New Study Reveals YouTube Influencer Marketing Trends for 2019
The number of YouTube channels earning over six figures grew by more than 40 percent in 2018. YouTube may have started out as a place on the internet to share funny and shocking videos, but in 2019 it’s becoming one of the premier advertising platforms in the world, mainly through influencer marketing videos.
To better understand how this all works, Shorr Packaging recently analyzed more than 1,500 YouTube user channels to learn more about the growing impact of YouTube influencer marketing and what it means for retailers. The study focused on two of the most popular types of influencer marketing videos on YouTube, “unboxing videos” and “haul videos.”
If you’re not familiar with these types of videos, let’s quickly define what they are before diving deeper into the analysis. A haul video is a video on YouTube in which a person discusses a number of products they’ve recently purchased, typically on a bulk shopping spree that's more commonly known as a “haul.” Some influencers do this when a certain brand launches a new product line. An unboxing video is a YouTube Video in which a person opens a package, uses the product and then gives a review for the audience. You probably saw videos like these when the latest iPhone was released.
What We Learned From the Report
Haul Videos
- Clothing videos make up 59 percent of all haul videos, followed by beauty and makeup, groceries, toys, books and craft supplies.
- Dollar Tree was mentioned in over 26 percent of all the haul videos analyzed. Other brands earning mentions include Fashion Nova, Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Forever 21.
- A typical haul video influencer has 2 million views on their videos, around 21,000 subscribers, and earns less than $6,000 per year. However, there were 25 people globally who earned more than $500,000 making haul videos in 2018.
Unboxing Videos
- The most common category of unboxing videos are for toys (29 percent), followed by smartphones, computers, tablets, gaming consoles and other forms of consumer technology.
- Ali Express was mentioned more than any other brand in unboxing videos (21 percent of the time), followed by Samsung, Apple, Google, Amazon.com and Sony.
- A typical unboxing influencer has been uploading for less than a year, has 1,500 video views, 40 channel subscribers and makes no annual earnings from their efforts. While this may see grim, there are 18 unboxers that made more than $500,000 in 2018.
What it Means for Retailers?
The findings of this report show there's a great opportunity for brands and retailers to leverage YouTube influencers to get their product in front of millions of people, especially in sectors like fashion, consumer technology and children’s toys. Retailers would be wise to target haul video influencers over unboxing influencers as they tend to have a bigger following. The report also shows which brands are currently embracing this strategy successfully, providing a blueprint for other brands to follow. Look no further than Dollar Tree and Ali Express for creative examples of YouTube influencer marketing.
Jim Burns is the corporate sales and marketing manager at Shorr Packaging, a distributor of packaging products and equipment including boxes, tapes and adhesives, shipping supplies, and protective supplies.
Jim Burns is the corporate sales and marketing manager at Shorr Packaging, a distributor of packaging products and equipment including boxes, tapes and adhesives, shipping supplies, and protective supplies.
