From Beginner to Influencer: The Ingredients for Success

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Very few people become successful influencers overnight. This e-book follows four Southeast Asian YouTubers at four stages of the journey, from a beginner with under 1,000 subscribers to a channel with more than 550,000. For each one we look at their goals, what they are doing right, where they could improve and how they could reach the next stage. We finish with a chapter for brands: a breakdown of one of the first influencer campaigns run through SushiVid, for Hermo.

Introduction: why becoming an influencer takes hunger

The e-book borrows its theme from The Very Hungry Caterpillar: YouTubers need to stay hungry if they want to come out of the chrysalis as powerful influencers. At times things will get a little ugly, and there may be moments when they bite off more than they can chew.

Anyone who says influencing will instantly and easily set you up financially is dreaming. We don't say this to kill your dreams. Our vision is a thriving community of YouTubers producing high-quality videos that entertain and inspire. But getting there takes a big gulp of reality.

So at each of four stages of the YouTuber journey, we introduce one of our favourite Southeast Asian YouTubers, look at their goals and offer practical advice on how they can graduate to the next stage.

Chapter 1 – The beginner: Joelle Choong (joellechoong)

Profile

• Channel: YouTube – joellechoong, started in 2011
• Subscribers: 794, based in Petaling Jaya
• Equipment: Sony NEX F3, ring light, iPhone
• Average time to produce a video: 25 minutes
• Does she make a profit? "Peanuts from AdSense. Extra pocket money from brands."
• Campaigns done: "A few, both as a blogger and a vlogger."
• Where ideas come from: "In the shower or on the toilet."
• Dream brand: Apple
• Goal: "I would like to do YouTube until the day I no longer can."

Joelle's story

Joelle studied video production in college, so it is no surprise she turned to YouTube. But it was not a snap decision. She started making videos in 2011, but only got serious in 2014, and even then she was reluctant to post. Watching British YouTubers, especially beauty vlogger Zoella, changed that: she realised it was "really cool" that you could film your life and put it online, and uploaded her first video from her small university bedroom.

Unsure how to progress, and with college getting in the way, she didn't upload for a while. Now she is back and has built a small but dedicated following. She focuses on enjoying production and satisfying her viewers rather than on subscriber numbers. She calls herself a "super professional internet human", has an account on practically every social network and cross-promotes her work across them. Even so, she admits attracting followers has been difficult.

What is Joelle doing right?

• Promoting her videos across many social networks
• Letting her personality shine through
• Focusing on quality rather than gimmicks
• Connecting with brands
• Using AdSense
• Not letting a small subscriber base hold her back
• Ignoring the haters

Where could Joelle improve?

• Setting a consistent publishing schedule
• Mixing up her video titles
• Writing a business plan, even though she doesn't want YouTube to replace her day job
• Looking for government grants. Malaysia has some good ones; the Content Malaysia Pitching Centre supports the next generation of digital content creators and entrepreneurs.

How can Joelle reach her goals?

She could easily keep uploading until she no longer can, but she may be underestimating what she could achieve on YouTube. Her videos are great, so better titles could help: alongside naming brands, she could try answering questions ("How to…") and using numbers ("My top 5…").

With over 300 hours of footage uploaded to YouTube every minute, you need every bit of SEO power to stand out. Joelle could also tag her videos. ClickZ recommends choosing about 10–20 tags, then adding typos, plurals and other variations.

If she hopes to partner with Apple, she needs to grow her following, or her profits will stay small. She is keen on collaboration, and should pursue it: it opens her up to a much bigger audience. Her existing network of YouTuber friends is a great starting point, and she could use her social media skills to get on Zoella's radar.

Chapter 2 – The mid-size YouTuber: Sean (seanlje)

Profile

• Channel: YouTube – seanlje, 7,100 subscribers, based in Kuala Lumpur
• Goal: "I want to be a content creator who documents various issues in my own style. And, to release a viral video." He wanted to reach 10,000 subscribers by the end of 2016.
• Equipment: laptop, hard discs, mic, Sony RX100 Mark IV – about RM12,000 in total
• Average time to produce a video: 24+ hours – one night to think of the idea, half a day shooting, then editing in the evening until it is done
• Dream brands: Zara, H&M, Uniqlo (Zara is his favourite)

Sean's story

What started as fun with his brother became something much deeper. Sean first made videos to show off his editing, comedy and writing, but his mother's cancer diagnosis changed everything. As he told us, after a year of making videos his mother was diagnosed with cancer; since then he has focused on cancer awareness videos and charity work, and his videos have become more educational while staying entertaining.

He also films street quiz polls, which will form the basis of future videos, hoping fresh content will help a video go viral. To get there he needs more subscribers, and that is his focus this year. His numbers grew quickly at first, then plateaued around 1,000. He notices that when he posts consistently, his numbers grow consistently; when life gets in the way, growth stalls. Fixing that may explain why he complains about lack of sleep.

He knows other YouTubers but can't yet lean on them for support (except kyopropaganda, whom he knew before YouTube). He is open to collaborations and shares them on his page.

What is Sean doing right?

• Promoting his other social channels on his YouTube landing page
• Mixing up titles and content – videos where he used numbers and answered questions got 10x more views
• Prizing consistency and quality
• Sharing his personal story and keeping it real

Where could Sean improve?

• Joining the YouTuber community more actively – colleagues are his greatest resource, and collaborations could open doors and grow subscribers
• Writing a business plan with clear steps towards becoming a content creator
• Using social media more to promote videos, and asking friends to share them
• Replying to more comments – he seems to reply selectively, and could engage more with fans

How can Sean reach his goals?

Sean knows that "realistically speaking, numbers of subscribers matter when you're making a living out of creating YouTube videos." To go full-time rather than earn extra pocket money, he needs to pass 10,000 subscribers, and a viral video could help.

His focus on quality, emotional videos is on the right track; it is what YouTube itself looks for. Speaking to Wired about a successful 2014 campaign, YouTube Trends Manager Kevin Allocca said the aim was to make something worth sharing that drew a strong emotional response.

Consistency matters, but so does timing. Releasing videos on a Monday or Tuesday could boost views and gives people time to share before the weekend. He could also bring trending Twitter topics into his next street quiz video.

As for Zara, Social Media Examiner advises brands to find YouTubers who already embody the brand, love the product and can simply be themselves. So it would pay for Sean to wear Zara in future videos and let Zara's values come through in his work.

Chapter 3 – Almost an influencer: Emmanuel Olalere (GeekCeption)

Profile

• Channel: GeekCeption on YouTube, started in 2014, based in Malaysia
• Subscribers: 6,624. He expects the work to outgrow what he can manage alone as subscribers grow.
• Average time to produce a video: 2 days
• Ideas: come from his audience
• Balance: splits his time between college and YouTube
• Goal: to move from being the face of the channel to the behind-the-scenes, business development role
• Motto: "Always be learning. Keep having fun."

Emmanuel's story

Emmanuel is the definition of hard work: he balances university with a serious YouTube channel and a sister website. His advice to anyone dreaming of YouTube:

"While there is a glamorous side to being a YouTuber, what you have to prepare yourself mentally for are the sleepless nights, heavy workload, sacrifices, a lot of hustle to establish yourself and most important perhaps losing a huge chunk of your social life."

It has paid off. GeekCeption sat at about 300 subscribers for a year. After a series of videos, it jumped to about 1,900 in December and 2,000 by January. Another series in March brought many more, and the count has more than doubled since.

How? He focused on keyword optimisation and dedicated sharing on social platforms, researched the best times to post for his audience and used a scheduling tool. His content is now fully audience-driven, with ideas from polls and social media messages, aiming to make videos that solve problems or inform viewers.

What is GeekCeption doing right?

• Optimising videos with keywords and cross-posting
• Asking the audience for content input
• Auto-syncing across social networks with IFTTT
• Posting at the best time for the audience
• Preparing a detailed business plan with steps to success

Where could GeekCeption improve?

• Collaborating with other YouTubers when workload and studies get busy, even though he has never been one to seek support
• Applying for a Malaysian government grant for some financial security, as he is not yet making a profit
• Taking on more influencer contracts – he says he is indifferent to brands, but he is well regarded and could use that
• Getting more involved in the YouTuber community

How can GeekCeption reach his goal?

Emmanuel wants to step out of the spotlight and run a full-blown media house. He has written a business plan, launched the website geekception.tech, hired a cameraman and is looking for writers. GeekCeption also plans to cover telcos, home appliances and cars, plus a bi-weekly series.

To get there, and pay his staff, GeekCeption needs to make a profit. Tools like AdWords can generate some income from videos, but he should really do more influencer campaigns. He has no dream brand yet, so it would help to decide which brands he wants and start getting their attention. He sometimes feels like an outsider in the YouTuber community, but becoming more involved could bring paid collaborations. The SushiVid community and YouTuber meetup groups across Southeast Asia are good places to start.

Chapter 4 – The influencer: Andy & Sunny (HellGateStudio)

Profile

• Channel: HellGateStudio, 551,600 subscribers, based in Thailand
• Subscriber target: 555,555 by December 2016 ("555" reads like "hahaha" in Thai)
• Average time to produce a video: 4 to 7 days
• Profit: $100 – $200 per week
• Dream brands: Proplugin, Gamefilling, G2A, and sponsors in the audio and computer industries

HellGateStudio's story

A bold name for a bold pair. Once they had the idea to "Dub Thai Funny", nothing held them back. Where others hover over the publish button, Andy and Sunny uploaded straight to YouTube. They reached 1,000 followers by June 2012, then needed another two years of hard work to pass 100,000 subscribers.

Their titles likely helped: they start with references to famous movies and are written in both English and Thai to reach their target audience. They earn a steady income, mostly from sponsorship, while also managing studies and other businesses. Their business plan has many more ideas, and they are very aware of copyright issues, a great tip for any young creator. They have never used their influence for a brand campaign.

What is HellGateStudio doing right?

• A great attitude and an even better mantra: Intend. Practice. Adjust. And love it.
• Choosing their words carefully, knowing that influencers' words affect people
• Connecting with the YouTuber community through Facebook and planning to meet other influencers
• Focusing on trending pop culture references
• Launching on YouTube with confidence and determination

Where could HellGateStudio improve?

• Promoting videos more across social networks, even though their organic fan base is biggest on YouTube
• Seeking out YouTuber partnerships
• Talking to a lawyer about their copyright concerns

How can HellGateStudio reach their goals?

They may look like they are at the top of their game, but there is more to do. They want about 45,000 more fans and have dream brands to work with. With so many fans already, they are well placed to earn from their influence: signing up to an influencer marketplace to partner with brands could sharply increase their YouTube income.

They weren't aware of grants for YouTubers in Asia, but grants exist. YouTube also offered Fan Funding, which could let them be more ambitious. To grow their audience, they could mix up their content and appear in some videos themselves so viewers feel a personal connection.

Chapter 5 – SushiVid in action: the Hermo influencer campaign (for brands)

Hermo is a Malaysian success story and one of the country's largest e-commerce beauty sites, sourcing the best Korean and Japanese beauty products for Asian skin. Hermo was one of SushiVid's first clients, and its campaign was a big success.

• Content: 2 unboxing videos, 1 makeup tutorial, 2 product reviews
• Budget: all under US$2,000
• Views: 23,600 at the time of publishing, and growing as the videos are shared

The campaign shows great results are possible on a low budget, and the videos keep working long after the money has changed hands. Here are the numbers for each video.

Video 1 – Makeup tutorial with Hidayah A.

What worked here was Hidayah herself. She has a very engaging personality on and off camera, and she takes time to reply to viewer comments, something SushiVid insists on. Brands should remember that comments can be worth more than exposure. When everyone gets reviewed, a star who ignores fans can badly damage a campaign.

Video 2 – Unboxing with thenatstory

Beauty brands usually pick dedicated beauty influencers, but Hermo took a gamble on Nat, hoping her loyal followers would enjoy seeing her surprised by her beauty haul. The biggest surprise: Nat read the instructions in Korean, her second language. The video is much longer than the other unboxing, which shows brands the range of styles available. At least one SushiVid staffer bought a lip gloss after watching it.

Video 3 – Unboxing with Celeste Chen

This video was edited several times. The biggest lesson: trust influencers, because they know their audience best. It was the most successful video of the campaign, partly thanks to Celeste's large subscriber base, and the comments suggest high quality. Hermo was planning to expand into Singapore, so choosing a Singaporean influencer was smart. The downside: the products were packed for freight and not as pretty to open as in Nat's video, something to plan for next time. Celeste added value by linking her favourite products in the video description.

Video 4 – Biotherm Aqua Plump review with Alyia Bubbles

Consumers can be sceptical and wait for someone else's approval before trying a new product. So for the Biotherm Aqua Plump launch, Hermo asked an influencer to review it. Alyia gave an honest review covering what she loved and what she didn't, and that honesty builds trust. ReelSEO reported that younger viewers identify more with YouTube stars than TV or movie stars: 59% of 13-year-olds follow YouTube stars on social media, against 32% for TV and movie stars. Part of the reason is that viewers can talk to their favourite influencers directly, which Alyia does well in her comments.

Video 5 – Red Wine Jelly Mask review with joellechoong

Because the product has a very specific use, it drew fewer proposals. But Joelle had a bad sunburn, so viewers saw the product in action. Authentic, with some humour, the video is informative and entertaining. Views look low, but likes and comments show very high engagement, and Joelle replied to every comment. That is why brands shouldn't dismiss niche creators with small audiences. The best influencers also have good networks, so your message can spread far beyond the first audience with little effort from you. Look for influencers who promote brands "passionately and enthusiastically": quality over quantity.

Conclusion: what aspiring influencers and brands can learn

Influencer marketing is the next big thing in advertising. As Germin8 puts it, influencers' expertise and good relationships with their audience make them trusted, so their opinion of a brand often becomes their audience's opinion. That credibility boosts your reputation.

Lessons for influencers

• Influencers who talk directly with their audience get the highest engagement, even without the most views. Their audience is more likely to buy, which means a good return for brands.
• Influencers who share widely on social media showed the best subscriber growth. Social media is also a great source of content ideas, and more views follow, especially with keyword optimisation.
• All the YouTubers we profiled focus on high-quality videos that meet audience demand. They spend a lot on equipment and invest a great deal of personal time while juggling other commitments. That hunger drives them to greatness.

Lessons for brands

Social media has changed how brands and consumers talk; consumers want a stronger sense of connection. With audiences moving away from television, brands need to rethink their advertising and content strategies. The Hermo campaign, using influencers found on SushiVid, was very successful for a small outlay: for less than US$2,000, Hermo secured 5 influencer videos with tens of thousands of views, and counting.

Whether you are a growing start-up or an established brand, you have nothing to lose by reaching out to influencers. Their credibility, networks and audience could take your product further than you expect.

About this e-book

Written by Beth O'Connor of Elle O'C Communications and designed by Joelle Choong. At the time, SushiVid described itself as a directory of influencers in Southeast Asia, with YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and blog creators from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. In less than a year it had served more than 50 brands and listed over 350 influencers. Sources cited include the Content Malaysia Pitching Centre, ClickZ, Bullhorn Media, Stark Insider, Social Media Examiner, Wired, Kissmetrics, ReelSEO and Raging Creations.

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