How To Contact “Popular” YouTubers
Last week, during my live Q&A broadcast on blogtv, I was asked by one viewer how I got LisaNova and WhatTheBuckShow to appear in my videos multiple times. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve worked on paid jobs for both of them. But they both appeared in my videos before they were paying me, and my paid work with them both came out of the relationship we built making collabs.
People are Just People
The term Internet Celebrity is thrown around a lot, and probably does apply to most of the top twenty YouTubers, but that doesn’t mean these people are out of your reach, or too good to write you back. No matter the number of subscribers, we’re all creative people who have a passion for online video, and usually film in our bedrooms. Remember, even sxephil, nigahiga and smosh all started with zero subscribers at one point.
It Never Hurts to Ask
I met Buck and Lisa both by just emailing them with a video idea. I didn’t know if they would write back or not, I had very few subscribers, very few views on my videos at that time. But I sent them good ideas, in polite, personal emails, and I heard back from both.
So, here are a few tips you can use to put the odds in your favor that other YouTubers will write back and want to work with you:
- Send them a completed script up front. Don’t contact someone and say “hey, we should work together on something, cause I’m totally cool. Give me an idea and we’ll do it!” Don’t make others do your work. Other YouTubers are already busy enough, what with their live shows and their numerous open court cases against Trevor Reiger for defamation. Send them a completed script, or at least very detailed outline, up front.
- Keep the fangirling to a minimum. You probably should mention a video of theirs that you like. But don’t ask if they remember you from those six words you exchanged in a chat room three months, seventeen days and eight hours ago.
- Don’t assume they know who you are or remember you. You may have a lot of subscribers, you may have just been featured on the front page, you may have even made video responses to their videos, but that doesn’t mean other YouTubers are going to know who you are. Don’t expect them too, and don’t feel bad about it if they don’t.
- Be personal. Don’t spam fifteen people at once with the same message. Write individual emails to the people you’d like to work with. Include a comment about their most recent video, a real comment that shows you watched, understood and enjoyed what they’re doing on YouTube. Include contact info to one place, the best place to get a hold of you; don’t include a dozen links at the end of your message. (may get filed away in their spam folder if you do)
There are additional tips, and I cover them in my book, YouTube: An Insider’s Guide to Climbing the Charts, but these are enough to get you started. If you’ve found any additional tips that work for you, let me know in the comment section below.
Happy collaborations!
19 Responses to “How To Contact “Popular” YouTubers”
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Viral Video Wannabe...
…is written by Alan “fallofautumndistro” Lastufka, co-author of the book, “YouTube: An Insider’s Guide
to Climbing the Charts“. This site offers resources
for readers of my book and new tips and techniques expanding upon what is in my book. Visit the Purchase page above to order your own copy today!
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Meta
January 19th, 2009 at 10:08 am
“Trevor Reiger for defamation”
You just lost me.
I have never hear that before.
What’s the deal with Trevor?
January 19th, 2009 at 10:10 am
@scareykatt That was my attempt at a joke. Trevor runs an online tabloid site called UTubeDrama, where he “reports” on some of YouTube’s biggest, and smallest stars. Most of the time his reporting is on out of context quotes, half truths, or just straight up lies.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Some great tips, especially fangirling
Youtubers of all subscriber bases (all though larger bases, more so) are busy people. What do you suggest is an appropriate time frame to send another email or message if the first attempt was not replied to? As you know, you may be being ignored, however, it may also have been an oversight.
P.S. I used to have in the description on my channel, “Sub4Sub?! Sure! Email all requests to utubedrama@aol.com”
Carrie-Lee
January 19th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Great Tips Alan, that was a great read.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I have a question about youtube, and seeing as you are the foremost expert on the subject, i figure you are the best person to ask, Mr. Lastufka.
I was wondering how it is possible for a relatively unknown channel (well, sort of; he has around 5,000 subscribers, I think) to have multiple videos with hundreds of thousands of views. Is there some form of cheating going on?
Thanks!
Cat
(:
January 19th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Oh and you might want to mention using proper spelling and grammar. I doubt any popular youtuber, or anyone for that matter would respond nicely to a request ‘tht lookkz lyk thisz’.
(:
January 19th, 2009 at 10:41 am
@Carrie-Lee, I would say three or four days. But don’t send more than two or three messaged max. They might not be interested in your current idea, no reason to piss them off and have them not even look at your second idea down the road. (and LOL at the description you used to have)
@Cat, it depends, if it’s a channel that has a fairly popular website, and they embed all of their videos, it’s totally possible that those views are legit. Also, if they’ve been featured, those views would also be legit. More often than not though, there’s some form of cheating going on yes.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Ah that makes sense! Thanks!
(:
January 19th, 2009 at 11:11 am
@fallofautumndistro, thanx. Now, I get the joke. I may not know his name, but I sure know utubedrama quite well.
I go there once in a while.
Yet, I am still a GHOST on utubedrama and elsewhere.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thanks for the tips! Now I know to write you an e-mail in the future, LOL. Thinking of some collab ideas anyway.
-Julian, ItTakesII
January 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thanks for the tips! Now I know how to write you an e-mail in the future, LOL. Thinking of some collab ideas anyway.
-Julian, ItTakesII
January 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
oops sorry about the double comment!
January 21st, 2009 at 11:01 am
Thanks for the upgrade
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:57 am
I find this post ironic. I followed these guidelines to post an idea to Alan (which I still think would be a very cool idea) and was greeted with dead silence!
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
RogueBlueJay, you ignore me all the time!!! LOL
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Alan, this helps me out so much. This is the one area that freaks the crap out of me. Now all I have to do is come up with a cool collab idea.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
thnks alot for the tips
February 5th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Hey, Were looking to do a conglomeration video with some popular Youtube folk in order to get our ghost town channel up and running.
If you ever need a help for one or want us to host one,(not a good idea, we get like 100 views per video), send us a message on youtube.
I saw your “now that’s what I call emo” video. Very funny, but I know plenty who wouldn’t think so….(Emos). I love the line:
“This will probably end of ‘now that’s what I call emo!’”
February 25th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Just to clear up, RogueBlueJay does not ignore me, I was joking.
…He does get mad though. hahaha