Battenhall — Three top tips for YouTubers working with brands

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August 20, 2015 — Published by: Jonny Atter

Three top tips for YouTubers working with brands

August is the month when YouTubers across the world get together at two major video conventions. At the beginning of the month the massive Vidcon in the USA draws around 20,000 people eager to find out more about video and to meet their idols, and this is quickly followed up by Summer in the City (SITC) - the largest YouTube convention in the UK.

While at SITC last weekend, it quickly became clear that there is increasing emphasis being put on how YouTubers can work with brands. How they can and should work with brands, the problems they face when they do, and how this affects the YouTubers’ viewers.

These are our three top tips for YouTubers we gleaned on working with brands.

Be true to you and your brand

As a YouTuber, you need to retain creative control of the content on your channel. A brand deal has to be a good fit with the YouTuber’s content, otherwise the audience will see through it and label the YouTuber a sell-out. The videos you create should always be created to suit your audience, but most importantly you should work for those brands that really excite you so that you truly enjoy working together.

Brands must learn to give up creative control to YouTubers in order to deliver the most authentic results. When there is too much emphasis on landing key messages for a brand it can come across as somewhat contrived which has ultimately has no value for either party. A brand shouldn’t give a YouTuber a script, just key points they wish to cover.

Equally, YouTubers need to communicate effectively with brands to let them know what they have to offer and be savvy about their approach to journalists when selling in their own stories. At SITC, YouTube Communications Manager, Thea O’Hear talked a lot about the do’s and don’t of contacting journalists and teaching YouTubers how to build their brand through effective PR and media management.

Be transparent

Being transparent and honest with your audience is key and many viewers have quickly realised that some YouTubers treat YouTube as their full time job, and are ok with with the odd branded video as long as it’s upfront and of value to them.

This week the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) released new guidelines for vloggers who work with brands to make sure viewers know when they’re being advertised to. When a the question was raised during #YouTubeHonestyHour panel at SITC, about whether or not YouTubers are seen as sell-outs for taking sponsored deals, it was clear that if the audience knows what to expect from their favourite YouTuber and they’re upfront about it, the viewers really appreciate it.

It’s not only the viewers who appreciate it, many of the panelists at SITC agreed that they prefer having the CAP guidelines. Although it can get confusing for viewers when they see some YouTubers following the guidelines and others not. And typically, you’ll find that American YouTubers who dominate the platform, don’t have the same guidelines as British YouTubers do.

Be connected on and offline

Fandom is at all all time high with YouTube viewers and this was evident both at VidCon and SITC. At VidCon they had to restrict access for guests at hotels to maintain control during a YouTuber meet and greet, while at SITC there were queues of people lined up to say hello to their favourite video creator. It’s staggering! Opportunities to meet your favourite YouTuber, or indeed celebrity are incredibly rewarding for your viewers and critical to building your brand further.

It also goes beyond just meet and greets with top YouTubers, it’s a chance for them to meet their online friends too. As a YouTuber myself, it was lovely to meet fellow #Battenveda vloggers Sonja, who spotted me across a room at a panel session, as well as Laura-Christelle, who was volunteer at the event and joined me to make a vlog together.

Finally, both VidCon and SITC presented an important reminder for any brand and YouTuber doing a deal. It’s not just about the numbers, how far a post will reach or if it will ‘go viral’, it’s about providing something of value and something that YouTuber or audience might not have access to ordinarily.

March 16, 2015 — Published by: Steph Bennett

30 things to vlog about for #BattenVEDA

This April, vloggers from around the world will be taking part in a challenge to vlog every day as part of the #BattenVEDA community. Although the VEDA (Vlog Every Day in April) challenge originated on YouTube, we’re evolving the concept to take it into the realms of other video platforms such as Instagram and Vine for the first time.

Each day vloggers will film, edit and share their videos on their chosen video channels and social networks using the hashtag #BattenVEDA, allowing other participants and their subscribers and followers to watch and enjoy their content. If this sounds like something you'd like to try you can sign up and see who is taking part this time right here.

Vlogging for 30 days straight is no mean feat so the Battenhall team have prepared a calendar of daily prompts as inspiration. There are more detailed descriptions in the Google Calendar too.

Next week we’ll be announcing details of our first series of vlogs created by #BattenVEDA veterans with tips and tricks to help you make the most out of your vlogging experience with us.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via @StephsBubble or steph.bennett@battenhall.net

March 9, 2015 — Published by: Steph Bennett

#BattenVEDA is back with a twist!

#BattenVEDA is back! We started #BattenVEDA last year as community for vloggers who were taking part in the global YouTube event called VEDA, where participants Vlog Every Day in April or August. It's a tough but rewarding challenge which is open to vloggers of all levels of experience, so whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, we'd love you to join us.

We connect our vloggers through a calendar of daily prompts, weekly Twitter chats and regular Google Hangouts and in a twist from the usual calendar creation we asking you what you'd like to see on the list of topics. So, send your topic suggestions through to steph.bennett@battenhall.net by 20th March 2015 for your chance to be featured.

Taking #BattenVEDA to YouTube and beyond

Since VEDA began, the focus has remained exclusively on YouTube but this year we're mixing it up. We're opening up #BattenVEDA to video makers on Instagram and Vine too. We're leaving it's up to you to choose how and where you want to vlog this time.

Register to be part of #BattenVEDA

Registration is completely free of charge and simply allows participants and viewers of #BattenVEDA to find you, connect and subscribe to your channel easily.

The #BattenVEDA Community

You can find everyone who has registered to take part in #BattenVEDA right here, so make time to say 'Hi' and introduce yourself - you'll find that throughout the month of April you'll be spending a lot of time getting to know each other.

If you're a #BattenVEDA veteran or a regular vlogger we'd love to talk to you about creating some additional content with tips and tricks for the community. Please email me at steph.bennett@battenhall.net.

#BattenVEDA Calendar of Topics

Our aim here at Battenhall is to keep you motivated and inspired and each day you'll find a prompt on the #BattenVEDA calendar which launches on Monday 23rd March. If you have a topic you'd like to recommend we feature please do let us know before 20th March 2015.

The calendar is there as guide so feel free to freestyle. This is your VEDA experience so you can vlog about whatever you like! If you want to take part but can only vlog now and then, that's okay too. #BattenVEDA is focused on community first and don't you forget it.

Staying connected

Our Twitter chats will take place every Monday evening at 8pm GMT+1 using the hashtag #BattenChat. Watch out for Google Hangouts and other spontaneous activities may pop up from time to time to make this #BattenVEDA extra special.

Finally, always remember to use the #BattenVEDA hashtag when you share your vlogs on social media and if you have any questions at all please feel free to tweet me @StephsBubble or email me at steph.bennett@battenhall.net.

We can't wait to connect with you and start watching your vlogs!

November 26, 2014 — Published by: Janey Spratt

YouTubers: brand endorsement crack down by ASA

We recently blogged about the rise of YouTube celebrities and for years now brands have been tapping into their highly engaged audiences through brand endorsements.

The influence of these YouTubers has been picked up by the media this year, uncovering that YouTubers can earn in the region of £100k in return for a day of product endorsement on their channels.

The latest revelation comes from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who have noticed that some YouTubers have been breaking advertising standards. Today, the ASA have ruled that Vloggers must clearly declare when a brand has paid for a product to appear in a video.

YouTubers must now clearly mark ‘advert’, ‘promo’ or add a symbol onto the video or in the title. Simply saying ‘this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of *brand*’ isn’t going to cut it anymore. These changes are to protect the YouTuber's audiences who are often very young in age.

In our experience, we’ve managed relationships between brands and YouTubers where both parties have been keen to endorse the campaign message while making it look as natural and as discreet as possible. So these new rules will be a significant change for YouTubers as they work hard to maintain relationships with their loyal subscribers.

With this standardised approach to YouTuber endorsements being enforced by the ASA, the crucial effect yet to be seen will be the impact on subscriber loyalty and engagement. Does this new ruling change the commercial opportunity for brands and YouTube partnerships?

YouTubers owe their success to their loyal fanbases - they know better than anyone that the right content tailored to the audience has the potential to draw in mass support and engagement. As YouTubers grow their fanbases, commercial opportunities begin to appear and the line between fan loyalty and financial gain can become blurred. If the new ASA ruling jeopardises fan loyalty, we predict YouTubers will simply minimise the volume of product placement on their channels to avoid losing subscribers. It may be that YouTubers move over to brands' owned channels when promoting products in return for payment.

Read more on the changes here.

Image credit.

July 8, 2014 — Published by: Steph Bennett

Register for #BattenVEDA | Vlog Every Day in August

Earlier this year we started #BattenVEDA - a community for vloggers who were taking part in the global YouTube event called VEDA, where participants Vlog Every Day in April or August.

Connecting experienced and new vloggers through a calendar of daily prompts and weekly Twitter chats, we built a network of people around the world that shared a love of vlogging. We also posted vlogging tips and tricks on the Battenhall blog.

Now we're back for round two and ready to welcome you all to take part or simply sit back and enjoy the videos of those who will take on the #BattenVEDA challenge.

Register to be part of #BattenVEDA

Registration is completely free of charge and simply allows participants and viewers of #BattenVEDA to find you, connect and subscribe to your channel easily.

The #BattenVEDA Community

You can find everyone who has registered to take part in #BattenVEDA right here, so make time to say 'Hi' and introduce yourself - you'll find that throughout the month of August you'll be spending a lot of time getting to know each other. For those not participating but keen to watch, you can simply use this as your alternative TV guide for the month.

#BattenVEDA Calendar of Topics

Our aim here at Battenhall is to keep you motivated and inspired and each day you'll find a prompt on the #BattenVEDA calendar. Feel free to freestyle however, if you have something else you'd like to talk about too. This is your VEDA experience so you can vlog about whatever you like!

You'll also find our Twitter chats in the calendar which take place every Monday evening at 8pm GMT+1 using the hashtag #BattenChat. Plus, we're also planning some Google Hangouts and other spontaneous activities that may pop up from time to time to make this #BattenVEDA extra special.

We can't wait to connect with you and start watching your vlogs! See you all on August 1st!

April 14, 2014 — Published by: Steph Bennett

#BattenVEDA: Vlogging tips and tricks

It’s day 14 of #BattenVEDA which means we’re almost at the halfway point and I’m delighted to be able to tell you that the 35 vloggers who are taking part in our challenge to vlog every day in April, have produced more than 300 vlogs and come from five different continents: Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Europe!

Some people are sticking to the calendar and others are freestyling. But the one thing they have in common is that they are all taking on the challenge to film, edit, upload and share their vlogs for thirty days straight!

Tips and tricks

Today we thought we’d share a few quick tricks for all vloggers to take their vlogs from good to great. If you’ve got a trick you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment below or tweet us @Battenhall or @StephsBubble using the hashtag #BattenVEDA.

Stop and stare
It’s totally normal to find yourself looking at the screen and not the camera when filming - I do it all the time! But if you can cast your gaze towards the camera instead not only will you find it a little less intimidating and distracting, you’ll also find yourself talking to the camera in the same way you might have an ordinary conversation with someone. Your viewers will thank you for it!
Umm... and... so…
Do you think while you vlog? Me too! I constantly find myself filling time with words like ‘umm’ and have to remind myself that it’s okay to pause and actually stop speaking while vlogging. Although it’s daunting at first, the pauses actually help to keep your audience engaged. Let them hang on your every word… and keep them waiting for the next big thing.

Lights, camera, context
Always check your surroundings when vlogging. Whether you’re filming inside or outdoors lighting is really important so be sure to check for potential reflections from lights or TV screens and glaring sun beams that want to steal your thunder. If you’re using your phone to vlog make sure your camera lens is clean as thumb prints make for fuzzy viewing. Finally, look behind you! As viewers we’re getting a window into your world, your home or city. What do you want us to see?

#BattenChat
For more tips and tricks and generally vlogging chatter, each Monday at 8pm GMT we host #BattenChat on Twitter. If you’re curious to see what we’re chatting about - don’t be shy - you’re more than welcome to join us. Simply follow @Battenhall on Twitter and use #BattenChat in every tweet to get involved. We’ve also set up a chatroom on Twubs too that brings all the tweets together in one place: http://twubs.com/battenchat. We hope to see you there!

Finally, to keep up to date with all the #BattenVEDA vlogs, check out our Twitter list of vloggers.

March 28, 2014 — Published by: Steph Bennett

Tips for Preparing for #BattenVEDA

In the countdown to #BattenVEDA we’ve pulled together some top tips to ensure that you’re fully prepared to get the most out of your vlogging experience this April. Whether you’re new to YouTube or not, it’s always good to check you’ve got all angles covered.

Your YouTube Channel - How do you look?

It’s time to check your appearance and we’re not just talking about you as the vlogger. So, facepacks, hairdresser appointments and beauty sleep aside, you need to make sure every aspect of your YouTube channel is looking great and working to your advantage.

Customise your YouTube URL - Make it easy for people to find you on YouTube as those auto-generated URLs are long, complicated and not really very pretty.
Choose a profile image / avatar - This the first thing people see when searching for you, when you appear in their subscriptions feed and when content is shared to other platforms.
Add a cover image - Make the most of the opportunity to add a touch of personality to your channel showing the world who you are and how you want to be seen.
Get connected - Showcase your presence on other social media networks, blogs and websites right on your cover image. Simply click the edit button in the top right hand corner of your cover image and you’ll be presented with the option of custom links for you website or blog by adding their name and URL.
About You - Introduce yourself in a punchy but informative way and give people good reasons as to why they should watch your videos.
WaterMark - Consider adding a branded watermark in the form of your avatar on to all of your videos. This watermark doubles up as subscribe button which links viewers directly to your channel home page. You can add your own by going to going to to Video Manager, Channel Settings, InVideo Programming.

Your Social Networks - Have you told anyone you’re there?

One of the main reasons we’ve started #BattenVEDA is to build a community for vloggers taking part in the VEDA challenge. The more people that know you’re taking part and where to find you, the more views your videos will receive on YouTube.

Share your YouTube channel - Make the most out of your existing following on social media channels let your friends, fans and followers where they can find you on YouTube and how to subscribe to your channel.
Post links to your vlogs on social media - Each time you upload a video to YouTube for #BattenVEDA, share it on social media too. Tweet it, Pin it, make an Instagram or Vine trailer to entice people to your channel and get them to see the great video content you’re producing.
Use keywords and hashtags - Using keyword tags on your videos will allow YouTube users find you more easily. We would totally recommend using your channel name as one of the keywords as this will help viewers find other videos you produce in the suggested viewing list. Equally, use hashtags on the key topics you’re talking about and of course #BattenVEDA.

Your Tools - What will you use to edit and upload your vlogs?

The tools of the trade vary from vlogger to vlogger but there are some things that are essential for everyone who chooses to vlog: a camera, editing software, memory cards and batteries.

Select your camera - There are no rules as to which camera you should use to vlog so try out a few options and see what works best for you. If you’re vlogging from home or your desk, you could use your laptop or a digital camera or if you’re on the move, a smartphone is a great way to vlog.
Editing tools - YouTube offers it’s own editing suite if you don’t have your own software at home which is pretty intuitive to use. If you prefer to edit on your laptop or PC, basic tools such as MovieMaker and iMovie are a good starting point. And again, if you’re on the move there is an iMovie app which is very cool.
Memory cards & Batteries - There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of memory or battery power when you’re trying to vlog so make sure you always have space available to film and a charger on hand to keep you powered up.

#BattenChat - Let’s talk more about vlogging

For more vlogging tips and tricks join us for #BattenChat hosted by @Battenhall and @StephsBubble every Monday at 8pm throughout April. Our first #BattenChat will take place on Monday 31st March. We’d love you to join us.

March 25, 2014 — Published by: Steph Bennett

Register to be part of the #BattenVEDA Community

What is VEDA?

VEDA is a YouTube Challenge taken up by vloggers around the world to Vlog Every Day in April.

This year we're inviting you to take part in VEDA and become part of the #BattenVEDA community. It doesn't matter whether you're a YouTubing Pro with millions of followers, a blogger who's looking for their next big challenge or someone who's never dared to talk to camera before.

We'll be here to guide you with regular vlogging tips and tricks via the Battenhall blog as well as providing you with a network of incredible people who've all decided to get involved too. We're all in it together and connected via the hashtag #BattenVEDA. We've even put together an entire calendar of topics for you to talk about every day to help keep you focused and plan your vlogs. Of course you're welcome to freestyle too!

Are you up for the #BattenVEDA challenge?

Yeah? Okay! Let's get you registered, connected and ready to vlog! Simply complete this little form to let us know you'll be taking part so that we can follow your progress on YouTube and Twitter.

The entire #BattenVEDA community will appear in this lovely spreadsheet below. Go forth and connect with everyone on Twitter and subscribe to each others YouTube channels. You'll find this is a great way to get ideas and tips and also a great way to share and receive positive feedback to keep you motivated throughout the month. This is also an awesome list for all the non-vloggers out there to follow if you're just interested in seeing how it works!

Here you'll find the beloved #BattenVEDA calendar complete with your carefully selected daily vlogging topics. We hope you'll be inspired and have a lot of fun taking part in the whole VEDA experience.

Finally, always remember to use the #BattenVEDA hashtag when you share your vlogs on social media. We can't wait to connect and start watching your vlogs! See you all on April 1st!

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