Collaborating - The Right and Wrong Way?

[PrettyKeli]

This seems like common sense to me but apparently there is something I'm missing.

If I had to make a choice, my vote is for... Outside of your niche


I can't fathom why makeup guru's only want to collaborate with other makeup gurus. Gamers only want to collab with gamers etc.

Isn't the whole point behind collaborating to touch an audience you will most likely NEVER be able to touch?


Example: If I have a makeup channel chances are I can possibly eventually grab the same audience as another makeup guru. I'm probably already showing in their suggested videos. They may most likely be my direct competition.

If I have a makeup channel and I do a collaboration with a gaming channel, I could potentially pull girl gamers, girlfriends, sisters, moms etc of gamers, as well as gamers who simply think I'm hot.

If I have a cooking channel, wouldn't it be smart to collaborate with a fishing channel? Two totally different niches but most likely there will be people from each side that subscribe to the other. An audience will be gained that most likely would have never happened otherwise.

Doesn't that make more sense?

Doing both is actually the best thing to do but I rarely see that. Most people refuse to collaborate with people outside of their niche. So, what about you?

*edited to add even better example*

 

[stopitnelle]

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[Crown]

Yes, I agree but I think a lot people don't get it. The best type of collaboration is where the channels are complementary but not competing. There needs to be a similar demographics in the target audience too IMO.

 

[PrettyKeli]

I understand where you're coming from. However, I don't completely agree with you. For example, I'm not interesting in gaming. If a vlogger I'm subscribed to makes a video with a gamer, I will probably not subscribe to them because it's not my thing. Your audience might not be interested in the other person's channel.


Beauty channels aren't only for females interested in makeup and males who want to watch a pretty woman

Note the part where I said "example" ^_^

To me it's not about the people who won't be interested, it's about taking the chance to grab the people that will be. The people who would probably never know you existed otherwise. As opposed to going after people who are most likely going to find you eventually if they haven't already.

Yes, I agree but I think a lot people don't get it. The best type of collaboration is where the channels are complementary but not competing. There needs to be a similar demographics in the target audience too IMO.

I agree about complementary but not competing. As far as similar demographics, I don't agree. It's not always just about the person they are targeting who subscribed. You have to also consider the "over the shoulder" viewers aka other people in the household who may be interested.

 

[Riddikore]

If a vlogger I'm subscribed to makes a video with a gamer, I will probably not subscribe to them because it's not my thing.

I see your point but I also see @PrettyKeli 's point. It's a good way to get exposure to people who may not have thought otherwise or even knew they might be interested in certain content. And many viewers have multiple interests. Some people know for sure they're not into watching a topic. Others might be like "oh that looks interesting, I might look into it more", especially if it looks fun or entertaining.

 

[Crown]

As far as similar demographics, I don't agree. It's not always just about the person they are targeting who subscribed. You have to also consider the "over the shoulder" viewers aka other people in the household who may be interested.

What I mean about demographics is for example:

Channel A's niche is travel vlogging in Italy and the demographics of the audience is mainly Italians -the commentary is in Italian.
Channel B is a cookery channel teaching Italian cuisine in the English language.
Channel C is a cookery channel teaching Italian cuisine in the Italian language.

Channel A should do a collab with Channel C and not Channel B because the demographics of channel A and channel B aren't a good match even if the niches are complementary.

Extreme example obv just to illustrate what I meant.

 

[PrettyKeli]

What I mean about demographics is for example:

Channel A's niche is travel vlogging in Italy and the demographics of the audience is mainly Italians -the commentary is in Italian.
Channel B is a cookery channel teaching Italian cuisine in the English language.
Channel C is a cookery channel teaching Italian cuisine in the Italian language.

Channel A should do a collab with Channel C and not Channel B because the demographics of channel A and channel B aren't a good match even if the niches are complementary.

Extreme example obv just to illustrate what I meant.

I think that's an awesome example and proves my point a bit more lol Just messing with you but on a serious note, it does.

I think channel A should do a collab with B and C. but that's just the way I think and here is why

How do we know if the people who watch channel A don't also speak English? Who is to say some of channel B's audience doesn't also speak Italian? It get's better, what if channel B does closed captioning translation in Italian? Better yet, who needs to understand a language to follow a visual cooking instruction video?

My point in all of this really is to get other youtubers to open their minds. We are so quick to find reasons not to expand and grow, yet we are so slow when it comes to making a way out of no way and finding reasons to succeed.

Just trying to get people to think differently is all.

 

[PinProject]

I agree with what you're saying, but you have to realize when you collaborate with someone in a different niche then you will most likely grab the attention of 10% of their viewers. For example I was watching a vlog from a youtuber who does pranks and in one of his vlogs he met up with another vlogger but he doesn't do pranks, his main channel is all about "fun facts". I ended up subscribing to his vlog channel just because of his personality but I didnt subscribe to his main channel just because it wasn't interesting to me.

 

[Crown]

I think that's an awesome example and proves my point a bit more lol Just messing with you but on a serious note, it does.

I think channel A should do a collab with B and C. but that's just the way I think and here is why

How do we know if the people who watch channel A don't also speak English? Who is to say some of channel B's audience doesn't also speak Italian? It get's better, what if channel B does closed captioning translation in Italian? Better yet, who needs to understand a language to follow a visual cooking instruction video?

My point in all of this really is to get other youtubers to open their minds. We are so quick to find reasons not to expand and grow, yet we are so slow when it comes to making a way out of no way and finding reasons to succeed.

Just trying to get people to think differently is all.

Yeah absolutely, if we're sure that a large enough proportion do speak English then that could justify the collab and that could work. I think we're actually agreeing but getting a bit caught up in the semantics of niche and demographics.

My channel is a tutorials channel and there's a guy on YouTube (direct competitor but smaller channel) who has been constantly reaching out to me, promoting his vids to me via PM, trying to do a collab etc etc. In the end, I just replied to him and asked him "Why are you promoting your videos to me? I do not need to learn this skill. I am already a fully qualified teacher of what you are teaching. I am not your target audience and why would we collab anyway? There is no win-win at all. He never replied lol.

 

[mindway]

This seems like common sense to me but apparently there is something I'm missing.

If I had to make a choice, my vote is for... Outside of your niche


I can't fathom why makeup guru's only want to collaborate with other makeup gurus. Gamers only want to collab with gamers etc.

Isn't the whole point behind collaborating to touch an audience you will most likely NEVER be able to touch?


Example: If I have a makeup channel chances are I can possibly eventually grab the same audience as another makeup guru. I'm probably already showing in their suggested videos. They may most likely be my direct competition.

If I have a makeup channel and I do a collaboration with a gaming channel, I could potentially pull girl gamers, girlfriends, sisters, moms etc of gamers, as well as gamers who simply think I'm hot.

If I have a cooking channel, wouldn't it be smart to collaborate with a fishing channel? Two totally different niches but most likely there will be people from each side that subscribe to the other. An audience will be gained that most likely would have never happened otherwise.

Doesn't that make more sense?

Doing both is actually the best thing to do but I rarely see that. Most people refuse to collaborate with people outside of their niche. So, what about you?

*edited to add even better example*

Totally Right i vote Outside of your niche.