Partner networks, through which YouTubers usually work, offer a large variety of basic and additional services. Moreover, the number of services provided only grows from year to year. But what do YouTubers really need from multi-channel network? What services do influencers value most? This question was posed by the mediacube partner network, which has been working with influencers around the world for 7 years. Its geography includes 68 countries, and the total audience of mediacube creators is more than 200 million people. This fall, the company conducted a small survey among its partners to find out: what exactly do creators need from partner networks?
For large channels
For our research, we divided the channels into 2 groups: large YouTube channels with revenue from 5,000 USD per month, and medium with the revenue up to 5,000 USD per month, respectively. As you know, large YouTubers are big businesses, backed by a whole team of different professionals, so the 3 most important services, one way or another, are connected with money management. The most popular service is a reduction in the commission for withdrawing money, as well as various ways to withdraw money. For large creators, it is important that the partner network can provide a variety of ways to withdraw funds, for example, not only withdrawal to a card, but also PayPall, Yandex.Money, etc. It is important that MCN offers not only an advanced payment program, but also charges reasonable fees for such transfers.
The ability and assistance with advertising integrations are also noted by major YouTubers as an important requirement when working with partner networks.
Finally, the third most popular point that channels with a large audience are extremely sensitive to is fast technical support. As you know, large channels mean big problems. If a channel is disabled or if YouTube blocks a video on large channels, every minute turns into a huge monetary loss. The fact that MCN have an authority and quick access to YouTube and Google directly makes them attractive for channels with a large audience.
Medium and small channels
There is a slightly different set of requirements medium and small YouTube channels have for partner networks. Although here, money management is in the first place. About 61% of creators noted that it is crucial for them to have a system of advanced payments in the partner network. These creators often use the Express Payments service, which is a credit system where you don’t have to wait a month to get money from YouTube. The partner network pays you money in advance, based on the Google Analytics data. This makes it possible for a small channel to maintain a high speed of development, film content more often, and increase its audience.
48% of creators noted that the channel audit service is important for them, and more than 39% actively use optimization services when working with partner networks.
Finally, more than 43% are willing to use the designer services to develop channel designs and create thumbnails for their videos.
These three indicators, which medium and small channels deem as important, are of secondary importance for larger channels. Why? As a rule, small and medium-sized channels do everything themselves, they do not have the opportunity to hire a huge staff of people or have their own designer or analyst on staff. Therefore, such channels are willing to use these services from partner networks. This allows them not to spend money on a large team, and the partner network, in this case, performs the role of this very team.
Technical support for medium and small channels is just as important as for large creators. The need for fast technical support is noted by 35% of the surveyed influencers. Thus, regardless of the number of subscribers and popularity of creators and their earnings, financial management, advanced payments with a reasonable commission from the partner network, as well as technical support that is quickly able to solve technical problems of creators, are equally important. These two points attract influencers to partner networks.
There will be no parties
Many partner networks offer influencers access to a large number of events and parties. A large number of partner networks, not only in the CIS countries, but also around the world, organize large and expensive parties for creators, believing that this is a great value for the latter. However, our research makes you think: is it true?
Only 4% of the surveyed creators said that parties and social events from partner networks are really valuable for them. In other words, 96% of YouTubers don’t see much value in these hangouts.
This may indicate two things. First of all, today’s influencers are real celebrities, for whom hangouts and parties are not something exotic. Inviting creators to parties has become as common as inviting actors, musicians, and so on. And secondly, these figures may indicate significant changes within the influencer market. We are witnessing YouTube start to grow up, here come players for whom YouTube is not a hobby and entertainment, but, above all, a business in the field of entertainment. Hence, the creators’ request for advanced money management and high expectations from partner networks in the field of technical support and prompt resolution of any technical issues.
