The holiday season is a crucial time of year for brands, and it’s just around the corner. Our SuperAwesome Creators team understands how important this season is, and has gathered insights from top family-friendly influencers that will help shape your influencer marketing strategy for young audiences. We are thrilled to share our top 5 takeaways with you!

Creativity and content quality matter

YouTube’s principle guidelines have shaped the way creators think about content in the long term. With the algorithm now prioritizing quality content, it is important for brands to take this into consideration when integrating their products into talent’s videos. Nicole O’Rourke, CEO/Founder of the Rock Squad YouTube Channel, believes scripted content is the way to go in order for content to trend on the platform: 

The Rock Squad

“I think YouTube is going to make a push for higher quality production value. Giving the audience what they want has always been the biggest priority for YouTube and in the current digital entertainment landscape, binge-watching series is something we all love! Our new scripted series, The Pom Pom Diaries has already been very successful for our channel, as viewers watch the new video and go to back watch the previous ones whenever we post a new episode. Our personal mission is to create fun family entertainment that also teaches lessons and good values. It’s inevitable that most kids are going to be watching YouTube and as a popular channel we feel like it’s our responsibility to provide content to entertain them but also with good messages.”

Think about the long term

Because ongoing series are a popular format on YouTube, brands have the opportunity to think about the long-term relationship they can build with creators. Integrating your brand into multiple pieces of content from the same creator helps to build trust with their audience and allows for long-lasting and repeated exposure as their fans discover older videos. Kevin McCarty from the YouTube Channel “The McCartys” believes this is how brands should think about partnerships with creators:

The McCartys

“I would love to work on a long-term partnership with a toy or family brand. Being able to tell a story with different videos not only keeps the engagement going, but also provides mass exposure of the brand/product.”

Lean into the trends and trust the talent’s instincts

Having your finger on the pulse and knowing what’s trending on social platforms can be daunting, but it’s key in unlocking views and performance for your content. Influencers will know what content is performing best on their channels and what trends they should lean into. A few of the trends that have been mentioned to us include: 

  • “Challenges, elevated pretend play, and collaborations with other channels are on the rise and will be very popular this season!” says the Lively Lewis family
  • Lani Love’s mom, Ashley Simon sees that challenges are always trending: “We love doing one Color Challenges, School Skits , School pranks and Music videos
  • The Stella Show family has been betting on content to connect with their audience: “Scripted emotional videos are recognized as high quality content which helps us with performance.”
  • According to John Beyond, from the Beyond Family channel, “Mr Beast has changed the YouTube game. Everyone tries to recreate his videos at their own scale to play into the algorithm”.

From left to right, the Lively Lewis Family, Lani Love, the Stella Show Family, and the Beyond Family.

Formats are key

With the popularity of TikTok and short-form content, creators have leaned into this new format. Google says that 2 billion logged-in users are now watching Shorts monthly, and our research shows that 1 in 2 young people prefer short-form content over long-form content. 5 out of 8 of the influencers involved in our survey believe that Shorts need to be a part of any influencer marketing strategy for a younger audience.

Keep it simple!

Overly branded content is not only going against YouTube’s content quality principles, but also the creators’. When asking what brands should be mindful of when working with kids and family creators, authenticity and light brand messaging stood out across our responses. 

Kamdenboy and Kyraboo mentioned: “We would like brands to understand how we integrate products in videos in the most natural way possible, and why this is better for performance.”

The Wonder Family says: “Brands should be more aware of the message they are spreading when connecting with kids and make it more about what the product creates for them, how it makes them feel when they use it, as opposed to pushing talking points.”

From left to right, Kamdenboy and Kyraboo, and the Wonder Family.

A massive thank you to The McCartys, Lani Love, Rock Squad, Lively Lewis, The Wonder Family, the Beyond Family, the Stella Show and Kamdenboy and Kyraboo for sharing their thoughts on the topic! 

Looking to learn more?

SuperAwesome Creators can help you find the right influencer partnerships for your brand to create insights-driven, safe, and authentic content for your target audiences.