What is a good way to get YouTubers as contestants for a brand-new (zero subs) YouTube game show?

[Jack Decker]

What would you suggest is a good way to get YouTubers to apply to be contestants for a daily YouTube game show that hasn't been launched yet as it needs contestants to make game episodes?

If you want more info....

The game is a deduction game (a variation of the spoken parlor game "20 questions") where it is all done over a Zoom video conference call. Two contestants try to guess the mystery of a mystery guest and then the next episode, the mystery guest becomes the next challenger.

So far getting no results, I've posted to:
1) r/LetsPlayCollobaration
2) The Tuesday Collaboration thread on r/NewTubers.
3) The collaboration forums here on YTtalk.

Getting ONE applicant each, I've:
1) Asked in a $5 superchat about how to get YouTubers as contestants during (I think) a Roberto Blake live stream, I got three listeners expressing interest but only one who went to the trouble of DMing me.
2) Emailed all the YouTubers I subscribe to.
3) Replied to over 20 YouTubers who replied to a community post by a YouTuber Helper (Nick Nimmin) which asked what they did on their channel, which took HOURS to do. And that 20 was after sifting through over 500 replies looking for those who have also done live streams.
4) Asked who is a YouTuber in the "What's My Line?" Facebook group and then later told about the game show and asked if any would be interested. Over eight expressed interest BUT only one has filled out the application form when posting a link to it to that thread.
5) Asked the only friend I have who is also a YouTuber, whose channel has just 9 subs.

What I am pondering on doing is advertising for YouTubers and running those ads on YouTuber helper channels, such as Roberto Blake, Nick Nimmin, Darrel Eves, Video Creators, etc.. Nick Nimmin suggested this during one of his live streams when I posted a $5 superchat asking if I should sponsor a YouTuber like him to get YouTubers as contestants. He discouraged doing so as it would be too expensive and instead suggested doing Google ads on YouTuber helper channels as it would only cost two cents per click-through.

BUT if someone has a better (a.k.a. FREE) way of getting YouTuber applicants, PLEASE tell me your idea!

 

[Nicekid76]

i honestly don't have an answer. But to state a fact that you already most likely know - the tricky thing is when you don't have a lot of subs on the channel the "promote your channel via this game show" method doesn't really work. Like if you upload that exact video and you had 10k-100k subs, well you would have 100's of people interested in joining just because they want to grow their channel, regardless if they believe in the project. I've met 100's of youtubers and you can literally see their eyes glaze over when I told them how many subs I have. tbh not everyone cares, but when people ask to collab or when you ask people to collab it tends to be the first question.
next - maybe you should use the 2 youtubers who have signed up so far a create an official episode. Call it episode 0 if you'd like. This video will be at the quality you expect the show to be. No cellphone camera, full screen, eye level camera, etc

 

[Jack Decker]

i honestly don't have an answer.

WHAT?!?!?! Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so.

[bonus points to the first to post a reply telling who said that famous phrase and who it was said to.]

But to state a fact that you already most likely know....

Never underestimate my intelligence. LOL!

- the tricky thing is when you don't have a lot of subs on the channel the "promote your channel via this game show" method doesn't really work. Like if you upload that exact video and you had 10k-100k subs, well you would have 100's of people interested in joining just because they want to grow their channel, regardless if they believe in the project. I've met 100's of youtubers and you can literally see their eyes glaze over when I told them how many subs I have.

Yeah, I know. But here's the thing they don't seem to get. If they wait until my channel is popular, they're no one special to me. They will receive no special consideration when they then apply to get on the show. BUT if they help me when I'm starting out, there's a very good chance I will remember them doing so and then when my channel becomes popular (yeah, I know that's more of a "if" now than a "when" but positive thinking tells me to type it the other way), I will very likely remember the favor they did me and return it with another invite on my show. Possibly several invites over the following years. So a small investment of time on a gamble, could pay off very handsomely in the long run.

And, yeah, I know, few think in such long-term ways.

tbh not everyone cares,

As the five I already got shows.

but when people ask to collab or when you ask people to collab it tends to be the first question.

Yup, I agree with that assessment.

next - maybe you should use the 2 youtubers who have signed up so far a create an official episode. Call it episode 0 if you'd like. This video will be at the quality you expect the show to be. No cellphone camera, full screen, eye level camera, etc

I will definitely give this suggestion serious thought. I'd need three of them to do it. Not sure I get can three out of the five. But I will keep this in mind.

There is also the sponsoring of a YouTuber helper channel for one video. YouTuber helpers like Roberto Blake, Nick Nimmin, Video Creators, etc. If I do this, it would have to be a video about collaborations so it draws the best crowd and works right in with the theme of the video. BUTTTTT there is the issue of cost. This MIGHT get prohibitively expensive. BUTTTTT it might be worth it. And it would remain an ad for the game show from then forward.