YouTube, which was started in 2005, is becoming more and more popular as the ultimate “go to” website for watching and streaming videos. Regular users who would otherwise have remained entirely anonymous are finding fame through uploading videos, just like how Justin Bieber got his start. These growing numbers of anonymous people are building successful media platforms through sharing their talents, their voices, and building an audience of their own. We have gathered information on YouTube’s biggest stars–based on total views and their rankings. These Youtuber’s successes started from simply uploading videos in their bedroom and later they expanded their blogging habit into fame and fortune.
1. PewDiePie – $21 million (3 billion views)
PewDiePie, also known as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, is a Swedish YouTube vlogger whose features basically concentrate on the domain of video games. Kjellberg has broken various YouTube progress records, hopping from 12 million supporters in August 2013 to more than 20 million in January 2014. PewDiePie didn’t become successful just because of a sudden viral hit or a change in his YouTube presence. Instead, the reason behind his success is “consistency”. Kjellberg uploads videos on his channel almost every single day. The moment he started getting popular, he built upon his success and never let up his online presence. He invests heaps of time discussing his fan’s inquiries in the comments, and formed a famous group of “bros” where his fans can share his work with their friends.
Lesson: PewDiePie’s fame is a worthy lesson for anyone eager to grow audience on YouTube. There is no secret formula but consistency, hard work, and quality content to engage your audience constantly.
2. BlueXephos – $16.1 million (2.3 billion views)
BlueXephos is the major YouTube channel for the Yogscast bunch–a gathering of gaming companions. Back in 2008 a young man named Lewis started a little YouTube channel called BlueXephos to share his best friend Simon’s charm with the world. They gained initial popularity from posting a “how to” video of the most entertaining game at the time, “World of Warcraft.” In 2010, Simon and Lewis started one of the most popular serialized shows on YouTube, The Shadow of Israphel. In March 2013, the channel was the most seen and the second-most subscribed to channel on YouTube. Simon and Lewis won “Greatest YouTube Gamer” award two consecutive years at the Joystick Awards.
During its six-year lifespan, Yogscast has grown from being a single YouTube channel to a commercial network. There is now an army of Yogscasters characters each armed with their own YouTube channel, and viewer following.
Lesson: If you make videos that are related to hot news or popular things that everybody is discussing and finding on the web, you’ll have a superior chance of getting fame. Staying current is vital in the ever-changing world of social media.
3. DisneyCollectorBR – $5.1 million (1.51 billion views)
DisneyCollectorBR is a famous YouTube channel owned by an anonymous Brazilian lady who frequently uploads videos of Disney toys. Despite her anonymous status, DisneyCollectorBR is the most-watched YouTube channel in the United States. Disney has entered into the child’s world and channel videos leave a “spellbinding effect” on children through background music, voice and instructions. Young kids love the opportunity to observe someone demonstrating how to engage with certain toys, which is why this faceless YouTube channel is consistently on the top list. In April, the channel was the third-most seen around the world, coming in right after Katy Perry’s channel.
Lesson: The appearance of your YouTube channel can make or break the success of your videos. Put your efforts to the draw the attention of the viewers! Create an appealing channel name and add relevant content to get things started. Don’t forget to add a channel short description to give viewers an idea of the kind of content you’re offering.
4. Smosh – $19.6 million (2.8 billion views)
Smosh is a YouTube comedy channel operated by Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. The producers behind the brand that was established in the fall of 2005 aren’t newcomers to Internet content creation or comedy. The co-founder, Anthony Padilla, started the whole phenomenon back in 2003 when he uploaded a few short Flash animations on the Newgrounds website. A few months later Ian Hecox, his friend, started helping him and the two still work together on each release. They went into the consideration of the YouTube group when their video of the Pokemon signature song became the most popular video of the time. Their dedication to high quality clips has helped them win the attention of more than eight million people from around the world. Since 2006, Smosh has made various comedy videos that are still regularly updated and consistently popular. They have also been in talks to begin airing their comedy content on television.
Lesson: Don’t undervalue the value of video production. If your content is interesting or creative, but the quality is low, your viewers will watch the video for first few seconds. Invest in a good video camera to capture HD videos and use professional video editing programs to make your video catchier.
5. RayWilliamJohnson – $18.2 million (2.6 billion views)
Ray William Johnson is an American video blogger, writer, producer, and actor best known for his YouTube series Equals. One industry publication reported that Johnson had six of the top 20 most watched videos of the month. Johnson picked up popularity from his series Equals Three where he gives opinion and personal views to viral videos. Johnson is likewise a gifted author of music and lyrics across a number of different music genres–which he uses in his videos. With his entertaining comments and creativity, he maintains a consistently large viewership that endures to follow his work from the aggressive to the instructive. His channel has more than 10 million subscribers and gets more views than 99% of regular television programming. The secret of RayWilliam Johnson success is regular and frequent scheduling–that is one of the important advices, best practices, and strategies to build greater audiences on YouTube.
Lesson: Some of the most popular YouTube stars create schedules to release their videos, and it really seems to work for them. Fans get familiar and return for the latest video at the same time every week. To help boost your exposure, create a schedule and let your fans know when to expect your new content.
6. Shane Dawson – $315,000
Twenty-six-year-old Shane Dawson is so popular that he has 12 million-plus subscribers across three different YouTube channels. In August 2008 Shane and his family were fired after he uploaded a video of himself pole dancing in the building he worked in. Later in September, he uploaded a video called “Fred is Dead!” the most-viewed video on YouTube (at that time, received over 23 million views). Every week Dawson posts new videos on his main channel, ShaneDawsonTV, and formerly posts other videos on other channels. Shane often cooperates with other YouTubers and also appears in their videos. Dawson was also featured on “Attack of the Show” and, in 2010, Forbes magazine named him their 25th most famous web celebrity.
Lesson: Always look for opportunities to collaborate with other YouTubers with similar style and viewership. Through collaboration you can share each other’s audiences, which will result in more YouTube recognition and getting to be a more prominent part of the YouTube community.
7. Philip DeFranco – $181,000 (1 billion views)
Phil DeFranco has long been one of the most cherished vloggers on YouTube; a kid from the Bronx who started off acting like an idiot before building a small empire on the world’s largest video platform. Phil DeFranco got his start on YouTube when he first made his channel, sxephil, in 2006. His channel SourceFed (acquired by Discovery Communications), which blends political news and humor, is frequently named as the most successful of the much-hyped YouTube funded channels. The cast is what sets this show apart from others like it. The whole cast is so lovable and relevant that ever single news piece feels important and entertaining. The videos engage viewers on a personal level and truly create a link with the viewer.
Lesson: Many YouTube stars gain popularity by making a video response and giving it a hilarious twist. These funny makeovers and parodies are extremely popular, which helps you to capitalize on other people’s success. These responses pop up when people search for the famous video and eventually it catapults the originals to even greater fame.
8. Fred – $146,000
Fred Figglehorn is an imaginary character, played by Lucas Cruikshank, who uploads videos at Fred’s Channel on YouTube. The character Fred describes himself as a 6-year-old boy with a worthless family life and issues with anger management. Lucas’s videos are about teenage issues like school dances, dating, girls, irritating parents and more in a funny, hilarious, and sometimes-vulgar approach.
The character of Fred became a phenomenon on the web with over 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Fred’s high-pitched chipmunk voice and energetic character attract viewers to watch his videos in droves. Each of Fred’s videos is new, fresh and relevant to what is going on in the lives of kids right now.
Lesson: Aggressively engage social media to promote your YouTube channel. Through social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, you can let people in your circle know about your videos. This will not only target your family and friends but also people in your friends’ circles. Let them promote you too.
Featured photo credit: I can make you famous!/Tim Constable via flickr.com
