The Internet has a community that is full of real and manufactured drama
If you have been on Youtube for any amount of time you have probably come across “drama channels” on the video sharing platform. In simple terms a drama channel is an account setup on Youtube by superfans who are obsessed with a particular social media influencer and they publish videos everyday. One particular area of interest seems to be the beauty community. In this small group there are individuals who talk about makeup and review cosmetics products. Lately these influencers and makeup ambassadors have been setting up their own brands to promote to their audience of followers.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comMoney is in the numbers
Some of these Youtube channels have millions of subscribers and millions of watch hours. All of this translates into money earn from advertisements. You may have seen commercials on a video while you are watching it. These ads earn the youtuber money every time someone watches their videos. Google owns Youtube and so the alphabet will find advertisers that want to gain customers for a particular product or service. Due to people having the opportunity to make as much as $30,000 dollars from one video, there is plenty of competition between the beauty influencers and drama channels.
Photo by mikoto.raw on Pexels.comThe Science of creating viral content
In my opinion I think that the beauty community drama is manufactured, it is created to cause a buzz and to get people talking. If you look at some of the various scenarios that start the so called “drama mill“, it starts first with someone criticizing another influencers lifestyle choices or even creating a fictional storyline which purpose is to gain attention and views. Sometimes this controversial drama will be picked up from a mainstream media outlet. Unfortunately some of these “pranks” end up being harmful to everyone involved.
The YouTube space is built on a generation that was raised on Instagram so they put their whole life on the internet for anyone to scrutinize. Just think of your worst experience in high school then magnify it a hundred times bigger and then broadcast it on social media for everyone to see. For example conversations that should be kept behind closed doors ends up on the front page of a news article.
The downside of Social Media
If you have watched the movie: (Mean Girls) then you understand that society rewards those who are “problematic”. Youtube and Twitter has become the place where people feel they can say anything they want without consequences.
Which makes you wonder where are the moderators, who is monitoring all of this chaotic behavior? So far it doesn’t seem to be anyone in particular but instead an algorithm and (AI) artificial intelligence machine.
Clever youtubers have figured out how the youtube algorithm works and they are monopolizing the rankings with manufactured drama and gossip.
Photo by Fardad Postwala on Pexels.comObsession or just Smart Marketing?
Drama channels will talk about the same social media influencers in every video they upload because it gets views. It may appear that the vlogger is obsessed with this particular beauty guru but in actuality the YouTube algorithm is rewarding that channel with priority views. Just look through all the videos that are on the trending page or that are in the recommended section. It will be a favorite keyword that keeps popping up to the top. Many people will start creating more content on “popular” topics because those kinds of videos give them more money.
Big Brands are taking notice
The other piece of the puzzle is that brands will pay Youtubers to promote their products and services, sometimes the youtuber will receive free merchandise in exchange for a positive review, while others will receive compensation for recommending a certain brand on their videos. So it is hard to determine if the person really likes the product or is just saying they like it because they were paid. The vlog channels will often be put on a PR list and be sent new items before it is released to the public. This gives the reviewers on Youtube an edge and an opportunity to gain more followers.
Photo on Pexels.comWho is that person?
Anyone can start a YouTube channel and if they have the right kind of personality they can attract followers who will be committed to watching, participating and sharing the vloggers content across the web. These youtubers are celebrities to the audience that follows them. The names may not be familiar to the average person but to the people who subscribe to social influencers this group will purchase products and services based on their favorite beauty gurus recommendations.
If their favorite influencer is wearing a particular fashion brand or using a popular mobile app then it becomes trendy among their superfans. For those who are older and were not raised on social media, it can be hard to understand why someone would want to post their personal thoughts, life and conversations on a public platform for the world to see and as you can imagine it has caused plenty of drama online.
Customizeable and Interactive Social Marketing
Professionals have found ways to monetize this chaos earning billions of dollars a year. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and now TikTok are creating a group of “influencers” to advertise to a new type of consumer. This consumer wants authentic messages surrounding the products they buy. Social media has made it easier for companies to give the people who buy their products what they want instantly, if there is something that needs to be changed or developed brands can now create custom-made products that fit a persons values and lifestyle.
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.comMy experience with Social Networking Sites
I have been watching Youtube videos since 2010 and I will say that I have watched vloggers grow up, get married, have families, move into a new home, travel around the world, get divorced, start businesses, change careers, have melt downs, share their successes and their failures, all while living their life in front of a video camera.
Often times when I was watching all of these people record their lives on Youtube, it was entertaining, inspirational, addictive, upsetting, surprising, educational, unbelieveable, emotional, uplifting, heart wrenching, compelling and most of all influential.
As you may know I consider myself a curator, researcher, blogger and observer of the web. Each day I find interesting topics, trends, ideas and I learn something new that I had not known about before. I think that is the positive side of the internet. Social media can be a dark place full of unmentionable behavior but at the same time it can be the most motivational place on earth.
In conclusion: Youtube has provided a place for average people to become celebrities, the video sharing platform has offered a unconventional way for individuals to earn a full-time living from just being themselves in front of a camera. Companies have been able to leverage these Youtubers social influence to create brand awareness.
I also want to mention that the internet is a tool to be used for learning, expressing, creating, sharing and believing. Social media is a place for discussions and conversations for people to come together for encouragement, mentorship while developing lifelong connections.
Those on social media who have influenced my life by publicly sharing their own, will never know how much I and many others appreciate them having the courage to put themselves out there to be scrutinized, and criticized. I think because of their actions, the world can participate in the growing virtual economy being built by how people interact and communicate with each other online.
Read More: http://businessmarketingnewsblog.com/2020/11/20/the-business-of-social-influencers/