedy Harrison