YouTube influencer advertising and marketing is a strong however usually underused device in a marketer’s toolbox. Based on knowledge we collected utilizing our Sprout Social Influencer Advertising platform, in 2024, YouTube influencers generated 28.4 billion engagements in the USA alone. That form of consideration is tough to disregard.
Nonetheless, many social media entrepreneurs discover utilizing YouTube as a channel for influencer advertising and marketing intimidating. It is because long-form video content material requires extra time, finances and artistic power than different codecs. Nonetheless, with the rise of YouTube Shorts and its prolonged time restrict, manufacturers and influencers have extra flexibility in testing and exploring completely different content material codecs.
This information explains why YouTube influencer advertising and marketing issues and the way manufacturers are utilizing it. Plus, you’ll see actual marketing campaign examples and step-by-step suggestions for launching your personal.
Why use YouTube influencer advertising and marketing?
YouTube is a social media juggernaut. Based on Sprout’s 2024 Content material Technique Report, over three-quarters (78%) of all social customers have a YouTube profile. This huge attain makes YouTube the right platform for selling your model to a big viewers.
YouTube can be one of many few platforms the place audiences anticipate—and like—longer-form video content material. The identical report discovered that 51% of YouTube customers are most definitely to interact with long-form movies from manufacturers and achieve this persistently. Near a 3rd (32%) of YouTube customers work together with manufacturers on the platform daily, and one other 47% achieve this at the least as soon as per week.
YouTube’s mixture of lengthy and short-form content material additionally offers you choices. Longer movies are nice for in-depth storytelling, comparable to critiques or tutorials, whereas Shorts are excellent for attention-grabbing, trend-driven content material. Collectively, they’re a strong combo that builds visibility and belief whereas maximizing content material mileage.
How manufacturers use YouTube for influencer advertising and marketing
YouTube’s format flexibility provides plenty of potential for influencer advertising and marketing, from fast, scrollable short-form movies to extra detailed and academic long-form content material.
Listed below are seven several types of influencer advertising and marketing campaigns that carry out nicely on YouTube.
1. Product critiques and comparisons
In these movies, influencers share sincere opinions a couple of services or products, usually evaluating it to comparable choices or different variations.
Ideally, these movies ought to transcend surface-level impressions. Viewers respect it when influencers clarify the professionals and cons and really use the product.
For instance, on this sponsored product evaluation from quilting YouTube channel Sample Poole TV, the influencer highlights the technical options of Brother’s BQ3100 stitching and quilting machine. However they don’t cease there. On the finish of the video, they point out they’ll be utilizing the machine for an upcoming quilting undertaking. This method lets viewers see the way it holds up over time, not simply in a fast demo.
2. Tutorials and how-tos
Nice for problem-solving merchandise like apps, make-up or instruments, these movies stroll viewers by means of find out how to use or apply a product in actual life. They assist folks image themselves utilizing the product, which may generate leads and drive gross sales. These movies are additionally extremely searchable and proceed to drive visitors over time.
This format works nicely for long-form movies or ‘fast tip’ Shorts, like this collaboration between ABC’s Shark Tank and Google Workspace. The video exhibits enterprise house owners utilizing Google Workspace’s new Gemini device, illustrating how they use it to create a promotional calendar.
3. Hauls
Hauls are all about showcasing a wide range of merchandise in a single go, sometimes from a single model or centered round a theme, comparable to a spring wardrobe refresh or back-to-school provides. Influencers sometimes type or take a look at out the gadgets within the video so audiences can see how they’d use the product themselves.
For instance, within the video beneath, influencer Kelly Ferguson tries on varied swimsuits from Lands Finish’s Waveshaper assortment. The outline additionally has a reduction code and affiliate hyperlinks to drive conversions.
4. Unboxing movies
These movies seize first impressions and that satisfying “what’s inside” second. They’re nice for producing hype round new product launches, however at the moment’s audiences don’t simply need to see the merchandise. They need to know if it delivers. So as to add substance, think about combining this marketing campaign sort with a evaluation or haul.
On this video, Ellen and Mike, the creators of the Dungeons and Dragons-focused channel Oxventure, unbox a brand new Batman role-playing recreation. They study all of the items and spotlight notable options.
5. Day-in-the-life vlogs
This type follows influencers by means of a daily day, exhibiting how your product naturally suits into their lives. Many subcategories of this content material sort (e.g., “Get Prepared with Me,” “What I Eat in a Day,” “Clear with Me,” and many others.) observe an identical method, specializing in a extra particular exercise.
The model integration for this marketing campaign sort ought to be refined and never an overt gross sales pitch. The purpose is to construct belief and connection. For instance, we love how artist Temi Danso exhibits how she makes use of the Meta Quest 3 to view her work in combined actuality after which continues along with her day.
6. Instructional deep dives or explainer movies
These movies break down advanced subjects like private finance, wellness or productiveness and weave in a model’s services or products as a useful resolution.
On this video, influencer Katie Steckly shares her prime suggestions for filming your self for YouTube. For one of many suggestions, she shares how she makes use of the sponsored product, the Insta360 Circulation 2 Professional, so as to add movement to her photographs.
Much like the day-in-the-life type, these movies shouldn’t really feel like a tough promote. As an alternative, the purpose ought to be to ship clear, helpful info that establishes credibility and belief.
7. Sponsored problem
These movies contain influencers taking up a problem, with a product built-in into the content material. They’re sometimes tied to a pattern, season or particular purpose.
For instance, within the video beneath, influencer Sophie from Malama Life shares a 30-day decluttering problem. The video is sponsored by Audible, which she seamlessly integrates into the content material by recommending that viewers hearken to a podcast or audiobook whereas decluttering.
3 profitable YouTube influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign examples
What does nice YouTube influencer advertising and marketing really appear like? Listed below are three campaigns that hit the mark.
The Kroger Firm
The Kroger Firm recurrently companions with YouTube influencers to create Shorts and long-form video content material about their services. For instance, they shared this vacation meals quiz with meals influencer Tineke Youthful.
In addition they collaborated with life-style influencer Chrissy Allen, identified for her amusing and relatable ‘millennial mother’ content material, on a marketing campaign selling their grocery pickup service.
As Ryan Wenstrup-Moore, a social media supervisor at Kroger, shared with us at our Breaking Floor: Q1 2025 occasion, the corporate makes use of Sprout Influencer Advertising’s geo-location options to search out YouTube influencers in particular goal areas. Their purpose? To create an “edutainment ecosystem” of sponsored content material.
They take a really creator-led method, preferring long-term partnerships over one-off campaigns. To take care of authenticity, additionally they welcome influencers to pitch concepts on how they’d create content material utilizing their merchandise.
Hostinger x Reply in Progress
Hostinger is a tech firm that provides web site internet hosting and easy-to-use site-building instruments. They’ve teamed up with Reply in Progress, a YouTube channel identified for exploring quirky, thought-provoking questions like “Why does nobody know what curry is?” or “Why have been all of us compelled to be taught the recorder?”
What makes this influencer partnership stand out is how seamlessly Reply in Progress weaves Hostinger into their storytelling. As an alternative of a tough promote, they construct web sites that join on to the video’s matter—like this recipe weblog featured within the curry video—after which transition into a brief, on-brand promo with a customized low cost code. The product placement is helpful, intelligent and completely in sync with the content material.
MOB Magnificence x Monica Ravichandran
MOB Magnificence is a cosmetics model identified for its vegan, cruelty-free, pro-quality make-up. The model recurrently companions with influencers to create customized shades that replicate their distinctive type and voice.
Monica Ravichandran is a YouTube creator celebrated for her sincere critiques and “brown-girl-friendly” make-up suggestions. She lately partnered with the model after launching a video collection to search out her excellent pink lipstick for her marriage ceremony. The search ended with a collaboration: a customized pink shade made with MOB Magnificence.
Although the lipstick isn’t obtainable to the general public on the time of writing, the collection introduced her viewers alongside for the journey and constructed genuine buzz across the launch. It’s a fantastic instance of how manufacturers and creators can co-create content material that feels private, purposeful and definitely worth the hype.
Methods to create a profitable YouTube influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign
Able to create your personal YouTube influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign? It’s easy—simply observe these six steps.
1. Set up aims and KPIs
What are the targets of the marketing campaign and KPIs for achievement? For instance, with influencer advertising and marketing, some manufacturers are inclined to prioritize model consciousness and reaching new potential clients.
This implies you’ll observe KPIs like:
- Impressions
- Clicks
- Distinctive views
Arrange UTM parameters or brief hyperlinks for every influencer to make monitoring your marketing campaign simpler. With our Influencer Advertising platform, including affiliate UTM tags and pixels to observe visitors, conversions and efficiency is simple and seamless.
2. Outline your marketing campaign finances
Charges range from influencer to influencer and are partly based mostly on their whole attain.
Right here’s what YouTube influencer posts sometimes value, based mostly on their sort, in response to our Sprout Social Influencer Advertising knowledge:
- Nano-influencers: $55 per put up
- Micro-influencers: $300 per put up
- Macro-influencers: $7,500 per put up
- Mega-influencers: $105,000 per put up
And right here’s a breakdown of the 4 kinds of influencers, by follower rely:
- Nano-influencers: below 10,000 followers
- Micro-influencers: 10,000–100,000 followers
- Macro-influencers: 100,000–1,000,000 followers
- Mega-influencers: 1,000,000+ followers
Professional tip: Sprout Social’s Influencer Advertising platform options built-in marketing campaign finances administration to simply observe the place each advertising and marketing greenback goes and keep on prime of your spend.
3. Discover the suitable YouTube influencers
The following step is to search out YouTube influencers who align together with your model and your marketing campaign targets. Be certain that their followers align together with your potential clients, so that you attain people who find themselves extra prone to be thinking about your model.
Whilst you may manually search YouTube or examine your opponents’ sponsored content material, our all-in-one Influencer Advertising platform saves you effort and time. Capabilities like Creator Discovery help you simply filter influencers based mostly on location, platform, viewers dimension and topical alignment. Plus, our search operate makes use of machine studying to advocate creators who’re a robust model match.
4. Measure YouTube influencer marketing campaign success
Each influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign wants a plan for measuring success.
Right here are some things to arrange for every marketing campaign:
- As we talked about, you’ll need to create UTM hyperlinks to trace hyperlink clicks and visitors
- Create influencer-specific affiliate codes to trace conversions
- Arrange reporting and analytics dashboards to trace your marketing campaign’s targets
If all this knowledge feels overwhelming, our Influencer Advertising platform makes it simple to handle. Capabilities like Modular Marketing campaign Abstract and Report Builder will robotically pull efficiency metrics into clear, customizable reviews, making it fast and stress-free to trace your marketing campaign’s impression.
Curious the way it all comes collectively? Take our Influencer Advertising product tour to see how our platform handles every thing from discovering the suitable creators to monitoring marketing campaign efficiency.
5. Share the impression of your technique
Massive numbers and percentages could look nice, however they don’t imply a lot with out context. To reveal influencer advertising and marketing ROI to management and key stakeholders, you should join your efforts to actual enterprise outcomes. Clicks and conversions are nice, however they don’t totally talk the worth of social media, particularly on the subject of model consciousness.
Combine Sprout’s Influencer Advertising platform with different enterprise intelligence instruments like Salesforce or Google Analytics to point out how a marketing campaign influenced somebody at completely different factors within the gross sales funnel, not simply after they clicked “purchase.”
Sprout’s reporting may assist you visually talk your work to higher-ups and illustrate how influencer advertising and marketing helps brand-building and income targets.
6. Think about a YouTube influencer platform to streamline your technique
If YouTube is a key a part of your influencer advertising and marketing technique, it’s value utilizing a platform constructed particularly for it.
Managing Shorts and full-length video campaigns means completely different timelines, approval processes, artistic briefs, posting methods and efficiency metrics. With out the suitable instruments, issues can get messy quick.
A YouTube influencer advertising and marketing platform like Sprout allows you to handle every thing, from onboarding to funds, in a single dashboard. Plus, our creator discovery makes it simple to search out YouTube influencers in no matter area of interest you’re on the lookout for, together with digital natives like Millennials and Gen Zers.
And if you’re able to scale, it’s constructed to deal with extra. It’s simple to run a number of campaigns directly and handle creators throughout areas or verticals with out too many further steps.
Launch your YouTube influencer advertising and marketing campaigns
Working with influencers is an effective way to create content material that naturally promotes your model and its merchandise. It’s additionally probably the greatest methods to achieve youthful generations, also referred to as digital natives.
Able to put these methods into motion? E-book a demo to see how our platform makes YouTube influencer campaigns simpler to launch, handle and scale.
