YouTube BrandConnect: Collaborate Effectively with Creators

Nathan Elmaleh
Nathan Elmaleh
7 min

Remember FameBit, the platform that connected YouTube creators with brands? In 2020, it underwent a major transformation by becoming YouTube BrandConnect.

If you are looking to grow your brand awareness, strengthen your brand image and generate qualified traffic, this new service is the solution for you. What is YouTube BrandConnect? How does this new platform facilitate collaboration between brands and creators? Does this new service influence consumer search behavior and strengthen brands’ presence on social networks? Our YouTube Ads agency offers you a detailed explanation of this service to develop your Brand Content strategy and achieve your goals.

From FameBit to YouTube BrandConnect: The Evolution of Influencer Marketing on YouTube

You may be familiar with FameBit? This platform has revolutionized the way YouTube creators collaborate with brands. Back in the day, FameBit already offered a showcase for video makers to showcase their talents and find partnership opportunities. But YouTube wanted to take it a step further. That’s how YouTube BrandConnect was born, a more comprehensive and intuitive influencer marketing platform .

And now, YouTube BrandConnect?

Following Google’s acquisition of FameBit in 2016, the platform was integrated into YouTube and rebranded as YouTube BrandConnect. This move provided a more seamless experience for creators and brands by integrating FameBit’s features directly into YouTube. The new platform was initially only available in the United States and only to creators with significant subscriber numbers. Google has not announced any plans to expand the feature to other countries or to open it up to a broader audience of creators.

What does this mean in concrete terms?

First of all, it’s a name change, but also an evolution of the program. YouTube is launching a full-service offering, providing a team of experts to support creators and brands throughout their collaborations. No more self-service, instead personalized support for tailor-made campaigns.

Why this change?

YouTube says this strategic choice is driven by the desire to provide creators with better monetization opportunities. The platform’s closure on July 31, 2020, resulted in the closure of all associated accounts. FameBit’s statistics reveal that the full-service offering allowed creators to multiply their earnings by 30 on average, compared to the self-service offering, which only represented a small portion of payments.

What are the benefits of YouTube BrandConnect for content creators?

YouTube BrandConnect offers Content Creators a complete service to develop their partnerships with brands and thus maximize their earnings.

Increased profits assured

YouTube claims that creators using the full BrandConnect formula have seen their financial gains increase by more than 260% in just two years. Indeed, they can access a wide range of Brand Content campaigns that allow them to monetize their content. This is tangible proof that this platform is a powerful lever for monetizing your content.

Tailor-made tools for simplified management

With direct integration into YouTube Studio, creators get intuitive tools to:

  • Manage their campaigns: from the selection of offers to the delivery of branded content , everything is centralized and simplified.
  • Create a custom media kit: Creators can showcase their audience and skills to potential brands.
  • Access valuable insights: thanks to detailed data on their audience, they can adapt their content to the expectations of brands.

YouTube BrandConnect platform tools allow creators to present themselves professionally to brands, while saving valuable time by simplifying campaign management.

Personalized support

YouTube BrandConnect goes far beyond simple networking . The platform offers:

  • Advice and resources: creators benefit from personalized support to make their partnerships a success.
  • A community of creators: they can exchange experiences and learn from each other.

Good to know: creators benefit from ongoing support throughout their collaborations.

Complete control over their creation

Creators remain in control of their content. They are free to choose the brands they want to collaborate with and maintain full control over the creation of their videos. YouTube aims to make BrandConnect accessible to more creators around the world. This opens up new opportunities for international creators who want to grow their audience and partnerships. Are you a content creator on YouTube? No matter your level, YouTube BrandConnect makes it easy to grow your business.

YouTube BrandConnect: what are the benefits for brands?

The new platform enables businesses and brands to reach a targeted and engaged audience in an authentic way.

Measurable and effective campaigns

With innovative solutions like Brand Interest Lift and Influencer Lift, you can now:

  • Measure the real impact of your campaigns in real time: how do consumers react to your videos? What is the impact on their online searches?
  • Accurately assess your ROI : Are your campaigns generating engagement, awareness and sales?

With Brand Interest Lift, you can see how many people are looking for more information about your product after watching an influencer video. Influencer Lift, on the other hand, measures what people think about your brand after watching the video: do they want to buy, do they know it better? Thanks to Google, YouTube can give you precise figures on the effectiveness of your campaign.

Simplified connection with creators

YouTube BrandConnect makes collaborating with influencers a breeze:

  • Personalized recommendations: the platform suggests creators whose audience perfectly matches your targets.
  • Simplified campaign management: All the necessary tools are grouped in one place to make it easier to track and optimize your campaigns.

With this platform, no more searching blindly! You have a precise tool to identify the most relevant influencers.

Immersive shopping experiences

In addition to entertaining your audience, you can now generate revenue by recommending products or services. With innovative YouTube Ads formats , such as online shopping directly through video, you can create unique and personalized shopping experiences. How? Via YouTube BrandConnect:

  • One-click purchases: Viewers can now directly purchase the products featured in the videos, without leaving the platform.
  • Augmented reality experiences: you can offer immersive experiences to help people discover your products in an innovative way.

Creating authentic content that converts

Did you know that influencer campaigns can boost your conversion rate by up to 30%? That’s the power of peer-to-peer recommendations! By collaborating directly with creators on YouTube, you’re not just broadcasting an advertising message. You’re creating authentic branded content with them that resonates deeply with your audience. As experts in storytelling, influencers bring their personal touch and credibility to your campaigns. This creates an emotional connection with your community. The result? Increased engagement, brand awareness, and sales.

Simplified management of your campaigns

The new service provides you with a series of intuitive tools to support you at every stage of your campaign.

  • From creation to distribution, including monitoring, you can manage all your operations from a single platform, without any technical skills.
  • No more complex tools and tedious processes, focus on what matters: growing your brand.
  • Customize your campaigns as you wish and track their performance in real time.

The platform offers you an all-in-one solution to manage your campaigns from A to Z and optimize the impact of your Brand Content strategy. In short, the transformation of FameBit into YouTube BrandConnect marks a turning point in the influencer marketing landscape on YouTube. By focusing on a complete service , YouTube aims to offer creators more interesting opportunities while strengthening its positioning in this market.

How to activate YouTube BrandConnect?

Service activation can be done in two ways: on PC or via mobile.

On computer

  • Go to YouTube Studio and click on “Earnings” in the left menu.
  • Locate the “BrandConnect” tab (this only appears if your channel is eligible).
  • Click “Get Started” or “Let’s Go” to begin the activation process.
  • Read the terms carefully and check “Accept”.

On mobile

  • Log in through the YouTube Studio app.
  • Select the “Income” option from the bottom menu.
  • Click on the “BrandConnect” tab (if visible).
  • Activate and follow the instructions.

In just a few clicks, you’ll be ready to collaborate with brands and monetize your content! Want to get the most out of YouTube BrandConnect? Our agency, specialized in YouTube SEO and social media , supports you in:

  • Optimizing your YouTube profile to attract new audiences.
  • Creating quality content tailored to your target audience.
  • Setting up effective YouTube Brand Content campaigns.
  • Measuring and analyzing your results.

Contact us to discuss your project further.

Nathan Elmaleh
Par Nathan Elmaleh Fondateur et CEO de Neads. J’accompagne les marques dans leur développement sur TikTok grâce à une approche complète allant de la création de contenu à l’influence en passant par la publicité. Si vous voulez faire de TikTok un canal d’acquisition performant pour votre marque, Neads est l'agence TikTok N°1 certifiée TikTok Creative Partner.