What makes a YouTube Star?

This February, British vlogger Zoe Sugg AKA Zoella has surpassed 10 million subscribers on her YouTube Channel, enlisting her to a Diamond Play YouTube Creator Award, as well as ranking her channel the fourth most subscribed to channel in the UK (source: theguardian.com).

Zoella's Channel Trailer

Zoella's channel is mainly comprised of Beauty and Fashion tutorials, however, she is also known for creating more personal videos, notably her vlogs which talk about her struggle with long-term panic disorder.

                                  Zoella's 'Dealing with Panic Attacks & Anxiety Vlog'; the full video can be seen here. 

In another recent article by the Guardian titled 'Why are YouTube Stars so Popular?', Zoella's fame was largely attributed to how her fans perceived her, as the relatable 'girl next door'. The article discussed how YouTube stars such as Zoella tended to appeal to younger audiences more because they considered them to be more authentic and influential than most celebrities.

It also mentioned how most YouTube stars' vlogging methods e.g. shooting in their bedrooms while keeping a close proximity to the camera, their individual editing styles, casually addressing their audiences, their open sense of humour and the fact that they talked about their everyday lives and experiences helped create an intimate connection between them and their audiences (source: theguardian.com). 

Moreover, Forbes' 'The World's Highest-Paid YouTube Stars 2015' article lists 11 of the highest earning YouTubers. The first in the list is Swedish video-game commentator and vlogger Pewdiepie at $12 million, 42,656,984 subscribers and 11,409,597,111 views. Nonetheless the list also brings together an eclectic group of YouTubers such as Smosh, a comedy sketch channel, and Lindsey Stirling, a hip-hop violinist. 

In the article, it was stated that ‘One of the only commonalities of the group is their youth...Most are under 30 and thus only slightly older than their targeted audience members'. Keen readers of this blog will have picked up on that fact, as it was stated in one of my earlier posts. That is, the average age of a YouTube star is 27 years old, hence increasing their appeal and relatability to teenagers and younger people i.e. the demographic most likely to regularly watch short form videos online (source: forbes.com). 

In case you were wondering, here's a video explaining how YouTubers make money.

Furthermore, a chief difference between the YouTube sphere, mainstream television and the Hollywood star system, is that it is capable of providing absolute freedom for people to express themselves and their talents as they are to a wide audience. An opportunity that might not come so easily on television as they would not 'fit' the mould. One of the biggest examples of this would be Lindsey Stirling being eventually being cut from America's Got Talent because she was 'not good enough' on her own. That she should work as part of a group, rather than being a solo act.

Lindsey Stirling being cut from America's Got Talent in 2010. 

However, Stirling's talents and uniqueness only increased her popularity online and in 2014, she managed to beat the odds and go on a successful solo world tour of her debut album 'Shatter Me'.

Stirling's Shatter Me Tour promo published on her channel. 

In conclusion, when asked about her fans Stirling stated that ‘It’s a very loyal fanbase (that) wants you to succeed because they found you… It wasn’t some big radio station or record label that shoved art down someone’s throat and said this is what’s cool’. 

On a different note!

Coming across this article made me think, What Makes a YouTube star? And does that apply to both Western and Saudi stars as well?

Clearly, cultural, religious and social discrepancies play a part, however one thing that Saudi YouTube stars share with Western ones above all else is their youthfulness. Such that both parties create content that appeals to like-minded young audiences. As mentioned in the Forbes' article, 'One of the only commonalities of the group is their youth' (source: forbes.com). 

Moreover, the second factor that increases a YouTube's star reputation is their sense of relatability in relation to their targeted audience. In an interview with Reuters, Maram Gaily, a young and avid viewer of Uturn's productions was quoted saying 'these kinds of shows are useful and entertaining, and because they are made by young people, they are close to the heart'. 

Additionally, as Kaswara Al-Khatib mentioned in our exclusive interview in a past post, the content that Uturn produces, as well as what similar companies produce e.g. Telfaz 11, are 'from the youth, to the youth'. In other words, the more the sense of being the 'girl/boy next door' is felt, the more likely it is that feelings of empathy and kinship will emerge in viewers, therefore boosting the star's appeal and popularity* (source: reuters.com). 

However, the more interesting points of contrast I noticed were these...

Abdulmajeed Al-Kanany, presenter of Luqaimat Show on Sceen TV's channel,
 Episode 37.

Badr Saleh in Eysh Elly's Season 3, Episode 10.

Hatoon Kadi in Noon Al-Niswa's Season 1, Episode 10.

Fahad Albutairi in Telfaz 11's La Yekthar Season 3, Episode 9

Darin Al-Bayed (Left) and Moutasim Tarabzouni in
AnaWheya Season 2, Episode 16

When compared to these...

Zoella in her 'February Favourites 2016' video.

Pewdiepie in his 'YouTube hasn't got to my Head' video.

British YouTuber Phil Lester in his 'Reading My Old Diary!' video.

British YouTuber Dan Howell in his 'Dan Reacts to His Childhood Videos' video.

--

Basically, what I've discerned can be summed up in the following points:

• Western YouTubers tend to operate on a 'one-person show' basis. Whereas Saudi YouTube stars often appear as part of a larger network e.g. Uturn Entertainment or Telfaz 11, with the exception of some individual vloggers such as Fahad Sal, for instance.

• Most Western YouTubers vlog, whereas Saudi YouTubers present (with occasional exceptions for both parties). In this context, vlogging can be defined as sharing one's personal or everyday thoughts and experiences through a video medium. Whereas presenting is used in the more general context of being a presenter/actor of a scripted show with occasional improvisations, cracking of jokes, etc.

• In relation to the previous point, most Saudi YouTube stars have been involved in presenting socially-driven and relevant programmes, whereas Western stars tend to focus on their personal lives and interests.

• In the first Guardian article, it was mentioned that YouTube stars often convey a sense of 'intimacy' between themselves and the viewer, often speaking informally and filming in their bedrooms (source: theguardian.com). In terms of most Saudi YouTubers, a sense of intimacy is hardly maintained as most programmes are filmed in decorated and themed studios depending on the programme. Although they might speak informally throughout the programme, the ways in which they initially address audiences at the start of their videos may contain a hint of formality. 

• Comedy often plays a large role in Saudi YouTube programmes and its presenters. Whether a programme is predicated on being a satirical/comedy show or not, it is an element often incorporated in most programmes and videos, whether its coming from the actual presenter or through the editing and is a feature shared with Western YouTubers as well. 

In fact, the emergence of comedic Saudi YouTube stars such as Fahad Albutairi led to the increased popularity of Stand Up comedy acts in Saudi and the eventual establishment of Jeddah's Al-Comedy Club. A club in which professional and amateur Saudi comedians can go to and perform their acts in front of live audiences. 

Fahad AlButairi's TED talk 'Haha, Wait what?'
on being one of the first professional 
Saudi Stand Up Comedians.

In the end, it is without a doubt that certain cultural and social factors can affect the type and format of videos produced and ultimately the factors that define a YouTube star. However, common factors such as youthfulness, relatability and comedy seem to register with both Saudi and Western stars and audiences. Nevertheless, could a rise in YouTube popularity and short form video among younger demographics mean that viewing habits and audience tastes are changing worldwide? 

--------------

*For what it's worth, as an avid watcher of YouTube programmes myself, watching a programme in which the presenter or actor is speaking in the same language/accent I speak, going to the same places I go, facing problems I might face in everyday life, etc. makes me not only relate to them on a personal level, but also makes me watch and like their videos as well as subscribe to their channels, hence increasing their fame and popularity and so on.
Therefore, I can somewhat confirm that relatability is a major role for a YouTube star's popularity :D!