Meet Sora and Tonioo25, YouTubers with over 450K and 1.9 million subscribers. In this exclusive interview, they share advice to sponsors and influencers alike on how to work with sponsored content and tell us about their YouTube journey.
Sora:
450,800 Subscribers
- When did you start your YouTube channel?
- I started my YouTube channel 2 years ago, in June 2016!
- What is your channel about?
- I mostly create videos about gaming — it is 80% of my channel. However, I hate being defined into a box or doing the same thing so I have always asked my subscribers what they want to see. This way I can create a different variety of content on my channel.
- Do you make sponsored content?
- I have been making sponsored content for a while now. I realized how important and helpful it can be for growing my channel. Sometimes, if you are only working with your own resources, you can’t really take things one step further. So, working with sponsors is a way for me to solve that! Doing sponsored content is often seen as negative, but I think there is nothing to be worried about if you are being honest and sincere with your community. Personally, I have always been transparent, and my community has always been very supportive and open minded back. (Woo yes, I have the best community. :D)
- Advice for anyone who wants to sponsor you?
- First Advice: Let us take the lead! We know our subscribers like our own pockets, and we know what will have the biggest impact on them – and how to make your game look good.
- Second Advice: Do not reach out to us only two days before the deadline. This will not allow us to produce quality content.
- Third Advice: Okay, I take back a bit of the first advice! Guidelines are great but nothing too long. We don’t like feeling restricted so telling us what we can or can’t say won’t work very well, and most influencers don’t allow it.
- Last Advice: Be easily reachable. Good communication is a key factor for a successful sponsorship.
- What’s the number 1 advice you have for a new YouTuber that’s just starting out?
- One solid advice I have is to be smart and sure of what you want to do! In the past, there has been times I was too nice because I didn’t want to offend anyone, or was afraid of asking for too much. And, because of that, people ended up taking advantage of my naivety and lack of experience. But, everyone learns from these moments with time.
- What’s the hottest game right now (outside of Fortnite)?
- Nothing is overshadowing Battle Royale mods right now 😀 But, personally, I am waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 to go viral!
Tonioo25:
1,099,592 Subscribers
- When did you start your YouTube channel?
- I started my Youtube Channel in the summer of 2012, mainly making videos about Call of Duty since it was one of the most popular games on YouTube at the time.
- What is your channel about?
- My channel mainly focuses on gaming and videos for a larger audience with different themes.
- Do you make sponsored content?
- Yes, I sometimes make sponsored content. Sponsorships are usually a one-time campaign or a longer partnership. For example, I worked with a sponsor for more than 3 years.
- Advice for anyone who wants to sponsor you?
- Give the YouTubers you want to work with creative freedom since we know what our community wants to see the best.
- Find a way for the 3 parties involved (the YouTuber, his/her subscribers, and the brand) to work happily together.
- What’s the number 1 advice you have for a new YouTuber that’s just starting out?
- Haha, a lot of subscribers have been asking me this question! I think it is important to have a certain number of subscribers and some experience before starting to accept or decline offers. For smaller YouTubers, I would advise them to look for an agency or a person to manage sponsorship related matters, and just focus on content creation. Personally, I got my first sponsorship around hitting 50 000 subscribers – and this was a year into making videos.
- What’s the hottest game right now (outside of Fortnite)?
- Outside of Fortnite, the game that will probably explode by the end of the year is a title by Rockstar Games: Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar Games only releases this type of games (GTA or RDR) every 5-6 years! For sure, there will be a hype. If not, I think (and I hope) that Black Ops 4 can have its chance with their new Battle Royale mod.