As one of the most famous and earliest YouTube adopter in sharing beauty tips for makeup, styling, and nourishing skin. Michelle Phan was very wise for choosing YouTube, as same as the SNS to develop her empire.

Then, what did she do to earn that throne? Her pure talent? Luck? Interacting is the key word.

1. YouTube

YouTube is now, still remaining one of the most powerful digital marketing for those who need to be popular as quick as a flash of a supernova.

Michelle started uploading makeup tutorial in May 2007 and the tenth video named “Seductive Smokey eyes tutorial” was the turning point, the first one that hit 100,000 views. Her channel was averaging 600,000 views per month by the fall of 2008 and keep going on with her promise for new uploading weekly.

In 2009, Michelle has marked this year by reaching 1.5 million views in Jan for 8 videos, and more for her dedication to the platform.

On the way of gaining victories, again in 2009, Michelle saw her lucky chance of using the SNS and sharing on some social media sites where she was building a community of fans for her tutorials, and the video titled “Romantic Valentine Look” became a phenomenon. Brought to her channel on YouTube reached 4.5 million views that month.

In addition to programming her videos for the holidays, Michelle began producing makeup tutorials that related to trending topics such as new music videos or other search trends. Such as: “Lady Gaga Poker Face Tutorial” (1.6 million views in its first two weeks, still second–most–watched video of all time for the channel)

In late summer 2011, started to become a creator. She began writing and directing story-driven narratives that feature her tutorials as plot points woven into the story. “Catch My Heart,” was the first reached 1.2 million views (first week). Since then it has become her fan’s favorites.

And by using her advantage, talent in drawing. She has made her videos much more creative and easier for people to watch and remember with specific keywords.

Moreover, goes alongside with follow world’s new trend in makeup field, she releases vlogs in which she answers hers fan’s questions, provides updates on her makeup lines, skin care routine and her personal life.

She knows when is the best time to upload new posts as in October for the Halloween themed videos and committing consistent uploads help her fans to never get enough of her.

Sum up, the key factor in her success is three things: cool colorful graphic design videos/vlogs (with meaningful storyline), short concise information which are easily to remember, interacting with her fans by answer their questions/ via giveaway and sharing emotions altogether on social sites.

2. Instagram. (IG)

It is such waste for not using Instagram as one of your channel for your business. Instagram is new, lots of fun with the most wanted customers: the youth.

Realized it soon and quick. She started using IG as a channel to share her daily activities, beauty tips, introduce newest products, call out/upon for humanism campaign, and support group, fundraisers, foundations.

Her IG is always full of colors which is related to the audience that she wants to get. One of her things must be successful in using the hashtag (#) to impress and make her own new trend. That is why her IG is now followed by 1.8 million people, such a nice dream for any beauty gurus else to catch.

She has built up her IG with her own style, easily to recognize and concisely with her key points. Moreover, she connects all her channels together, and sets up Giveaways which are people have to follow all hers channels, like or thumb up, comment, subscribe, to play/join the game as the silent rules.

3. Among other channels

Michelle has 7.5 million YouTube subscribers at the moment and 3 million likes on Facebook (Greiff, 2015). She traveled to Asia with Michelle Obama to promote the Let Girls Learn initiative this month. Last year she teamed up with Pinterest for a Halloween campaign promoting its Pin Picks feature.

Together with Endemol Beyond, she created Icon, a lifestyle network that aims to help you “be your best self,” according to a promotional video on Youtube. The network debuts in the U.S. and U.K. today and will roll out in Asia and Western Europe later this year.

This is not the first time Michelle, who achieved fame among many young people via YouTube, has set her sights on her own video platform. ICON will cover topics including beauty, wellness, fashion and food, and the content will be distributed on YouTube, Dailymotion and Roku, as well as the Icon app and website. The network’s content creators include social-media influencers such as Sonya Esman, Jkissa, Jamie Greenberg and Kassie Isabelle.

Moreover, she has noticed desktop and mobile patterns change: “Last year, 60 percent of traffic came from desktop. Today, 70 percent comes from mobile” (Bowles, 2014). From her lawsuit with EDM Music for using their music for her video’s background; she took it as an opportunity to declare herself a defender of “Team Internet,” which seemed to indicate a stance about more progressive copyright laws.  She launched her own label with Cutting Edge Music.

“It’s very easy to make a viral video, but longevity and consistency, that’s hard.”_ she said.

 

References

Bowles, N. (2014). Michelle Phan: From YouTube Star to $84 Million Startup Founder. [online] Re/code. Available at: http://recode.net/2014/10/27/michelle-phan-youtube-star-to-startup-founder/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

Greiff, F. (2015). Michelle Phan Launches Premium Video Network ‘Icon’. [online] AdAge. Available at: http://adage.com/article/digital/michelle-phan-launches-premium-video-network-icon/297842/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

ICON, (2015). Introducing ICON ∞. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=54&v=vhcXlNA-jII [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

Thinkwithgoogle, (2014). YouTube Creator Stories: How Michelle Phan Became Everyone’s Beauty Bestie – Think with Google. [online] Available at: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/case-studies/michelle-phan.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].