Subscribe to Fame

By Jessica Klinner

Looking back now, it’s hard to remember a time when YouTube did not exist. It’s been almost 10 years since the free video streaming website first appeared. Since its birth in 2005, YouTube has launched the careers of a countless number of entertainers. Within the last few years, more and more viewers have been flocking to the site to get their daily dose of video content, ranging from tutorials to cute animals to music videos. With 72 hours of video being uploaded every minute, YouTube stands as the fastest and most efficient way to share video content on the Internet.

The beauty of YouTube is that anyone can create a channel and upload videos. YouTube fame is just a click away; it’s that simple. If you own a camera, a computer and have something to say, you could become the next big thing on YouTube.

While YouTube has been credited for launching the career of Justin Bieber along with many other artists, it has also opened the door for a new generation of original content creators. People, just like you and me, who posted a video on YouTube out of boredom or curiosity, and found their way to Internet fame. These creators make a living by making YouTube videos. By standing in front of a camera and ranting about the latest pop culture phenomenon, raving about a new gadget or filming their everyday life, the YouTubers, as they’re called, welcome viewers into their world for a span of around four to 14 minutes. Videos any longer run the risk of losing the viewer’s attention, something that is imperative to the success of a YouTube channel.

A YouTuber’s success is based on his or her audience. Like musicians rely on their fans to continue making music, YouTubers rely on viewers in order to keep making videos. However, the YouTube audience is quite unique. Viewers are able to give feedback immediately and directly to the content creators. If they do not like a video, they can give it a “thumbs down,” which indicates their disapproval. Likewise, viewers can give videos a “thumbs up” to show their support.

This interactive way of viewing content is making YouTube videos more popular than television. When people watch a show on TV, they cannot directly interact with the content or give immediate feedback. The characters are made up and so are the stories. YouTube videos are created by real people who are sharing their real life experiences. When YouTubers sit down in front of their camera to make a video, they are inviting the viewers into their home, or their office or their studio. Even though creators may be half a world away from the viewer, it only seems like they’re on the other side of a camera screen. YouTube is a place for unique content to be created without filters.

YouTube does not just cater to one specific audience, though. On YouTube, you’ll find anything from music videos to tutorials to rips of movies. In the past few years, it has become a place where voices can be heard.

YouTubers are celebrities in their own right. Two of the most famous YouTubers are John and Hank Green. The brothers began making videos as a way to stay in touch with each other in a fun way. Since they uploaded their first video, the Green brothers have helped expand the YouTube community, including an annual convention held in Los Angeles called VidCon. At this special convention, which accommodates more than 20,000 attendees over a span of three days, viewers are invited to meet and learn from their favorite YouTube celebrities through meet-and-greets, panels and special parties.

YouTube is a medium that is constantly changing and evolving, but that’s what makes it so appealing. Creators have the freedom to express their opinions and inspire authentic relationships with their viewers and the rest of the YouTube community.

Let’s take a look at some of the YouTubers who have successfully made their career by posting videos on the Web.

Grace Helbig
Channel: it’sGrace (http://www.youtube.com/graciehinabox)

Subscribers: 1.9 million

On YouTube since Oct. 3, 2006

Grace Helbig’s decision to create a YouTube channel came after taking a college editing course. From there, she and her then roommate, Michelle, would upload videos about their life in New York City. Fast forward a few years, and Helbig signed a contract with Rob Barnett from My Damn Channel, an entertainment website, to create videos under the moniker “Daily Grace.” By uploading five videos a week, Helbig transformed into a comedy heroine, amassing thousands of views and gaining a cult following. In 2013, Helbig decided to step away from My Damn Channel. Unfortunately, the company controlled the rights to her video content and name, leaving Helbig to start from scratch. Thankfully, the fans Helbig accumulated over the years followed her to the new channel, where she continues to post three videos a week. Outside of YouTube, Helbig is a writer—she just released her first book, Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be A Grown-Up. She is also an actress and comedian. She has appeared on shows such as Chelsea Lately and The Soup, filmed a movie called Camp Takota with fellow YouTube stars Hannah and Mamrie Hart, and she is currently in the process of launching a pilot for a series on E!.

Zoe Sugg

Channel: Zoella (http://www.youtube.com/zoella280390)

Subscribers: 6.7 million

On YouTube since Feb. 2, 2007

Zoe Sugg decided to try her hand at making YouTube videos after her fashion and beauty blog gained thousands of followers. By moving her expertise to YouTube, Sugg expanded her audience and quickly became one of the most viewed beauty YouTubers. She regularly posts videos in which she talks about her favorite make-up products and fashion trends. On her second YouTube channel (moreZoella), Sugg documents her everyday life with her boyfriend and fellow YouTuber, Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog) and their adorable pug, Nala. Earlier this year, she launched a range of bath and beauty products under the brand, Zoella Beauty, and she just recently released her debut novel called Girl Online, which tells the story of a young girl, much like Sugg, who runs an anonymous blog that goes viral.

Charles Trippy

Channel: CTFxC (http://www.youtube.com/CTFxC)

Subscribers: 1.4 million

On YouTube since June 16, 2008

Charles Trippy has been recording his day-to-day life for 2,052 consecutive days and counting. Through the ups and downs of his life, Trippy never fails to upload a video on his channel, CTFxC, and holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Consecutive Daily Video Blogs Posted On YouTube.”  Over the six years, Trippy has been daily vlogging, he has documented two brain surgeries—he actually filmed one of the operations— a divorce and several tours with his band, We The Kings. What started as an experiment that was only meant to last a year has turned into a huge Internet community.

Photo Courtesy of:

Zoella pic- zoella.co.uk

Grace Helbig pic- gracehelbig.net

Charles Trippy pic- store.dftba.com/collections/charles-trippy