I've been at Clerk.com for almost a year now in the Growth Marketing role. Dev Marketing was all very new to me but strategizing a marketing plan based on a new persona is something I've tackled my entire career. The experience (so far) has been the most rewarding of my career, filled with valuable insights that elevate our cross-channel efforts. One channel in particular - YouTube partnerships - has been ripe with insights that I can't help but share.
If you're a content creator in the dev tool space, I'm hopeful that you'll find some inspiration to help gain your first partnership or grow your existing program.
Tips for Securing Sponsorships
Note: These are some of the signals I look for when scouting new partners for Clerk.
🏗️ Publish Content Frequently -> It shouldn't be a surprise, but YouTube favors channels that are consistently publishing content. This signals to YouTube that your channel is active and also builds anticipation among your viewers. Aim to publish at least 1 piece of content each month - but don't sacrifice the viewer experience for a more rapid cadence. You'll be able to balance both in the future.
🤝 Engage with your Viewers -> You're creating content for your viewers. They are an invaluable resource for ideas on what content will resonate. Take time to read comments and respond. This builds a sense of community and also signals strong viewer engagement to YouTube. You might just find your next content idea in the comments.
📚 Don't Underestimate Keyword Optimization -> Do your research when composing video titles and descriptions. Look for relevant and trending keywords. A/B test different headlines -even after publishing, especially if you feel viewership is underperforming.
🍿 Pre-Promote & Cross-Promote -> I cannot stress this strategy enough. Build anticipation ahead of your publish date - Trailers/teasers are effective for Hollywood movie studios & will work for you. Craft a short teaser with content from your long-form video and share it out to socials. Once you've published, share the final product to further expand your reach. There are many distribution channels (mostly free) where you can drive awareness for your content. Dev.to, Twitter (X), Reddit, LinkedIn are great examples if you're building content for developers. Don't hesitate submitting your content to relevant newsletters for organic consideration. Publishers like Bytes, TLDR, ThisWeekInReact are always looking to fill content gaps.
🤹 Diversify Content but have a 'Brand' -> Viewers are generally coming to your channel to learn, especially in the developer space. Specialization is good for establishing an identity, but don't be afraid to experiment with new frameworks, tools, etc. This will help expand your audience & tap into new content ideas. However, make sure you establish a consistent look & feel for all content to build your brand. Other creators might have built the same ChatGPT that you have planned. Don't be deterred. Set yourself apart.
🎯 Cater to your Sponsor Targets -> If you're targeting a specific dev tool to sponsor your content, start by learning the tool & integrate it into your content. We've found a number of partners just by searching YouTube for 'Clerk'. This shows the prospective sponsor that you understand their value-proposition and ideally what makes you passionate about their tool. The easiest way to promote a tool (or anything in life) is to show & tell your audience what Be authentic & share how it can be improved. Developers love authenticity & this feedback loop can improve the developer/user experience.
💌 Reach out! -> Don't hesitate to make the first move. Growth Marketers, especially at smaller dev tool companies, are maintaining multiple-channels and time is at a premium. Drop into the company DMs, find the right contact, and send an email. I love it when creators proactively reach out to inquire about a partnership. This takes a lot of the heavy-lifting off my plate, especially if you show me how you've accomplished the above.
💸 Know your Value -> When it comes down to negotiating compensation, have a sense of your value. You know what it takes to produce content you can be proud of and that will resonate with your audience. Most sponsors will offer a flat price per video or suggest a performance-based sliding scale (generally centered around CPM). Be okay taking a lower offer to prove your value but negotiate compensation to be in-line with your growth.
🧩 Ideate Content with the Sponsor in Mind -> I don't dictate the content our partners create but I am constantly recommending Clerk features based on the type of build they are planning. Do your research and come to the table with suggestions of how you think you can best showcase the tool.
These tips should get you started. This is also not an exhaustive list or 'one-size, fits all' approach. Experiment. Experiment. Experiment. Focus on growing your metrics (latest view counts, new monthly subscribers, churn, engagement) and understand what's driving growth. I have no doubt you'll find yourself well-positioned to secure sponsorships.
If you have questions or want to connect, feel free to drop me a DM on X (@_dapp).
If you're a creator interested in working with Clerk, I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading!
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