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Whether you are interested in learning about China’s long history or simply found yourself wondering ‘what exactly is a travel visa’, YouTube is probably (or should be) the first place you turn to. There are thousands of channels on YouTube that focus entirely on general knowledge topics - history, geography, cultures, etc.
Some of you might be rolling your eyes, thinking ‘boring!’ - but, you should know that many channels in this category have hundreds of thousands of subscribers and rack up a lot of views. This makes it the ideal category for brands to sponsor - and we are talking about almost any type of brand.
Here’s a look at why brands should already be partnering with general knowledge channels:
This is probably pretty obvious but, hundreds of thousands of viewers turn to these general knowledge channels because they, well, know their stuff. This also means that when it comes to the brands they decide to partner with, you can rest assured that they did their research - which will be evident to their viewers.
When it comes to brand promotion, viewers want a genuine review and this is much easier to create with knowledge about the brand, its products and of course, its service. On top of that, the creator will also know how to present the ad in a way that will best resonate with their audience.
In this example, Surfshark sponsored WaroftheWorld’s video The Legendary F-14 and an Air Battle Fought Over the Strait of Hormuz. While explaining the premises of the video, the creator also seamlessly integrated the brand promotion - using the same tone, language, and topics of interest viewers love.
Unlike in history class, people that enjoy watching general knowledge content are extremely engaged in the content so as to not miss any important information. This is ideal for brands because the ad promotion is digested along with all the other interesting information.
At ThoughtLeaders, we work with many different YouTube channels from a wide variety of categories, including general knowledge creators. From the data we’ve collected, it’s clear to see that viewers have a higher retention rate while watching general knowledge videos when compared to the other categories on YouTube. This becomes especially important when the brand is negotiating ad placements in general knowledge videos vs. videos in other categories.
Without generalizing, it’s safe to assume that viewers of general knowledge videos are well-informed and are likely to have a higher education, leading to the notion that they bring in a higher income. This is obviously what brands like to hear - targeting an audience that is able to spend money on products that can improve their way of life. It’s also interesting to note that in most cases, the demographic for general knowledge channels usually consist of older viewers.
According to data, seniors and baby boomers are the fastest growing segment on YouTube mobile, and they turn to the platform as a place to learn about topics that interest them (general knowledge!!).It’s also important to note that, according to reports, one in three Boomers say they use YouTube to learn about a product/service.
Research aside, video production cost for general knowledge content is significantly lower. For example, when a cooking channel creates a YouTube video - they must buy the products, set up is crucial, and of course, all the cooking tools can pile up. However, for general knowledge channels, most of the heavy lifting takes place in the editing phase.
In turn, creators in the general knowledge category can take much more reasonable prices from brands. This is crucial for brands because the cheaper the channel, the higher the chances they will see conversion - highest probability for success on their campaign. Not to mention, if the brand has a set budget - they are able to sponsor more channels, increasing their chances of success even more.
Unlike many other categories on YouTube, general knowledge content is usually evergreen - the content stays relevant whether it was created in 2010 or recently published (unless you still think World War II will have an alternate ending). So, this highlights two important points - videos on general knowledge channels are constantly being viewed, in turn, the brands that sponsored these videos are constantly gaining ongoing exposure. The second crucial point is that there is most likely content relevant to pretty much any viewer (someone interested in wars to an individual wanting to learn more about Greek mythology). This is ideal for brands because they are highly likely to find a channel/video that strongly relates to the product/service to sponsor.
However, it is important for brands to understand that because the content is evergreen, it is important for the ad spot to stay relevant as well.
Looking for popular general knowledge channels? Look no further than the following six channels - all of which are available for brand partnerships:
Every week, Astrum showcases and planets using beautiful images and videos captured by probes and spacecrafts.
Subscribers: 991.0k
Whether it’s an earthquake, pandemic, or shark attack, How To Survive explains how to endure life-threatening moments by employing statistical facts combined with survivor stories
Subscribers: 1.2M
Making science, psychology, & philosophy a lot more approachable to anyone with a curious mind. Or in his own words, bringing the universe down to earth.
Subscribers: 1.5M
High quality animation of history’s conquerors and conquests. K&G unravels the rise and fall of armies and kingdoms.
Subscribers: 2.5M
One of the most popular and long running channels in the world of general knowledge. Creating daily content from unsolved mysterious, the world around us and the amazing animal kingdom.
Subscribers: 3.5M
The Webby Award winners for science documentary, What If creates smart, entertaining content with uncompromising high quality production. They also have a Spanish language channel with over 2 million subscribers.
Subscribers: 6.2M
The major takeaway? Do not underestimate general knowledge channels. If you are still rolling your eyes, thinking ‘who spends their free time learning about how accents work’, you are really missing out. If you are interested in partnering with general knowledge channels, do not hesitate to reach out (we have a full roster of general knowledge channels!). Also, if you are questioning what the rates look like for these types of channels, give our YouTube sponsorship calculator a go.
