How to Get Sponsored on YouTube: A Comprehensive Guide

November 17, 2024

In this guide, we'll walk through everything you need to know about getting sponsorship deals to monetize your YouTube channel.

Understanding YouTube Sponsorships

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of getting sponsored, let's make sure we're on the same page about what YouTube sponsorships actually are.

What are YouTube sponsorships?

YouTube sponsorships are essentially partnerships between content creators (that's you!) and brands. These companies pay you to promote their products or services in your videos. It's a win-win situation: brands get exposure to your audience, and you get paid for your hard work. Pretty sweet deal, right?

Types of sponsorships available

Now, not all sponsorships are created equal. There are several types of sponsorships you might encounter during your YouTube influencer career:

Product placements: This is when you feature a product in your video, either by using it or simply showing it on screen.
Dedicated videos: Sometimes, a brand might ask you to create an entire video around their product or service.
Affiliate partnerships: Individually, these are not always associated with sponsored videos, but are really similar since you promote a product and earn a commission on any sales made through your unique link.
Brand ambassadorships: These are long-term partnerships where you become a face of the brand.
Getting free products: These kind of sponsorships are not always the best ways of making money on YouTube directly, but can still be interesting for smaller YouTube channels and gain credibility from bigger sponsors.

📄 Note: when doing brand deals, it is possible to do a product placement, and at the same time have an affiliate url in your video description. This will allow you to get a fixed amount for the sponsorship, but also a variable side where you get a commission and get paid based on how many sales you help the brand get.

Consider What Sponsors Look For

YouTube sponsors are picky when choosing creators to partner with, as their investment relies on your ability to connect their brand with your audience. Understanding what sponsors look at before working with a YouTube creator will increase your chances of landing brand deals that benefit both you and the brand.

Alignment with Brand Values

Sponsors are looking for channels that resonate with their brand's identity, mission, and target market. A fitness equipment company, for instance, will seek out channels focused on health, wellness, or lifestyle rather than unrelated niches like gaming or tech reviews. Showcasing your values and how they align with potential sponsors can make your pitch more compelling.

💡 Tip: Highlight shared values in your media kit or pitch. For example, if sustainability is part of your channel ethos, you can target eco-friendly brands and emphasize your commitment to the environment.

Audience Demographics and Engagement

Brands are not just interested in your subscriber count, they value insights into your audience’s demographics (age, gender, location, and interests). High engagement rates such as likes, comments, shares, and watch times signal an active and invested audience, which is often more appealing than your subscriber count.

💡 Tip: Use analytics tools like YouTube Studio to compile detailed audience insights. Include these stats in your media kit.

Content Quality and Consistency

The professionalism and creativity of your content are crucial. Brands want their products associated with high-quality videos that reflect their image positively. So posting content consistently and maintaining your content's tone and production standards will help build trust with brands.

💡 Tip: Check your videos and channel visual assets like thumbnails or channel banner to ensure that it has a consistent branding, quality editing, and engaging narratives.

Sponsors assess whether their product fits naturally into your content. A gaming brand, for example, would prefer to work with a creator who regularly streams or reviews games rather than one who posts unrelated lifestyle vlogs.

💡 Tip: In your media kit, showcase how products have been seamlessly integrated into your content in the past, and why it was a good fit for this brand to sponsor this specific piece of content.

Reliability and Professionalism

Sponsors want reliable partners who deliver on promises. From meeting deadlines to providing high-quality deliverables, professionalism builds long-term relationships.

💡 Tips: Keep your media kit updated, maintain open communication, and provide regular updates during collaborations to demonstrate your reliability. Communicating to a point where you feel like it's over-communication is probably the right amount to completely reassure the brand that the project is right on track.

Building Your YouTube Channel for Sponsorships

Alright, now that we've got the basics down, let's talk about how to make your channel sponsor-worthy. After all, brands aren't going to come knocking if your channel doesn't look like it aligns with their business goals and can provide a good ROI (return on investment).

Creating quality content

This might seem obvious, but it's worth repeating: content is king. Your videos need to be engaging, informative, and well-produced. Don't worry, you don't need Hollywood-level production values. Just focus on creating content that your audience loves and keeps coming back for.

Growing your audience

Size still matters when it comes to sponsorships, even if you can make it work if your channel is small. The more subscribers and views you have, the more attractive you'll be to potential sponsors, and the more prestige it will have, which leads to more leverage in negotiations.

But don't get discouraged if you're just starting out. Even smaller channels can land sponsorships if they have a highly engaged niche audience.

💡 Tip: If you want to get a free estimate of how much it would cost to sponsor your channel, you can use our free YouTube sponsorship calculator.

Engaging with your community

Speaking of engagement, it's not just about the numbers. Brands want to see that you have a real connection with your audience. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create a community around your channel. Trust me, it'll pay off in the long run.

Sponsorship Tips for a Small Channel

Landing sponsorships as a smaller creator might feel daunting, but many brands value quality over quantity. Micro and nano-influencers often attract sponsors because of their close-knit, engaged communities. Here's how you can position yourself as a valuable partner:

1. Highlight Your Niche Influence

With fewer subscribers, the specificity of your audience becomes your biggest asset. Sponsors often prefer niche creators who have authority and trust in their specific areas since it helps them get good return on investments.

📝 Example: A small e-ink device review channel with an engaged audience of 5,000 could attract niche e-ink gadget brands more effectively than a general tech channel with 100,000 subscribers.

2. Make sure your channel looks professional

Even if your audience is small, a professional-looking channel can signal your readiness for collaborations.

💡 Tips to look professional-looking YouTube content:

1. Use consistent branding for your YouTube banner, thumbnails, and profile image to ensure your channel looks professional.

2. Create a channel trailer that Ensure your channel description clearly states your niche and values.

3. Create polished, well-edited videos with good lighting and sound quality. Sound quality matters even more than the video quality, so if you're starting to invest in gear, I recommend getting a microphone first!

3. Leverage Multiple Revenue Streams

When starting out, since sponsors pay less, it may make sense to focus on a specific type of sponsorship or like:

Review free products in exchange of credibility. When starting out, it can be hard to find lucrative sponsorships, so an interesting stepping stone to make sure your YouTube channel looks good to potential sponsors is to ask some brands for a free product in exchange of a product placement or a review. This will help you get more credibility and opportunities on YouTube.
Affiliate links, which can be accessed through public affiliation programs of companies related to your topics. An affiliated video is not necessarily sponsored by a brand, but can still be an interesting way to monetize your YouTube channel.
Sell services on your channel: At the beginning, you might not make enough money from brands, so a way to monetize can be to sell freelance services for example if you are in a space where it's doable like web design, marketing, or development.

4. Use Sponsorship Platforms

Platforms like our app sponsorship.so, can help you find sponsors to reach out to and study who which brands are mentioned by similar creators to you.

5. Over-Deliver

To build good relationships with brands, it can help to go above and beyond to impress your sponsors even with a small channel by:

Providing detailed analytics after campaigns.
Sharing any positive audience feedback about the sponsored product.
Promoting the brand on other platforms like Instagram or Twitter.

Creating a Media Kit

What is a media kit?

A media kit is a document that showcases your YouTube channel's value proposition, audience demographics, and previous sponsorship experiences. It serves as a marketing tool to attract potential sponsors and demonstrate your channel's sponsorship potential.

Think of a media kit as your channel's resume. It should include:

Your channel statistics (subscribers, views, engagement rates)
Demographics of your audience
Examples of your best work
Any previous brand collaborations
Pricing and sponsorship packages if you want to display before talking with the brand
Your contact information and other social media links

Tips for designing an effective media kit

Use a clean and visually appealing design
Highlight your unique selling points and achievements
Tailor the content to your target sponsors
Keep it concise and easy to navigate
Update it regularly with new statistics and accomplishments
Update it with new videos

Having this ready to go will make you look professional and prepared when approaching sponsors.

Finding Potential Sponsors

Alright, your channel is looking sharp and you're ready to start reaching out to sponsors. But where do you find them?

Researching brands in your niche

Start by looking at the brands you already use and love. Are there products you regularly feature in your videos? Companies whose values align with your content? These are great places to start. You can usually find where to contact the companies on their websites, or use a tool like hunter.io to find the right people to email for a sponsorship.

You can also use a platform like sponsorship.so to get sponsors for your YouTube channel from a database of thousands of brands.

YouTube BrandConnect

YouTube is working on a tool that allows you to get connected to brands for partnerships.

For now the tool is not available everywhere, has limited brands, and YouTube takes a cut of your sponsorship revenue, so it may not be the most interesting long-term.

Don't underestimate the power of networking. Follow brands you're interested in on social media. Attend industry events or creator conventions. Sometimes, a casual conversation can lead to a sponsorship opportunity where you would meet a media buyer of a brand you like for example.

Pitching to Sponsors

Now that you've found some potential sponsors. Now comes the scary part: reaching out. But don't worry, I've got some tips to help you have an effective pitch.

Crafting a compelling pitch
Your pitch should be concise, professional, and tailored to each brand. Introduce yourself and your channel, explain why you think you'd be a great fit for their brand, and include your media kit.
Highlighting your value proposition
What makes you unique? Why should this brand work with you over other creators? Maybe you have a highly engaged audience in their target demographic, or perhaps your content style aligns perfectly with their brand voice. Whatever it is, make sure to highlight it.
Following up and negotiating
Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back right away. It's okay to follow up after a week or two. And if they do show interest, be prepared to negotiate. Know your worth, but also be flexible, since compromising a bit at the beginning can lead to a longer term partnership.
Understanding a brand's objectives
As you start talking with a sponsor, it's essential to understand the brand's marketing goals and objectives.

Common brand objectives include:

Increasing brand awareness and reach
Driving product sales or conversions
Building customer loyalty and engagement
Establishing thought leadership or expertise in a domain

Managing Inbound Sponsorship Requests

As your channel grows, you'll start receiving inbound sponsorship requests from brands interested in collaborating with you. Managing these requests effectively is crucial to get the best opportunities.

Respond Promptly and Professionally

Timeliness: Aim to respond within 48 hours to show you're serious and reliable.
Professional Tone: Use polite and formal language, even if the brand's initial message is casual.
Acknowledge the Inquiry: Thank them for reaching out and express your interest in learning more.

📨 Example Response:

Hello [Brand Representative's Name],

Thank you for reaching out and considering a collaboration with my channel.

I'm excited to learn more about your proposal and how we might work together.

Could you please provide additional details about the campaign objectives, deliverables, and timelines?Looking forward to your response.

Best regards,[Your Name]

Managing Sponsorship Relationships

Congratulations! You've landed a sponsorship. But the work doesn't stop there. Managing these relationships is key to securing long-term partnerships and future opportunities.

Delivering on your promises

This one's simple: do what you said you would do. Meet deadlines, follow the agreed-upon guidelines, and produce high-quality content. Reliability goes a long way in this business.

💡Tip: Keep in mind the goals of the brand when creating sponsored content, some brands are looking to raise awareness during their sponsorship campaigns, but others are looking for direct sales.

Maintaining transparency with your audience

Your audience trusts you, so be upfront about your sponsorships. Not only is this legally required in many places, but it also helps maintain your credibility with your viewers.

Nurturing long-term partnerships

Don't think of sponsorships as one-off deals. If you do a great job, there's potential for ongoing partnerships. Keep in touch with your contacts, share the results of your campaigns, and be open to feedback.

Legal Considerations and Best Practices

Before we wrap up, let's touch on some important legal stuff. Always disclose your sponsorships clearly in your videos. Familiarize yourself with FTC guidelines (or similar regulations in your country) regarding sponsored content. And when in doubt, consult with a legal professional.

Reviewing and understanding sponsorship contracts

Before signing any sponsorship agreement, carefully review the contract to ensure you understand all the terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:

Deliverables and deadlines
Payment terms and conditions
Content ownership and usage rights
Exclusivity clauses and non-compete restrictions
Termination and cancellation policies

Intellectual property rights and content ownership

It's crucial to clarify who owns the intellectual property rights to the sponsored content you create. Typical arrangements include:

The brand owns the content, and you grant them a license to use it
You retain ownership, and the brand has usage rights for a specific period
Joint ownership or shared rights between you and the brand

Compliance with regulations and guidelines

Ensure your sponsored content complies with relevant regulations and guidelines, such as:

FTC's Endorsement Guides for disclosure of sponsored content
YouTube's policies on sponsored content and product placement
Industry-specific regulations (e.g., alcohol, pharmaceuticals)

Delivering Sponsored Content

Creating high-quality sponsored videos

To maintain your audience's trust and the brand's satisfaction, it's essential to produce high-quality sponsored videos that align with your usual content standards. Consider:

Incorporating the brand's messaging and objectives seamlessly
Maintaining your authentic voice and style
Using professional equipment and editing techniques
Providing genuine and honest endorsements

Best practices for sponsored content integration

Clearly disclose the sponsorship upfront (as required by regulations)
Integrate the sponsored content naturally and relevantly
Avoid overly promotional or salesy language
Provide value to your audience beyond the sponsored message

Measuring and reporting results

To demonstrate the value of your sponsorship and build a case for future collaborations, track and report relevant metrics to the brand, such as:

Video views and engagement (likes, comments, shares)
Click-through rates and website traffic
Sales or conversions generated (if applicable)
Social media reach and engagement

Conclusion

Getting sponsored on YouTube isn't an overnight process, but with persistence, professionalism, and a dash of creativity, it's absolutely achievable. Remember, it's not just about the money. The right sponsorships can help you create better content, grow your channel, and build a sustainable career doing what you love.

FAQs

How many subscribers do I need to get sponsored on YouTube?

While there is no set subscriber count requirement, most brands prefer to work with creators who have at least 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers and a highly engaged audience.

Can I get sponsored with a small YouTube channel?

Yes, it's possible to get sponsored with a smaller channel, especially if you have a highly engaged and niche-specific audience that aligns with the brand's target market.

How much can I charge for a sponsored video?

Sponsorship rates can vary significantly depending on your audience size, engagement, content quality, and the brand's budget. Typical rates range from a few hundred dollars for smaller creators to thousands or even tens of thousands for larger channels.

Do I need to disclose sponsored content?

Yes, it's a legal requirement to clearly disclose sponsored content to your audience, as per the FTC's Endorsement Guides and YouTube's policies.

Can I work with multiple competing brands at the same time?

This depends on the terms of your sponsorship agreements. Some brands may require exclusivity or non-compete clauses, preventing you from working with direct competitors for a certain period.

How can I ensure my sponsored content remains authentic?

Always be selective about the brands and products you endorse, ensuring they align with your values and content. Maintain your authentic voice and style, and provide genuine endorsements based on your experiences.