If you want to grow as a YouTuber, one common knowledge tip is to collaborate (or collab for short) with other YouTubers. If you can find a YouTuber with a similar niche, there’s a chance that both of you can gain new followers.
But many don’t know how to find, approach, and make a video with another YouTuber. This short guide will make the process much easier.
Finding the Right YouTuber
One challenge that people have is finding the right YouTuber. Ideally, you’ll want to look for a YouTuber with a similar subscriber count, as a more significant channel may be unreachable, and a smaller one may not yield many subs. You can also buy YouTube subs if you want to reach out to a YouTuber but feel your sub count is a little low.
Another rule is to find a YouTuber whose niche is similar to yours. If you’re a makeup channel, you may not work well with a sports channel (though there are exceptions!)
So, where to find these YouTubers? Some will search on YouTube for those in a similar niche or subscriber count. Others will turn to forums. The YouTube forum YTTalk is another place to look, and so is r/YouTubers.
Ideally, you’ll want a YouTuber whose chemistry you’re comfortable with. If you see a YouTuber you’re interested in, watch a few of their videos. If you think their contents fits with your niche, then you should consider reaching out, since it could be worthwhile to do.
Reaching Out
Reaching out can be a challenge, as some will feel awkward or feel like they’re being spammy. Don’t overthink it; many YouTubers, especially smaller ones, would be honored.
Look for a place to contact the YouTuber. Some will have their email in their bio, or they may have social media. If all else fails, drop it in the comments section! Construct a message explaining your interest in collabing. Keep it brief and professional, but you may also want to be informal, depending on the YouTuber’s personality. If they don’t respond immediately, don’t take it too personally; some YouTubers aren’t interested in a collab, or your message may have been lost in the ether. Send a follow-up message in a week or so, but don’t get too spammy.
You’ll also want to know what type of collaboration you’ll like. Some YouTubers collab by posting videos on each other’s channels. Some will meet up personally or digitally to collaborate. You may come on their stream or vice versa if you’re a live streamer.
Another way people collab is by having them appear in a separate scene in a single video. For example, if you’re making a top 10 list, you may have another YouTuber read it.
You don’t need a complete idea, but a rough sketch means the other YouTuber will take it seriously.
Set a Date
How many YouTubers have told each other, “We should collab,” and nothing becomes of it? One reason for this is that no one set a deadline. Tell the YouTuber your schedule, and have a timeframe on which the collaboration will come out. Don’t rush the other person, but don’t have a lenient deadline, otherwise neither of you will get this done. Try to have the deadline not super far in the future either, because sometimes both parties will forget that they did it.
Work on the Video and Promote it
Treat this collaboration like a legitimate business project. Have regular communication and updates. Try to meet deadlines, but offer a fair extension if life gets in the way.
As your project is getting close to finishing, promote the collab on your socials, including your Twitter, community tab, and even your videos. Give this collab some hype to it. Try to promote it decently in advance, but also don’t try to make it too far in the future. Don’t leave it last-minute either, as people will forget, which is not something you want to do.
Once it’s published, be sure that you credit the YouTuber. Recently, YouTube rolled out a feature where you can tag the YouTuber in your video’s title. Just visit their profile, and you should see their @. You can then type that into the title to make it simple for your viewers to visit their profile.
Conclusion
Collaboration can be a fun way to grow your channel, but you need to know who you want to collab with and what your content will be. Collaborations are great for boosting your social media presence, and doing these right will improve your overall social media presence and ability. If you’re having trouble finding people, don’t be afraid to shoot others a message. We hope this article was helpful to you. Good luck!