Psychographics of YouTube Content Creators

Psychographics of YouTube Content Creators

Technological advancements over the years have facilitated the age of social media, where applications such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have been popularized within modern society. These applications enable people to interact socially online, strengthening the social bonds in the community. However, one application is distinct and stands out from the rest due to its functionality. Youtube is different in that people interact socially through videos. There is a wide range of content ranging from music to sport and event highlights. There is also a group of individuals dedicated to creating content on Youtube, referred to as Youtube content creators. In the digital age, Youtube content creation has gradually become an occupation rather than a hobby. Moreover, content creators on Youtube have also become popular in modern society. Their growing sense of popularity may be due to the content they create and share with the public or du to their psychographics. Youtube content creation can be a risky and daunting job, and analyzing the various psychographic attributes of Youtube content creators will enable a deeper understanding of the traits that would allow individuals to succeed in such an industry.

One of the psychological traits of Youtube content creators is creativity. Youtube content creators have to be creative if they are to survive in such a competitive industry. As mentioned earlier, YouTube has a wide range of content, which makes the content creation industry highly competitive. As such, Youtube content creators have to be highly creative if they are to succeed in such an industry. YouTube content creators have to develop their brands as they create content. According to Van Eldik et al., “By creating a personal brand on social media and generating a large following and amount of fame, an influencer becomes attractive to business” (Van Eldik et al., 2019, p. 3). As Van Eldik demonstrates, creating a strong personal brand enables content creators to amass a large following on Youtube, which translates to business opportunities. Creativity is the key to developing a strong personal brand and garnering a large following. As such, creativity is one of the psychographic attributes of youtube content creators. Their creativity potential is explored through the content they create. On some occasions, Youtube content creators can also ask for suggestions from their following. However, these suggestions are only used as guides in the development of creative content. The higher the creativity, the higher the following they amass, and the more influential the brand they create. Apart from creativity, youtube content creators also have to be hard working.

Hardworking is also a psychographic attribute associated with youtube content creators. Unlike other professional occupations that have a designated salary at the end of a specified period, youtube content creators don’t have that luxury. On the contrary, content creators have no guarantee of getting paid for the content they create on youtube. Even though YouTube content creators are paid for the number of views they receive on videos, this payment is only acquired once they have amassed a large following on youtube. The lack of payment as youtube content creators start their work on youtube would explain why most of them do other jobs on the side. As youtube content creators build their brands, amass a large following, and build their credibility, they can receive payment, which enables them to create additional content. Boerman & Van Reijmersdal observe that “PSR has been shown to increase the perceived credibility of a youtube influencer” (Boerman & Van Reijmersdal, 2020, p. 5). As youtube content creators develop a more robust social relationship with their followers, their credibility is also enhanced. Reliability can only be improved through hard work and dedication, even when the job does not pay. As such, youtube content creators are hardworking individuals. Moreover, youtube content creators are also expected to be self-driven and edit their work. The only source of motivation for youtube content creators are themselves. They are their bosses, and they must motivate themselves and keep themselves in check. Additionally, they are also expected to work on their videos. All these factors further illustrate the amount of work that youtube content creators have to put in to make it in their industry. Therefore, hard work is also a psychographic attribute that enables youtube content creators to succeed in their industry.

Creativity and hardworking are two of the essential psychographic attributes possessed by youtube content creators. These attributes enable them to develop a strong personal brand and amass a large following online. In so doing, youtube content creators can generate business opportunities and make an occupation out of creating content.

References

Boerman, S. C., & Van Reijmersdal, E. A. (2020). Disclosing Influencer Marketing on YouTube to Children: The Moderating Role of Para-Social Relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(3042), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03042

Van Eldik, A. K., Kneer, J., Lutkenhaus, R. O., & Jansz, J. (2019). Urban Influencers: An Analysis of Urban Identity in YouTube Content of Local Social Media Influencers in a Super-Diverse City. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(2876), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02876