If you’re a frequent YouTuber-er there’s a very good chance you’re already familiar with Shane Dawson. Every week he posts videos on his two YouTube channels in the form of impersonations, music video spoofs of popular songs, a Q&A webseries, and vlogs. With over 850 million video views and almost 4 million YouTube subscribers, we think it’s safe to say Shane knows what he’s doing.
We were able to ask Shane a few questions about how he’s grown his channel…
Are there specific actions on your end that you think got your YouTube page to really take off?
I think what I did differently was I started talking directly to the audience and relating to them on a personal level. I feel like I made a true friendship with all of the people watching. So it became personal and they are doing this whole thing with me.
What are the different kinds of content you post on your YouTube channels?
My videos range from highly produced sketch comedy to music videos to documenting daily life also known as daily vlogs.
What are some things you do on your YouTube channel to keep viewers coming back?
Every week I start a conversation with the audience by asking a question of the week and I really try to make them feel involved in my videos. They know to expect that from me every week which I think keeps them coming back. (Do you think all the child stars hang out together?)
What advice would you give an artist just starting to use YouTube as a form of promotion?
Let the viewer into your life and also find ways to relate to them. The internet is all about social media so you really need to portray yourself as someone people want to socialize with. I’m constantly talking to my audience through all social media.
Are there some common mistakes you see artists making when it comes to YouTube (or other forms of social media)?
The audience wants to feel like they are interacting with you, not just watching. Sometimes people make the mistake of trying to make their lives seem super interesting in their videos or on social media and in my experience the audience really wants to just interact with you and get to know you more than watch your life.
For more social media tips for musicians, check out our guest post from last week by the team at Sneak Attack Media.