How to be a YouTube celebrity

by tmamone
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March 21, 2009

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We live in an interesting time when you can become a celebrity just by posting a funny video online. Indeed the video hosting website YouTube has generated many stars, from Michael Buckley to Caitlin Hill to that "Numa Numa Guy." If you have a camera and a passion for entertainment, YouTube could be your ticket. Here are some tips to make sure your vidoes are being seen.

#1: Shtick

You’re more likely to get views if you have a trademark style or shtick. Whether it’s singing (Ysabella Brave), pop culture commetary (What the Buck), comedy skits (LisaNova), or just ranting (SxePhil), keep your focus on that particular talent. There is always room to expand, of course, but if you do too much you’ll lose your focus. Stick to what you know best.

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Ysabella Brave

I already knew Ysabella Brave (real name: Maryanne) from Livejournal, so I’ve been a fan since the beginning. She’s a marvelous singer who started out singing both covers and originals. But when YouTube passed stricter copyright policies, the covers were removed, so only her original songs remain. But she has an amazing voice, no matter what she’s singing! Dude to illness, however, she doesn’t record a lot of videos anymore.

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# 3: Keep in Touch with the Fans

Without the subscribers, where would you be? Even though you might be an Internet sensation, the moment you get too big for your britches the fans will turn on you. Make sure you keep in touch with your fans through YouTube gatherings, BlogTV live shows, colaboration videos, and videos that ask for video responses.

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What The Buck

Michael Buckley is one of the most famous faces of YouTube. His show (which updates about twice a week) covers the latest in pop-culture news and gossip. His brain moves pretty fast, though, so sometimes he jumps off topic. But if you like Perez Hilton, you’ll dig Buckley.

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# 2: Networking

YouTube is all about networking. Who you know is just as important as what you do. Unless you already have a friend who is a YouTube star, chances are your video might get lost in the shuffle. One of the best ways to make sure your video gets attention is to post it as a video response to some one else’s video. I made a video not too long ago and didn’t think it was my best work. But since I posted it as a video response to one of Caitlin Hill’s videos, I received 200 hits overnight!

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#4: Priorities

In the beginning, YouTube was just a great website to host videos. But when big-time corporations took notice, things changed. That’s when YouTubers started getting paid. Then many YouTubers started using advertisements, subtle product placement, and outright begging in their videos. As I mentioned earlier, your fans will know when you start selling out. You maybe safe behind a computer screen, but we can still smell bullshit.

While there is nothing wrong with make a career out of viral videos, make sure you never ever lose sight of your priorities. Do you want to entertain people? Do you want to make new friends? Or do you just want to be rich and famous?

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