K atie c ouric

Be the Same but Different
To start generating an audience on YouTube, you need to follow the basic
content patterns and trends. You usually can’t come out of nowhere with
content that’s totally unfamiliar. The biggest thing Ranta always tells people
is to 
be the same but different
. Your style needs to be recognizable and
people need to understand what’s going on, but it needs to be distinct
enough that someone will follow you over another vlogger.
Koppell points out that makeup tutorials and gaming channels do really
well, and family/kid content is the reigning champion on YouTube. She also
explains that a current popular trend to generate more watch time on your

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channel is to use cues that encourage people to stay. You can say things
like, “I can’t wait to tell you guys—I’m gonna reveal my secret surprise at
the end of the video.” Or if you’re doing a beauty tutorial, you can say,
“Stay till the end of the video, guys, because I’m gonna reveal the entire
look.”
Although you should follow the tips mentioned above, you also need to
develop your own unique way of doing things. Find your authentic voice
and formula. Make sure to bring your distinctive personality and show
people who you truly are. There is no one like you and if you bring your
whole self to the camera, it will help you shine and gain more fans.
Viral Machines
Ranta’s company, Studio71, works with Roman Atwood, one of the top
social influencers in the world, with more than fourteen million subscribers,
who has created viral videos that have received more than 4.5 billion views.
Atwood rose to fame from doing viral prank videos and then used that
success to create a daily vlog that was more family friendly.
Atwood is a viral machine. He hasn’t just had virals here and there but
has had consistent viral videos. A lot of that is because he understands
pacing and what makes something clickable or entertaining. He didn’t have
to go to acting class or hosting school. Once Atwood started doing pranks
online, he just had a way with the camera, and he is good looking, young,
and energetic.
Ranta explains that he read an interesting article about Michael Phelps
and why he’s such a successful swimmer. Apparently, Phelps was born with
an enlarged heart and had noticeably webbed fingers—it’s as though he
were born to be a swimmer. Ranta feels that many YouTube stars are
famous for the same reasons—it’s as if they were engineered in a lab to be
perfect YouTubers. Ranta says that the people who do well listen and learn.
They absorb information when it comes to optimization and programming
strategy. And they observe their fans’ behavior and cater to it.
Chris Williams agrees that personality is a big indicator of how
successful one will be on YouTube. But to do further analysis, his team
studied Ryan ToysReview, the largest YouTube creator channel in the world

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and also a partner of Chris’s company, to try and determine some of the
attributes that led to the channel’s phenomenal growth. According to
Forbes, this year alone the six-year-old host, Ryan, has made $11 million in
revenue from his YouTube account. The channel was tied for eighth on
Forbes’ annual list of the highest-earning YouTube accounts.
3
(Quite a
lucky kid, since he gets to live many children’s dreams of getting paid to
play with and review toys on the channel.)
Williams feels that much of Ryan’s success is because he appears
multicultural. This concept was brought to his attention while watching an
interview with Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, where he was asked about his
popularity. The Rock explained that he thinks that many people resonate
with him because they believe they share his nationality and ethnicity. They
think the Rock “is their thing” because he relates to a lot of different ethnic
communities. Williams says that Ryan has a similar appeal. He sees that
being perceived as multicultural is a rewarding attribute on YouTube. He
also thinks that Ryan’s mom’s infectious laugh (as she is the one who holds
the camera) has contributed to the channel’s success. And, of course, the
selection of content and toys that Ryan reviews contribute to his success.
Koppell adds that the greatest influencers work hard. As easy as it is for
people to diminish what influencers do, the reality is they are good at what
they do—there’s something about them that people want to watch. They
consistently put up content and put themselves out there adapting with the
times. She finds this respectable and valuable.