How to Make Your Cat a YouTube Sensation
Cats are the official Internet animal; I don’t care what anyone says. Since the Internet began, cat pictures and videos have covered the Web, and for a good reason. We all know how cute and wacky a dog can be, but seeing an antisocial cat do something interesting is rare. Now that almost everyone owns a camera, cat owners everywhere are recording their cat’s antics and posting them to YouTube.
Making a cat Internet famous is more than for attention; it’s a business! A good example is Grumpy Cat, who has a net worth in the millions!
Okay, your cat is probably not going to be the next Tarder Sauce, but if you play your cards right, you can gain a good following on YouTube and make a potential profit through monetizing your videos. But with millions of cat videos out there, how can you stand out? Here are some tips to get your cat out of the house and onto the catwalk.
Look for a Quirk
Grumpy Cat is famous because she always looks mad. So what is your cat’s quirk? Does it have a unique meow? Can it jump unusually high on the cat scratch post? Is it always hissing at nothing? Look at your cat and see what exactly its quirks are, and see if there’s gold in that.
No quirk? No problem! You can dress your cat up, record it at just the right moment, or do something with yourself and the cat. For instance, if you like to travel, and your cat does too, make a travel vlog of the adventures you have with your kitty.
To sum it up, do your homework. Don’t just make content without thinking about it.
Get to the Point!
People have short attention spans. In a sea of videos, your potential audience will skip your video if it doesn’t get to the point. When recording your cat video, make it short and sweet. If it’s a video of your cat doing a trick with their fun cat toy, edit and upload just the trick (and maybe a little build-up if necessary.) Don’t upload three minutes of your cat doing nothing before she does something amazing.
With some basic editing skills, you can cut out the fat of the video and make something that people will watch more than once, thus rolling in the views.
Tackle All Forms of Social Media
In the early days of YouTube, you just needed to upload a video of your cat and let the views roll in. Now, it’s a bit different. You’ll need a Twitter, Facebook page, Instagram, Vine, and any other form of social media that may rise. Make each profile something different. On the Twitter, you can tell everything your cat does. On Facebook, you can blog and post pictures. By picking different outlets, you can soon build up a brand.
Learn How to Use a Camera (and Have a Budget)
If you’re just pointing your phone or camcorder at your cat, you’re doing it wrong. While you don’t have to be a top-notch film expert, you should at least know about the different camera angles and how they can psychologically impact people. For instance, if your cat is angry, film it at a low angle to make it look intimidating. If you want your cat to look sweet and innocent, film it from a high angle.
Also, having a camera that’s decent quality and not shaky is good as well.
Again, you don’t have to be a master at photography, lighting, or filming, but knowing some skills will set you apart from the rest.
Interact With Your Fans
As you get comments rolling in, you should attempt to respond to them. Whether you want to respond as the owner, or in character of the cat, is up to you, but reply to as many comments as possible. Your audience will know you value them, and will be coming back for more.
Post a Lot, and Don’t Get Discouraged
The truth is, you probably won’t get an audience for a good while. Your audience, more than likely, will slowly build. During the first few months when you have no one following, it may be easy to throw in the towel. But don’t give up! Post frequently. Upload a YouTube video every week or so, post on social media a couple of times a day, and don’t be scared to promote your stuff.
Finally, Be Nice to Your Cat!
As you try to make your cat a YouTube sensation, avoid mistreating it! This should go without saying, but we mean more than not physically harming it. Many owners end up stressing their cats out, either by pranking them or keeping that camera in their faces a bit too long. Know your cat’s boundaries and respect them.
Emily Watson is the Chief Creative Cat at Catological.com a cat information and review website. She’s the proud cat parent of two loving little cute kitties. Find out what she’s up to next at catological.com!
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