Most YouTube creators dream of getting a brand deal – and for good reason. Instead of depending on 

, they get to diversify their income and make more money.

The best way to get a brand deal, ironically, is to become a brand yourself.

 Having a YouTube channel is great, but taking the steps to create a business gives your content a different identity. For example, it’s one thing to post videos about how to emigrate from the U.S. to Mexico. It is another thing entirely to sell courses, consultations, and e-books about how to make the switch. That’s a step above content creation. When your empire is 

 fleshed out, brands have more information about how and why they should partner with you.

Making Money on YouTube - 7 Tips to Start a Successful Business

In this episode of TubeTalk, we chat with Mike Bienstock about what it takes to get and keep a brand deal on YouTube. Bienstock is the chief executive at 

, which helps creators get products into stores, negotiate brand deals, and more.

In addition to treating yourself like a brand, here's how to get (and keep) YouTube brand deals.

“a partnership between creators and brands and is sometimes referred to as a brand sponsorship.”

 That definition comes from a Creator Academy 

. Most partnerships are simple: You create a piece of content that features a product, and the brand pays you for your work.

You don’t need millions of subscribers to partner with a brand. Oftentimes, you just need a focused niche, high-quality content, and a good pitch.

It’s Easier to Get a Brand Deal When You’re Serious About YouTube

Before striking a deal with a creator, Bienstock gauges their 

 So if you’re interested in getting brand deals, go all-in. Be consistent with your video uploads, create awesome thumbnails, and write the best titles you can. Let your passion spill over into everything you create so brands know you’re here to stay.

Having lots of views and subscribers helps too. But Bienstock says there are more important factors.

“It’s more about attitude and dedication than any particular metrics because the metrics can grow and expand over time,” Bienstock says. “The creator’s attitude of how they are treating it is usually pretty [ingrained].”

You Need to Love The Product/Service You’re Promoting

You can’t fake passion on YouTube. If you’re a creator who appears on camera, think of how long people have studied your mannerisms. By now, they know when you’re being genuine or if something seems off. That’s why you can’t say yes to any brand deal. People will know when you’re promoting something just for the money.

“Creators and their audiences, that relationship is very transparent,” Bienstock says. “We’ve learned this way back in the early days: If the creator isn’t really excited or passionate about the project or what’s happening, the audience can tell…. We need to figure out something that’s going to fire up the creator because the audience is going to sense how true that is.”

Before agreeing to do anything, make sure that…

The product or service is something you believe in and aligns with your channel

Your audience will benefit from using the product or service

You are excited and passionate about promoting the brand

Brands Will Reject Your Pitch, and That’s OK

Everyone faces rejection when they’re trying to get a brand deal. Yes, – even the talented negotiators at Semaphore. The company is super successful, and yet, not every brand is willing to work with the creators they represent.

“We get told no a lot, and we get told, ‘What you're proposing is impossible,’” Bienstock says. “Now it makes me laugh because people tell me things are impossible, and 12 months later, we’re working on a national launch tied to something they swore was impossible.”

If a major company can fail like this and still keep going, so can you! Don’t feel too bad about getting rejection emails, or even worse, no response. It’s just one brand. There are more opportunities out there if you’re willing to look.

Brand Deals Create More Work, But You Can Handle It

It’s true. Brand deals are more work than what you would do on your own. When you’re simply creating videos, you get to make a plan and execute a few ideas – nothing more and nothing less. With a brand deal, you might be tasked with making three sponsored videos a month, in addition to regular content. Then there’s the pressure to make quality videos that perform well for your channel 

It’s challenging because you have more responsibility. But just think: If you made it this far, it’s because you have the work ethic to create at a high level. That’s a trait you can tap into when things get rough.

“[Successful creators] are very true to their roots of being a new influencer,” Bienstock says. “They remember those all-nighters where they couldn’t even afford an editor. They had to do the editing. And the mic didn’t work. And they’re re-filming their videos. So I don’t believe they change. Because everything they’ve done to get to that place is thinking about their emotional connection to their audience.”

Partnering With a Brand Doesn’t Make You a Sell-Out

Repeat after me: Promoting a brand on your YouTube channel 

 make you a sell-out. It’s 2021, and viewers love to see it. A few years ago, promoting a brand could alienate your audience and even cause jealousy or disgust. It’s the opposite today. People are simply happy their favorite creator is being recognized and compensated. They leave comments expressing how proud they are, and how just a few years ago, that creator had 100 subscribers instead of millions.

Need another reason to pursue a partnership? Here’s one of the best: 

 Creating and posting YouTube videos is hard work. A brand deal helps you support yourself.

7 Steps to Build Multiple Income Streams on YouTube

“Listen, if you cannot pay your rent or your car expense or buy a camera, you have no content to create for the world,” Bienstock says. “You’re going to need to get a job somewhere, and you’re going to have zero time to create. So we need to be realistic and transparent about the fact that you’re filming and buying props. They don’t just get given to you. You’re going on Amazon and buying these things.”

Are you ready to get a brand deal as a small creator? Check out 

You don't need millions of YouTube subscribers to get a brand deal. It's all about having the right attitude and a bit of persistence to close the deal. 

The Truth About Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube

Are viewers watching your YouTube videos to completion? Is your audience retention so high that 70% of people are still watching after the first 30 seconds?

If not, you have an opportunity to improve the "stickiness" of your videos. This is a special kind of video magic that stops people from clicking away. Creating sticky videos is about identifying what’s working (or not) to keep viewers engaged.

This simple act will help you flourish on YouTube. The algorithm loves to 

YouTube Watch Time - The Secret Sauce to More YouTube Views and Subscribers

The first step is understanding how audience retention works. Keep reading to discover this metric on your own channel, plus six simple ways to keep people watching.

 shows how many viewers are watching a video throughout the beginning, middle, end, or altogether. The "altogether" rate is shown as a percentage of total views. So for example, if you post a 12-minute video, and people watch for eight minutes on average, your audience retention rate is 66%.

In the YouTube Studio, you’ll see different moments within a video that affect your audience retention, such as:

 where viewers re-watched or skipped certain parts

 where viewers skipped a section or left the video completely

These moments highlight where viewers are losing or gaining interest during a video.

Take a look at the image below from YouTube’s 

 to see what each moment looks like on an audience retention graph.

 is a key retention metric. It’s an estimate of how many minutes viewers watched a video, on average. Increasing this number, as well as other retention metrics, can boost your views on YouTube.

“YouTube’s search and discovery system loves videos that people have found satisfying, and a great way it determines that is audience retention,” creator liaison Matt Koval said in a Creator Insider 

How to See Your Channel’s Audience Retention

Want to see if your videos are truly engaging? Follow the steps below to find out.

 (click your profile image and select YouTube Studio).

Select the video you want to analyze. Choose from the list of videos shown or use the search bar to find a specific video.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll see a graph showing the video’s average view duration and average percentage viewed.

This data is from a video of ours, titled “

YouTube’s Discovery Algorithm...Exposed

.” The audience retention graph shows that:

On average, viewers watched the video for 

, a new YouTube metric. It compares videos of similar length on your channel and tells you if the video you're analyzing is performing better or worse than previous content.

Audience retention varies widely. It can change depending on the length of your video, the topic, and the audience. For example, a gaming or education channel’s retention could be low because of 

Young children are intrigued by gaming videos, but they have short attention spans. An adult who watches a video about investing may skip certain parts to find one piece of information. There are many reasons people don’t finish a video, so take your niche, as well as audience behavior, into consideration.

What Is a Good Audience Retention Rate on YouTube?

First, know that there isn’t a golden percentage for audience retention. Viewers have different intentions for watching a video, which leads to shorter or longer Watch Time. That’s not a bad thing at all. It leaves you free to analyze your data and make adjustments without comparing yourself to others.

But if you need a benchmark, our YouTuber-in-residence Rob Wilson has a number in mind.

“If your video is longer than five minutes, and audience retention is above 50%, you’re probably doing a good job,” Wilson says. “If your video is longer than five minutes, and you’re getting audience retention above 70% in the first 30 seconds, then you’ve got your hook on the video and you’re doing a good job.”

Want his full opinion on audience retention (and another important metric)? Watch the video below to hear Wilson explain in more detail:

How to Increase Audience Retention on YouTube

With everything we’ve covered, here are some tips for increasing audience retention:

During the first 30 seconds, hundreds of people will click away from the video. But you can reduce that number by catching viewers’ attention early. Just think: What would intrigue them so much that clicking away is not an option?

 Some people think chapters encourage viewers to leave a video quickly, but that’s not always the case. For example, would you rather someone click away in the first 30 seconds or watch a three-minute chapter that answers their question? You get more Watch Time from the second option, especially if you’re making valuable content.

Give viewers a sneak peek of what’s coming.

 In your intro, tease the juiciest part of your video without giving away all the details.

Use pattern interrupters to keep viewers engaged. 

Create variety by adding graphics, music changes, lower-thirds, and different camera angles.

Make your videos as long (or as short) as they need to be.

If you can cover a topic in five minutes, end the video there. Lengthy segments that don’t add value will push viewers to click away, which hurts your audience retention. If the information will truly help and engage viewers, it’s OK to keep going.

Study your audience retention graphs in the YouTube Studio.

 Follow the directions in this post so you can check your audience retention for every video. As you investigate, pay attention to the percentage of viewers watching after the first 30 seconds. Is that number low? Maybe you need a better intro or a juicier sneak peek. Next, identify what’s happening in the rest of the video. Are there spikes where almost no viewers clicked away? Replay those portions and try to understand what made people stick around. Keep doing what’s working, and experiment with new pattern interrupters when your audience retention starts to dip.

Boosting your audience retention is smart, but there’s one step to conquer before that.

You need viewers to see your thumbnails and click them to start watching your content. Here are six solid tips to improve your click-through rate every single time.

Want to boost your YouTube audience retention? Here are six ways to improve that metric and keep viewers watching for longer.

How to Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

Getting a good click-through rate (CTR) on YouTube is a big deal. That helps you solve a major problem, which is getting YouTube to recommend your videos to viewers. 

If you’ve been on YouTube for a while, you know the algorithm won’t suggest any old video. It serves 

 with proven success. Creators who supply such content are likely to get more views and grow their channels.

That’s why you need a good CTR. When YouTube knows you’re getting thousands of clicks, it 

 to recommend your content. It’s like creating the perfect resume for your channel.

Plus, your click-through rate helps you identify winning strategies. If your CTR rises when you use a certain thumbnail template, that’s worth knowing. If it drops when you use a new titling format, that’s also something to evaluate.

Want to learn more about getting a good click-through rate? Just keep reading.

, your click-through rate is “how often viewers watched a video after seeing [its] thumbnail.”

Here’s the click-through rate formula: 

number of clicks / number of impressions x 100 = CTR

So if 30 people clicked on a video, but 1,000 saw the thumbnail overall, you’d have a click-through rate of 30%.

How to See Your Click-Through Rate In the YouTube Studio

Before you try to increase your CTR, figure out what your current percentage is.

Next, you’ll see a graph showing impressions, impressions click-through rate, views, and unique viewers. Select 

Adjust the period selector (seven days, one month, three months, one year, or the lifetime of your channel).

Here’s what the CTR graph looks like. It shows your rate over time, and you can hover over the play buttons to see which videos produced certain rates:

The graph above is from the vidIQ channel. As you can see, our CTR is 5.1% for the last 28 days. 

Scrolling down further reveals a chart showing how many impressions we received in that period.

At one point, YouTube stated that “half of all channels and videos on YouTube have an impressions CTR that can range between 2% and 10%.” 

Is your CTR within this range? If so, don't set wild expectations for yourself. YouTube's general range for CTR is just extra information; if you're at 2%, don't fall in love with idea of reaching 10% anytime soon. Slow and steady improvements will take you where you need to be.

Also, be careful about how you interpret YouTube's general CTR range. If you’re a small creator getting 100 impressions per video, it only takes a consistent 20 viewers for a 20% click-through rate. Compare that to a large channel with 150,000 impressions and 10,000 views. That’s a 6.6% click-through rate.

No matter what the numbers say, put your CTR into perspective:

 because YouTube is showing your content to 

 viewers? That could mean you have more impressions but fewer clicks as you reach a new audience. New viewers will need more convincing before they click.

Ready to get more video clicks? Here are six ways to boost your CTR on YouTube:

 (so YouTube can give you a realistic CTR).

 based on your current or all-time CTR. This is your starting point from which you'll slowly increase over time.

 YouTube is counting thumbnail views as impressions, but getting an actual “click” is important for your CTR. Make the thumbnail simple but interesting, with text that quickly explains the video’s value.

 Your video’s title is right next to the thumbnail, which gives you another chance to elicit a click. Do some keyword research to add relevant or trending phrases to your title.

 Make sure it’s relevant and reinforces the title for search pages; descriptions are highly visible in this area.

 In some areas of YouTube, viewers can see the length of a video overlaid on its thumbnail. Imagine a viewer coming to YouTube for a quick answer to one question. Will they click your video if it's an hour long?

What Every YouTube Creator Needs to Know About Custom Thumbnails and Click Through Rate

One note about setting a CTR benchmark: how you do that is totally up to you. Our CTR on the vidIQ channel is 5.1% right now. But across the lifetime of our channel, it’s 6%. In that case, we might make 6% our true benchmark – which means we’d need to first meet and then exceed that rate.

A good click-through rate is ideal, but it’s not the only signal YouTube uses to grade your videos. Here’s a handy guide on 

how YouTube recommends your content to viewers.

Does your click-through rate on YouTube need a boost? Here's how to get more clicks on every video.

Getting a Good Click-Through Rate on YouTube: 6 Powerful Tips

 These TikTok-style clips have helped creators go viral with billions of global views. Animator 

, for example, earned more than 5 billion views while creating video game Shorts. He reached that milestone in less than a year.

Do This One Thing to Increase YouTube Shorts Views

Views aside, YouTube is monetizing Shorts; that’s another reason to learn how to make brief, vertical videos. The platform announced a $100 million fund to pay top creators through 2022. The fund hasn’t launched yet, but YouTube already has a process for selecting recipients.

“Starting later this year, we'll reach out to thousands of creators every month whose Shorts received the most engagement and views and reward them for their contributions,” Jenson of TeamYouTube wrote in a 

. Anyone who creates unique Shorts is eligible to participate in the fund.”

With the fund launching “later this year,” you still have time to learn how to make Shorts and possibly earn some money. Watch the video below for a visual guide:

Need a written version you can bookmark for later?

Use this glossary to navigate our written guide.

Open the YouTube mobile app and look for the plus button at the bottom of the homepage. If you have access to Shorts beta, you’ll see an option to “create a Short.”

By default, you can record for 15 seconds using the Shorts camera. Tap the “15” above the record button to 

To the left of the record button, tap the square button outlined in white. This allows you to 

 roll rather than record something new. The next thing you’ll see is a video editor, which allows you to trim the recording. Clicking “next” at the top right corner of the screen takes you to the fun editing tools – motion controls and special effects you’ve probably seen on TikTok.

What to Do If You Don’t Have Shorts Beta

You don’t need Shorts beta to upload a Short, but you 

 need it to access Shorts editing features. Right now, the beta version is available to creators in the U.S. and India. If you’re outside of those regions, you can still post a Short by 

making a vertical video under 60 seconds.

 Post it the way you would a normal YouTube video, and the platform will automatically recognize it as a Short.

There are three features that make Shorts super easy to record:

As you record, you’ll see these options along the right side of the screen.

 is at the top, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Use this option to switch from your phone’s front-facing camera to the back camera, and vice versa.

You can record a fast-moving or slow-motion video using the 

. Tap the speedometer for a menu of options ranging from 0.3x to 3x, with 0.3x being the slowest and 3x being the fastest. Keep in mind that 0.3x doesn’t create a smooth, slow-motion video. The graphics are a little choppy and somewhat blurred.

 is an amazing feature for recording brief videos. It’s the last option and looks like a standard clock. Tap that icon to set a recording duration (the maximum is 15 seconds). You can also set a timer that counts down the seconds before recording. You can choose between a three, 10, and 20-second countdown.

Starting and Stopping the Recorder: Two Methods

When you’re ready to make a Short, you have two options for stopping and starting the video. 

 is tapping the red button to start, and then tapping the stop button when you’re done. 

, press and hold the record button, and then release it to finish the recording.

You can record as many scenes as you’d like, as long as they’re a maximum of 60 seconds combined.

Each scene is marked by a white bar on the video timeline (at the top of the screen). If you make a mistake, tap the backward arrow in the bottom left corner to remove a scene. Likewise, you can tap the forward arrow in the bottom right corner to re-add a scene you’ve deleted.

The best part of creating Shorts is the TikTok/Instagram appeal of adding music. YouTube has partnered with music labels to make sure popular songs can be used in short videos. As a creator, you won’t get a copyright claim or strike for using music in your content, especially if you’re adding songs via Shorts beta.

The text feature is a nice add-on; it helps viewers quickly understand jokes, memes, or the educational value of a Short.

These 5 YouTube Shorts Upgrades Will Help You Make Better Content

How to Add Music to a Short Before You Record

Tap the plus icon on the homepage of the YouTube app (near the bottom of the screen).

Use the search bar to find and browse music tracks. On the right side of the screen, you can “favorite” tracks to save for later.

When you find the right track, tap it once to hear a preview. Then tap the blue button with a black arrow to add the music to your Short.

YouTube will take you back to the record screen. Press the red button to start recording, and the music will play as you film. You can dance to the beat of the track or do something entirely different. It’s up to you!

How to Add Music to a Short After You Record

Record your Short and advance to the next screen. Tap 

Use the search bar once again to find, browse, and preview music. Tap the blue button with a black arrow to add the track to your Short.

The music won’t sync perfectly, so you’ll have to do some editing. Tap 

 at the bottom of the screen to choose the exact portion of the song you need. Then you can slide the entire track to the right position, making it sync with your movements or other action in the video.

Have you used Instagram or YouTube Stories? The text controls for Shorts work the same way:

Use your mobile keyboard to type a short message.

Change the color of your text or its highlighted background using the color palette above your keyboard.

Change the font of your text at the top center of the screen.

 in the top left corner. To the left of that, tap the paragraph icon to switch between centered or justified text.

Use the slider on the left side of the screen to shrink or expand the text.

Take a look at the screenshot below to see where all the text controls are:

When you’re finished adding music and text to your Short, click 

 in the top right corner of the screen. The next thing you’ll see is the video details screen. Here, you have three tasks to complete:

Set the video’s visibility to public, unlisted, or private.

 Anyone can search for the video and view it.

 Anyone with the link can view the video.

 Only people you choose can view the video.

Schedule your video to publish in the future, if desired.

You can’t add a video thumbnail, tags, or description at this stage, so make your title count.

Also, consider adding #Shorts to the end of your title. That’s what YouTube recommends, and it might make your Shorts more visible on YouTube.

Adding a Video Description and Tags to Your Short

As of now, you have to add video descriptions and tags after a Short is uploaded. Here’s how to do that:

 in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Find the video you want to edit and tap the three dots beside it. On the menu that appears, select 

On the next screen, you can add a description and tags.

Thumbnails are a bit tricky. You need to use a desktop computer or the YouTube Studio app to add thumbnails to your Shorts.

Creating a Short is a process all its own. The next thing to focus on is views. The number of people who watch your Shorts will depend on how entertaining and attractive they are; here are four methods to help you win at those things.

4 Tips to Grow Your Channel With YouTube Shorts

1. Consider Adding Thumbnails to Your Shorts

Thumbnails are important for regular YouTube videos, but what about Shorts? Do viewers really need to see a thumbnail to watch a brief video?

 people watch your Shorts in the YouTube app. Go to the YouTube Studio and take a look at the traffic sources for your Shorts. Most of the time, people watch these videos on a display shelf within the app. Those views are labeled as 

. But viewers can also watch Shorts as a regular YouTube video – one with ads, comments, and suggested videos nearby. When viewed outside of a display shelf, the traffic source could labeled as:

YouTube is going to monetize Shorts, which means you should learn to make brief, vertical videos. Here's an ultimate guide for making YouTube Shorts.

How to Make a YouTube Short In 2021: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Every creator goes through a period of frustration on YouTube – a phase where their channel just isn’t growing. Popular videos start to underperform. Viewers aren’t subscribing. It’s confusing to the creator because they’re working hard to create vlogs, tutorials, and live streams. But for some reason, viewers aren’t interested.

Are your videos getting little to no views? Here’s a simple trick to boost the value of your YouTube channel.

Posts Written By Lydia Sweatt

The Truth About Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube

How to Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

Getting a Good Click-Through Rate on YouTube: 6 Powerful Tips

How to Make a YouTube Short In 2021: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

YouTube Success: 3 Steps to Create Valuable, Highly-Watched Videos

How to Double Your YouTube Watch Time by Looping Shorts

5 Mistakes That Stop Your YouTube Channel From Growing

Quantity Over Quality: The One Thing New YouTubers Should Focus On

YouTube Algorithm Guide: How Your Videos Are Recommended to Viewers

YouTube Community Tab: The Underrated Growth Tool You NEED to Use

YouTube Is Expanding Monetization for These 3 Video Types

How to See Your Real-Time YouTube Subscriber Count