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Here are the popular YouTubers with millions of fans that are losing their verified status and coveted grey checkmark thanks to a policy change (GOOG, GOOGL)

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youtube verification checkmark

  • YouTube announced Thursday that it was overhauling the qualifications for creators to get verified on the platform.
  • Those verified creators get a checkmark next to their names on YouTube — something of a status symbol for top creators. 
  • However, YouTube is also removing checkmarks from channels who no longer meet the new, stricter criteria.
  • Currently, any channel with more than 100,000 subscribers is eligible for verification, but it seems YouTube will be stricter in deciding who actually gets a coveted checkmark moving forward.
  • YouTubers with hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of subscribers have posted to social media to share that YouTube had emailed them, hours after the announcement, to tell them it was removing their verification badges in the coming months. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Popular YouTube creators are lashing out against the company after many of them were told Thursday they would be losing the verification checkmarks on their channels.

YouTube announced Thursday that it would be updating the eligibility requirements for its verification program — essentially, which channels YouTube decides will get gray checkmarks next to their names. Those checkmarks have become something of a status symbol among top YouTube creators.

YouTube's reasoning for tightening its verification criteria is to "reduce confusion about what being verified means." Currently, any channel with more than 100,000 subscribers is eligible for verification, but it seems YouTube will be stricter in deciding who actually gets a coveted checkmark moving forward.

Under its new policies rolling out in late October, YouTube will prioritize "prominent channels that have a clear need for proof of authenticity" above all else, specifically those belonging to "highly searched" figures and those that have a "strong presence online" outside of YouTube.

However, it didn't take long for verified YouTubers to take to social media and share emails they received from the company saying that under the new criteria, they were no longer eligible to have a checkmark on their channels. Some of these YouTubers who said they received these emails have hundreds of thousands — and even millions — of subscribers.

"Your channel no longer meets the criteria to be verified," screenshots of the emails sent to unverified YouTubers show. "We realize this might be disappointing, but we believe these updates will make channel verification more consistent for users and creators across YouTube."

It's unclear exactly when these checkmarks will be removed from YouTube channels, since many of these YouTubers who were notified about their de-verification still have checkmarks visible on their profiles. YouTube did say its new verification criteria is taking effect"starting in late October," but YouTubers like Jake Paul have already had checkmarks disappear from their channels.

In response to a request for comment, YouTube directed Business Insider to its blog post, which has been updated with some clarifications. YouTube wrote that "no one lost a verification badge today," and those that received an email about getting unverified could still appeal the decision before it takes effect.

Take a look at some of the popular creators who have been told they will be un-verified under YouTube's new criteria:

Pro Fornite gamer Kiwiz has 2.3 million YouTube followers. He was confused how he could be un-verified, considering he has such a large following and a close partnership with YouTube itself.

Source: Kiwiz on Twitter



YouTube personality Jake Paul has not posted online about the new verification criteria, but a glimpse at his channel shows there's no longer a checkmark next to his name.



Another YouTuber with a huge following — Infinite, with 12.5 million subscribers — was also told in an email he would be getting unverified.

 



Ducky the Gamer, a creator with almost a half-million subscribers, questioned how YouTube could abruptly take away his checkmark after eight years on the platform.

 



"There are literally copycat channels of me and other channels that take my videos and reupload them and make money but okay I guess I don’t need that verification that I am who I am," YouTube animator Illymation wrote on Twitter. The artist has 1.3 million subscribers on her channel.

 



YouTuber Kavos, who runs a commentary channel, has more than 1.1 million subscribers, and was told he would be unverified on Thursday. He questioned why YouTube was "making the most pointless f---ing changes to their platform."

 



"This breaks my heart. I hope it’s not real," YouTube gamer Nateson, who has 150,000 subscribers, wrote on Twitter. "We work so hard to try and stand out on the platform and this just sucks."

 



A tweet about getting un-verified from YouTube personality JaackMaate, who has 1.1 million subscribers, went viral Thursday afternoon.

 



British gamer ChaBoyy, who has nearly 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, called the new verification system a "joke."

 



Canadian vlogger Jessii Vee, who has 1.4 million subscribers, said that while the checkmark may seem "insignificant" to some, it signifies "hard work and dedication" to many who have been on YouTube for years.

 



"Basically YouTube telling us, even though we are popular on their platform we aren’t lucrative enough to deserve their attention," YouTuber MacDoesIt, who has 1.9 million subscribers, wrote on Twitter.

 




A teenager died after being severely burnt when she reportedly copied a video of a popular Chinese YouTuber cooking popcorn in a soda can

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Ms Yeah cookign youtuber

  • A teenage girl in China died after sustaining severe burns when she attempted to copy a video by one of the country's most popular food YouTubers, several media organizations reported.
  • On August 22, friends Zhe Zhe, 14, and Xiao Yu, 12, from Shandong reportedly tried to follow Ms Yeah's method for cooking popcorn in a soda can with an alcohol lamp, but the container burst into flame.
  • Zhe Zhe sustained 96% burns and died in hospital on September 5. Xiao Yu is undergoing cosmetic surgery, according to Chinese media.
  • Ms Yeah has denied any liability and said the pair were likely inspired by another YouTuber's video, not hers.
  • She said that while she is not to blame, she has compensated the families of the girls.
  • Ms Yeah, real name Zhou Xiao Hui, teaches her 7.5 million subscribers to cook with items like bottles, clothes irons, water dispensers, and space heaters.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 

A teenage girl in China died after trying to recreate a cooking video posted by one of the country's most popular YouTube stars, several media outlets reported.

On August 22, 2019, two girls from Shandong province identified as Zhe Zhe, 14, and Xiao Yu, 13, reportedly tried to copy a video by YouTuber Ms Yeah, who is famous for teaching her 7.5 million subscribers to cook using every items. 

The girls were attempting to cook popcorn in a soda can using an alcohol lamp when the accident happened. They were reportedly imitating a video posted by Ms Yeah in 2017, in which she showed how to make popcorn in a soda can by heating it with an alcohol lamp.

While trying to cook the popcorn, a bottle of alcohol catastrophically ignited, Taiwan's Eastern Broadcasting Corporation (ECB) reported.

The BBC reported that the girls had been heating alcohol inside a soda can when it exploded.

Zhe Zhe sustained 96% burns and died from her injuries on September 5 and Xiao Yu suffered 13% burns and needed cosmetic surgery, Sin Chew Daily newspaper reported.

Ms Yeah has denied that the girls were imitating her video in any way, and says she is not to blame for the accident.

Ms yeah desk cooking china youtber death

Read more:Here are the popular YouTubers with millions of fans that are losing their verified status and coveted grey checkmark thanks to a policy change

Ms Yeah, real name Zhou Xiao Hui, denied culpability on Weibo on September 10, saying the girls did not follow the her method at all.

"Zhezhe is not imitating my video, but learning from other video tutorials," she said in the statement, titled: "These past days are the dark moments of my life."

RAW_ms yeah

 "I have prayed many times for a miracle to happen to Zhe Zhe, but God did not show pity. I am heartbroken," she wrote.

Ms Yeah said she has compensated Zhe Zhe's family and is paying for Xiao Yu's cosmetic surgery.

The original tutorial, first released in 2017, has been deleted but the video has been reposted by other users on YouTube.

It can be seen below:

 

Ms Yeah says her original tutorial video was introduced with a warning message.

Ms Yeah describes herself on her YouTube channel as "a walking recipe from Mars." In one of her other videos Ms Yeah cooks a fish using a clothes iron.

Join the conversation about this story »

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The life and controversies of YouTuber Trisha Paytas, from public feuds and breakups to identifying as 'a chicken nugget'

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Trisha Paytas

  • Trisha Paytas is one of the biggest names on YouTube. She has over 5 million subscribers on her channels and has been on the platform for over a decade.
  • She posts Mukbangs, intimate personal vlogs from her kitchen floor, and has been in more public feuds than maybe any other influencer.
  • Drama seems to have followed her through the various twists and turns of her career, and she's shared every second with her fans.
  • Here's the lowdown on some of the most memorable parts of Paytas' career so far, because it would be impossible to name them all.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Trisha Paytas has been an incredibly compelling character to watch on YouTube since she created her account blndsundoll4mj in 2007. For over a decade she's posted Mukbangs, intimate personal vlogs from her kitchen floor, and gotten into more public feuds than maybe any other influencer. 

In her 12 years on the platform, Paytas has grown a following of 4.9 million subscribers on her main account and 1.36 million on her separate vlog channel. No matter who she's dating or who she's arguing with, her subscribers can't get enough, and she's penetrated nearly every corner of the online world. She even manages to make a video about cooking scrambled eggs entertaining.

A self-confessed troll, Paytas is always trying to get featured on YouTube gossip aficionado Keemstar's show "DramaAlert" and every decision she makes seems to get people talking.

Here's the lowdown on some of the most memorable parts of Paytas' career so far, to help explain why she's one of the most iconic and persistent people to ever grace YouTube with their presence.

Read more: The whirlwind romances and breakups of YouTube stars fuel our appetite for increasingly extreme and dramatic online entertainment

Trisha Paytas started her YouTube account as a dedication to her hero Quentin Tarantino.

When Paytas started her channel, it was devoted to counting down the days to Quentin Tarantino film "Inglorious Basterds" and reading out her raps and poems dedicated to the director. But her content evolved over the next year or two to include dieting vlogs, dating and beauty advice, and even an attempt to try and break the world record for speed talking— a skill that got her an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."



She followed many other different ventures early in her career.

Back in 2010, Paytas claimed to be a tanning addict on an episode of "My Strange Addiction."In a YouTube video she further explained it helped with her "physical shape and acne." She's been cast in episodes of "Modern Family" and "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?", and the movie "Wunderlust" which starred Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston.

Paytas also appeared in the music videos of several artists including Eminem, Amy Winehouse, The All-American Rejects, and Les Savy Fav.

In 2013, she was a guest on Dr Phil and spoke out against people who criticize her looks in a segment called "girls who bash girls who dress sexy."



Her YouTube channel began to take off when she started posting more opinionated vlogs and comedy skits.

Paytas began building more of an audience on YouTube when she started being more opinionated and experimenting with comedy skits, such as her video "Couples Therapy: Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson." She also received some attention for saying she was going to vote for Mitt Romney in 2012.



But some of her more controversial humor didn't go down well.

Her character Trishii, for example, was supposed to be a Japanese popstar. Trishii even made a music video, which was taken down due to the backlash. Paytas explained why in a video in 2012.



She's openly admitted to posting videos just for the clicks.

Paytas has admitted that some of her more outlandish videos were posted just to get the clicks. She told Business Insider her support of Romney was one of those cases, as was a video where she claimed "dogs don't have brains."

She said she thought "dumbing [her]self down" would get her views, and she didn't realize that more people would watch "if I was just real and true to who I was."

Read more: Nobody knew YouTuber Danielle Cohn's real age until her own father said she's only 13. Here's what you need to know about the teen star who tricked the internet into thinking she was pregnant.



She's also had a pretty lucrative music career.

In November 2014, Paytas started her musical career with her first single, a cover of Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby." The next April she released a video for a cover of Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation," followed by an original song called "Fat Chicks" in May 2015.

"No one comes right out and says it: fat," she said. "It's like this taboo word that people do take offense to, including me at one point, but why?" Paytas told Business Insider at the time.

"It's really just me taking a word that so many people describe me as and throwing it away ... Like, I'm fat fat fat fat, is that good now? Can we stop talking about that in every video I post and every picture I take?"

Paytas has nine albums in total.



She has even written some religious pop as an ode to her faith as a Roman Catholic.

In 2017, Paytas released "A Jesus Bop" and "I Love You Jesus," as an ode to her faith as a devout Roman Catholic. These tracks were followed up with "A Christmas Jesus Bop" in 2018 and "Jesus Rises (Easter Song)" in 2019.

The video for "A Jesus Bop" features a YouTuber who calls himself Jesus Christ, who used to make money on Fiverr reading out statements from fans.

 



Paytas has written 11 books in total, experimenting with poetry, novels, and an autobiography.

Paytas has released 11 books, her first of which is titled "The History of My Insanity," released in 2013. Her latest book, "101 Poems About My Ex-Boyfriend," has just been published.



She also appeared on "Celebrity Big Brother" in the UK, but walked out of the house on the 11th day.

In 2017, Paytas spoke about her experience in the house on Twitter and in two YouTube videos. She said it was the "worst experience" of her life and everyone who was in the house with her was "fake." She called Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding "trash," said "Ex On The Beach" contestant Jemma Lucy was "extremely aggressive," and that former "Hollyoaks" actor Paul Danan was a "fake ass."

 



She once decided she did not want to identify as a person.

In 2017, Paytas uploaded a video called "i'm no longer a person" where she walked aroung in her underwear and said she didn't want to be identified as Trisha, a female, or anything anymore.

"Because I no longer have an identity," she said. "I don't want to be made fun of or compared to my videos because they are no longer me. I am stepping back from a persona, from a person that is Trish."

She also said people shouldn't wear clothes.



Paytas has dated several public figures.

Paytas dated Michael Anthony Hall from 2008 to 2013, then Roger Bart from 2013 to 2015. She talked about a lot of her past relationships in a video titled "WHO WAS MY WORST BOYFRIEND EVER?"



The first high profile relationship Paytas had on YouTube that people really started paying attention to was with Sean van der Wilt.

In 2015, Paytas started dated musician and performer Sean van der Wilt. They released a song together called "Playground" which has over 4 million views on YouTube. They also posted the now notorious video together called "Showering with my Boyfriend!"

They were together about a year until December 2016.

 



The breakup of Paytas and van der Wilt was full of controversy.

In 2016, Paytas publicly announced she and van der Wilt had split up in a video where she filmed herself crying on her kitchen floor — a trend she would soon become famous for.

The video, which was released in December 2016, was titled "he cheated. i'm done."

She posted a subsequent video, "Sean Van Der Wilt Is Gay," where she revealed van der Wilt had kissed another man in a club. Paytas then received a lot of criticism from people saying she had publicly outed someone without their consent.



A few days after their breakup, Paytas posted a video saying she was a "chicken nugget."

Paytas took the breakup and the criticism hard, because she posted a confusing YouTube video titled "im a chicken nugget" a few days later. It has over a million views.

"When you feel like a chicken nugget, you feel like ... not delicious," Paytas said to the camera. "Well, you feel delicious, but you also feel, like, fried. And fake on the inside ... I'm pink goop and now I'm a chicken nugget."

She added: "I don't think I should be considered crazy for identifying as such."



Paytas also has a complicated history with Aaron Carter.

Paytas has known noughties teen icon Aaron Carter for several years. They recently appeared in an Instagram Live video together, leading people to believe they were in a relationship. But the two have a rocky history.

On August 8 this year, Paytas tweeted that she had "hooked up" with Carter and he'd unfollowed her which led to a Twitter war of exposing each other's DMs. But the two appear to have made up, with Paytas tweeting they are like brother and sister. 

Read more: People think YouTuber Trisha Paytas may be dating Aaron Carter, who recently said his mental stability is 'infinite' but he needs an assault rifle for 'protection'

 



Paytas also dated Viner turned YouTuber Jason Nash.

Paytas dated Jason Nash, a member of David Dobrik's Vlog Squad, on-and-off for about a year. During their turbulent relationship, Paytas featured heavily in Dobrik's famous vlogs. They also made a music video together.

Paytas and Nash broke up briefly a few times because of arguments, one time because Paytas thought Nash called her overweight, and another because Nash kept making jokes about having a threesome with Tana Mongeau. They made response videos about each other's behavior before rekindling their romance both times. 



Paytas and Nash broke up in February, which was hard for her.

Paytas revealed in May this year that she and Nash had broken up for a final time in February in another emotional kitchen floor video. She said they had fallen out and Nash had stopped speaking to her. She also said she had started going to therapy to work through some of her issues with trust and insecurity.

After their relationship ended via a FaceTime call, Paytas said she accidentally mixed alcohol with pills and ended up in the hospital. 

After posting the video, Paytas tweeted people who were saying they had found Nash on Tinder saying he had "every right" to be there. She said Nash"deserves nothing but the best"and"I never deserved Jason and I treated him poorly."



Despite staying friends initially, their relationship soured and Paytas spoke out against Nash and the Vlog Squad several times.

Paytas has released several videos since she broke up with Nash, claiming that he only broke up with her because Dobrik, who she compared to Ted Bundy, told him to. 

She has also made several other claims about the Vlog Squad, most notably in a recent video titled "HOW DAVID DOBRIK + THE VLOG SQUAD RUINED MY LIFE" where she talked about one member, Jeff Wittek, ignoring her in a Starbucks. 

She also addressed another claim she made in a deleted video that another Vlog Squad member, Brandon Calvillo, was dating a 17-year-old— which Calvillo later denied.

Paytas has confusingly changed her opinion of Dobrik and the Vlog Squad multiple times. She recently commented on one of Dobrik's Instagram photos, saying "Ur so hot. Can we f--- tho ?"



In May, Paytas also got into an emotional feud with h3h3's Ethan Klein.

Paytas tearfully called out Ethan Klein, A YouTuber who runs the h3h3 podcast, for fat-shaming her in a video, saying he was "harming young girls."

Klein made a video titled "Instagram vs. Reality" where he said influencers had a problem with photoshopping their pictures, and editing beyond recognition was harmful. Paytas responded saying the fact he used her images and called influencers like Tana Mongeau a "whale" was damaging.

In tweets, Paytas called Klein a "disgusting piece of s---."

"Hey @h3h3productions — I was suicidal at age 13, 15, 19, 22, and 25 over comments like yours,"she wrote. "You went beyond opinions, you are going for extreme bullying that could lead to many girls wanting to take their lives like I did for so many years."

Klein responded to Paytas saying: "Who is this rude person? I don't recognize her from her profile picture. Anyone know?"



Paytas also has a complicated relationship with YouTube's most popular gossip channel host, Keemstar.

Keemstar hosts YouTube's most prominent gossip channel DramaAlert, where Paytas has been a common topic of conversation. 

Most recently, they got into a Twitter fight when Keemstar brought up Paytas' previous struggles with addiction. He quote-tweeted someone who said they had recovered from a crystal meth addiction, saying "Congrats! Hopefully this gives some inspiration to @trishapaytas!"

Paytas responded saying "@KEEMSTAR is a literal devil bringing up my drug addiction and shit. Ur bullying causes actual death. This isn't cute. Get ur shit together."



Keemstar also covered a story of another YouTuber called Nikocado Avocado.

In May, a video by a YouTuber called Nikocado Avocado went viral, racking up over 2.7 million views, titled "Exposing Trisha Paytas With Receipts." Nikocado Avocado explained that he and Paytas were supposed to film together several years ago, but she had ghosted him. Then she proceeded to criticize him publicly in several livestreams and videos, and he'd had enough of it. So he made all of their DMs public. 

Keemstar said Paytas was "cancelled" as a result of the video coming out, because it had exposed her as a liar and a manipulator. 



Paytas and Nikocado Avocado made up a few months later and did Mukbangs together.

Paytas initially denied any claims of wrongdoing, even telling Perez Hilton there was nothing wrong with ghosting someone. But she later backtracked on this, saying she was going through a tough time in May due to her breakup with Nash.

Paytas then filmed videos with Nikocado Avocado on both their channels where they ate take-out food and discussed everything that went down between them.



In August, Paytas appeared on a YouTube show called "The Reality House."

Paytas, along with several other YouTube stars, took part in a 10-part reality series where the last person to leave their shared house would win $25,000.

During her first few hours in the house, Paytas brought up how much she hated Jason Nash and David Dobrik, and then got into a fight with fellow contestant Dominic DeAngelis about a bed.

DeAngelis asked her for money, and she said she couldn't pay it because she was "broke." Then, just minutes later, she claimed to be worth $25 million.

"I have a f------ Patreon," she said.



Paytas recently appeared on Logan Paul's podcast.

Paytas appeared on Logan Paul's "Impaulsive" podcast on September 13 where she talked about everything from her sex life, to her public spats with the Vlog Squad, to YouTube's biggest creator PewDiePie.

Mike Majlak said they had to cut some of what she said out because it was too outrageous, according to Dexerto.

"There was a lot of back-and-forth with her ex-team, the Vlog Squad, that, unfortunately, didn't make the cut," he said. "I think we try really hard to keep everything in these episodes, but when there are any kinds of crazy allegations or stuff that we don't see there being evidence to support, we cut that stuff out, and this was one of those episodes."

Paytas also criticized PewDiePie, saying she hated him.

"Ew. F--- him and his declining views," she said, saying he did a video about her even though she's "irrelevant."

"PewDiePie, f--- all the way off," she said. "You're disgusting, your humor sucks, and you should stick to playing video games. F--- PewDiePie, I hate him."



But for the most part, Paytas seems to be staying out of drama in recent months.

Paytas is currently on tour around the US where she performs her music for her fans, including an ambitious rendition of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow." She seems to be staying out of drama for the most part, only talking to her close friends on YouTube like Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star.

Paytas has recently posted some video challenges on YouTube which are reminiscent of her old content, like "I only ate PINK food for 24 HOURS Challenge!" and "Only Eating Recommended Serving Sizes for a Day! (IMPOSSIBLE 24 HOUR FOOD CHALLENGE)."

She also recently uploaded a Mukbang with Instagram model Kevin Creekman who starred in her most recent music video "Red Flags."



Inside the toy business of YouTube star Ryan ToysReview, the 8-year-old boy who makes $22 million per year

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Bonkers Toys_Ryan's World Giant Mystery Egg

  • Toy manufacturing company Bonkers Toys develops branded toys with popular internet stars like Ryan ToysReview, who has 21 million YouTube subscribers.
  • The company was founded three years ago and has partnerships with major retailers like Target and Walmart, according to Deborah Stallings Stumm, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Bonkers. 
  • Today, the company's most successful toy is its "Ryan's World Giant Mystery Egg," with Ryan ToysReview branding.
  • In an interview with Business Insider, Stallings Stumm talked about what makes a successful partnership between a toy company and an influencer and the trends she's noticed in the industry.
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

When the company behind the world's top-earning YouTube star Ryan Kaji (of Ryan ToysReview)— who earns an estimated $22 million a year— first decided to expand into toys in 2017, the team reached out to Bonkers Toys.

"At the time, it was taking a big chance because no one had done anything like it before," Deborah Stallings Stumm, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Bonkers, told Business Insider. "Other toy companies would send Ryan products and compensate him for reviewing the toys, because they knew the value of what he could do and the number of views he would receive for those videos." But none had made Ryan-branded toys.

Today, merchandise — including toys — is an established way for an influencer like 8-year-old Ryan to extend their brand.

But at the time, working with an influencer to create an original toy felt risky, Stallings Stumm said. Still, Bonkers saw the opportunity when Pocket.Watch, the company that owns the licensing to "Ryan's World," reached out.

Ryan is known for his unboxing videos, particularly those with mystery boxes. So the first product Bonkers decided to make for "Ryan's World" was a "giant mystery egg," which includes many toys.

That toy, "Ryan's World Giant Mystery Egg," became a hit. It was recognized as a top-rated kids toy in 2018 by Walmart and is available at major retailers like Target, Amazon, and Walmart.

But the mystery egg was just the start of an emerging business for Bonkers.

Establishing a name in the digital-media toy space.

Bonkers, founded three years ago by Brian Bonnett (president and CEO), Jade Throgmorton (creative director), and Stallings Stumm, who heads the marketing department, has made a name for itself making toys focused on influencers and other digital-media properties.

"We noticed there were a lot of changes going on in the toy industry," Stallings Stumm said. "Kids are not really watching television, they are online, on social media. And the stars these days are YouTube stars."

But Stallings Stumm said the team still felt kids would like to have something tangible to go along with their new digital interests.

Bonkers launched its first product in partnership with the popular mobile game Slither.io, which Bonnett got the idea for after watching his son continuously playing the game. 

"What really put us on the map was our Slither sales," Stallings Stumm said. "We placed them in Target and Walmart, which really set us on the right path."

Bonkers also found that mystery boxes were a big hit.

"Kids love the mystery, surprise element of not knowing what they are going to get," she said. "We leveraged that blind unboxing element first with the Slither brand, and saw it became quite successful."

Then came Ryan's World, where Bonkers built on what it learned with Slither.io.

After the success of the launch with Pocket.Watch and Ryan's World, Bonkers is expanding to other influencer clients. (Ryan's World has expanded its licensing deals, too, and is working with other toy companies.) Bonkers has created a toy line with FGTeeV (a family gaming channel with 12 million subscribers) and is working with other influencers who haven't yet been announced.bonkers toys

Partnering with the right influencers and driving sales.

The key to a successful influencer toy line is collectability and working with a family-friendly YouTube channel that's willing to promote the product, Stallings Stumm said.

She said being active and reaching parents on platforms like Facebook has also been important because not everyone is on YouTube with their kids. Bonkers also promotes at industry events and submits toys for traditional parenting magazines.

But what's really helped Bonkers is working with the right influencers. 

"We don't need television advertising for this brand," she said of Ryan's World. Bonkers knew that if it pulled off the collaboration with Ryan ToysReview correctly, it would be massive because of the engagement and following he has online.


For more on how influencers are profiting from their success online, according to industry professionals, check out these Business Insider Prime posts:

Join the conversation about this story »

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How to download your own YouTube videos in 3 different ways

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youtube business personal recording account

Your YouTube channel can be whatever you want it to be, but ultimately, it acts as a living record of your work. 

And for many, it's representative of hours and hours of work, both on camera and off. 

So it's always good to have a backup of your videos by downloading them onto your computer or another storage device to ensure that nothing is lost in the event of a technical glitch.

For the record, you can only download your own YouTube videos with these methods. And there is a limit to the number of times you can download each video through YouTube, per day. 

With that in mind, here are the methods you can use to download your YouTube video. 

How to download your own YouTube videos

There are actually three primary ways to get this done. 

You can use Google Takeout to grab all of your data, including YouTube videos. 

Or you can do it using YouTube itself — on either YouTube Studio (Beta) or Classic.

How to download your own YouTube videos in Studio Beta

Here's how to use the Beta-version method:

1. Go to youtube.com and sign into your account, if necessary.

2. Click your profile photo in the top-right corner of the screen and select "YouTube Studio (beta)."

1 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

3. Click the "Videos" tab in the left sidebar.

2 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

4. Hover your cursor over the video you want to download, then click the three dots that appear to the right of the video's name.

3 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

5. Click "Download."

How to download your own YouTube videos in Studio Classic

You can also download your videos through the YouTube Studio Classic. Here's how:

1. Go to youtube.com and sign into your account, if necessary.

2. Click on your profile picture and then select "YouTube Studio (Beta)."

3. In the bottom-left corner of the screen click "Creator Studio Classic."

4 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

4. Either click into the "Videos" section toward the middle of the screen, or select "Video Manager" in the left sidebar.

5 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

5. Next to the video you want to download, click the down carrot.

6 HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

6. Select "Download MP4."

Keep in mind that you won't be able to download your video if it's been removed from YouTube, has a copyright or community guidelines strike against it, uses a pre-approved audio track, or if you've already downloaded it five times within the last 24 hours.

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How to make a GIF from a YouTube video and post it online

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If you've been on social media anytime in the last few years, you've seen GIFs: short video clips that run on repeat, often with a funny or snarky message. GIFs are increasingly popular, turning up in emails and on websites.

It's easy to create your own GIFs with free online tools. GIPHY lets you turn a snippet of a YouTube video into your own meme-worthy GIF.

How to make your own GIF from a YouTube video

You don't need any special knowledge or tools to make your own GIF. First, find a video to excerpt on YouTube. Then go to GIPHY and get to work. 

1. On GIPHY's homepage, click the "Create" button at the top of the window.

1 Giphy home page

2. Copy the link for your YouTube video into the "Add Any URL" box on GIPHY. You can also use Vimeo videos and other GIPHY links.

3. Choose the moment in your video where you want to start your GIF. Slide the Start Time bar until you get to the spot in the video right before the snippet you want to turn into a GIF.

4. Pick the length of your GIF by moving the Duration bar to the left or right, or hitting the up or down arrow next to "Seconds." Watch your GIF a couple of times to make sure you've captured the slice of video you wanted.

3 pick your GIF start and end times

5. Once you've found the perfect starting point and length for your GIF, it's time to decorate it. Click "Continue to Decorate."

6. On this page, you can add text and pictures to your GIF. Click on "Caption" to add text. [Image 5]Click and drag the text to move it where you want it on the screen. [image 6]You can also choose what you want the text to look like, and how you want it to move.

7. You can add stickers when you choose "Stickers." Click and drag stickers to position them on the GIF. 

8. Click "Filters" to turn change the look of the GIF. 

9. You can also draw on your GIF in the Draw menu. 

4 add caption

10. When you're finished decorating, click "Continue to Upload."

11. Your GIF is almost ready. Add one or more tags so others can find and share it. Then click "Upload to GIPHY."

12. GIPHY will create your GIF. This takes a few seconds.

13. Watch your GIF and appreciate your handiwork! Use the menu to the right of your GIF to copy the link, share it on social media, or get its embed code. 

12 copy link

14. You don't have to log in to GIPHY to create and share a GIF, but logging in will allow you to get credit for your creations, and easily find them again.

 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

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YouTube CEO says that it will no longer take verified checkmarks away from top YouTubers (GOOG, GOOGL)

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Susan Wojcicki

The CEO of YouTube has apologized for the "frustration and hurt" caused to creators, a day after the company notified many of them that their channels would lose their verification checkmarks in October.

YouTube announced this week that it was overhauling the qualifications for creators to get verified on its video platform. Almost immediately, some YouTubers with hundreds of thousands — and millions — of subscribers took to social media to post screenshots of emails from YouTube, which notified them that they no longer met the criteria for verification, and they were set to lose their checkmarks the following month.

The news was met with outrage from creators frustrated about YouTube's actions. On Friday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote on Twitter that the platform had "missed the mark" with its new verification process. Wojcicki said that YouTube is "working to address your concerns."

Later on Friday, Wojcicki issued an update on Twitter that all verified users would be able to keep their checkmarks, "without appeal." She also shared revised authentication criteria  — essentially, that a verified channel must have over 100,000 subscribers, and that the channel is "authentic" and "complete." In other words, a verified YouTube channel must be claimed by a real person, brand, or entity, and be active in sharing public videos. 

 

Read more: Popular YouTubers with millions of fans are losing their verified status and coveted grey checkmark thanks to a policy change

YouTube has said that the goal of tightening its verification criteria is to "reduce confusion about what being verified means." Under its new policies rolling out in late October, YouTube will prioritize "prominent channels that have a clear need for proof of authenticity" above all else, specifically those belonging to "highly searched" figures and those that have a "strong presence online" outside of YouTube.

The tightening of verification criteria is just the latest in a series of YouTube policies and stances that have been unpopular among the platform's content creators. YouTube has struggled to deal with incidents of "creator-on-creator" harassment on the platform, and its inaction has been criticized heavily. YouTube has defended its decisions, and said it strives to maintain a platform that is open, even if it means offending some.

In August, a group of LGBTQ creators sued YouTube, alleging the video platform discriminated against them by unfairly applying its policies in a way that restricts queer content from making money and being seen by a wide audience.

SEE ALSO: Most kids today dream of influencer fame, but YouTubers are warning their young fans about anxiety, exploitation, and burnout

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13 computer-generated influencers you should be following on Instagram

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Miquela music video

  • Computer-generated influencers have been quietly appearing everywhere over the past few years.
  • They have been growing followings on social media, and even penetrating the real world by modeling for brands and uploading photos with real-life celebrities.
  • Some creators of the models are open and transparent about their intentions, but others are secretive and are having their characters play roles like reality stars, with feuds, relationships, and other daily dramas.
  • Here are 13 of the most influential digital characters you should be following right now.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Influencers are all over Instagram, but none so mysteriously and enigmatically than the ones who are computer-generated.

Digitally created avatars have been quietly appearing over the past few years, growing followings on social media, and even penetrating the real world by modeling for brands and uploading photos with real-life celebrities.

But while some creators of the models are open and transparent about their intentions, others are secretive and are having their characters play roles like reality stars, with feuds, relationships, and other daily dramas.

As CGI technology gets better, there are concerns from some in fashion and media about what this means in terms of marketing, job security, and deep fakes. But digital influencers also open up some exciting avenues for people in those industries too.

CGI models and influencers are only going to get used more and more often, and the trend could be about to explode and spread them even wider. So these are some of the most prominent CGI influencers you should be following on social media right now, and what we know about where they came from.

Read more: Fake, computer-generated Instagram influencers are modeling designer clothes, wearing Spanx, and attending red carpet premieres

Miquela

Miquela, who goes by lil Miquela on Instagram, introduces herself on her YouTube channel as "a 19-year-old musician, change-seeker, taco truck expert, and robot."

She has racked up 1.6 million followers on Instagram since she materialized out of thin air in 2016. A significant portion of her followers found her after she appeared in a Calvin Klein commercial where she made out with Bella Hadid.

Her photos portray an enviable lifestyle full of high fashion, recording studios, and celebrity hangouts. She even had a supposed relationship recently with a real human man.

She collaborated with Baauer on one of her songs "Hate Me," and has several other tracks on her Spotify profile with 300,000 monthly listens. Her latest single is called "Money," and the video shows a clear step up in the CGI technology her creator, Brud, is using.

In her first vlog, Miquela said her only two friends, fellow CGI influencers Blawko and Bermuda, are "going through their own crazy s---" and she was feeling lonely.

Instagram: lilmiquela



Bermuda

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Bermuda is one of Miquela's friends, also created by secretive company Brud, even though when she first appeared on Instagram they had a feud.

Bermuda was originally created as a white, blonde Trump supporter who wanted to out Miquela as a robot. After deleting Miquela's Instagram, and a lot of existential crises, they became friends and now post many photos together.

The drama didn't stop there though, because Bermuda's narrative also includes an ex-boyfriend, Blawko, who also hangs out with them.

Bermuda recently publicized getting an "upgrade" from Brud which made her look even more realistic than before.

Instagram: bermudaisbae



Blawko

Blawko — Miquela's best friend and Bermuda's ex — has his own YouTube channel. he makes videos where he discusses topics like "how to be friends with your ex" and "how to tell your parents you're attracted to robots."

He always has his mouth covered by a black mask. One of the questions listed on the mysterious Google doc Brud has instead of a website is, "Why doesn't Blawko show his face?" to which the answer is, "We're hoping it's a phase."

Instagram: blawko22



Shudu

Shudu is the "world's first digital supermodel" created by 3D artist Cameron-James Wilson. He was inspired to design her by his Princess of South Africa Barbie doll. 

Shudu is incredibly realistic, which is a testament to Wilson's skill in 3D art. When the image of her modeling one of Rihanna's Fenty lipsticks went viral on Facebook, then Instagram, it received thousands of comments speculating over whether she was a real person or not.

Wilson set up The Diigitals, a digital modeling agency, which includes six more of his CGI designs. Shudu, along with two more of his characters, modeled for Balmain in 2018.

Instagram: shudu.gram



Brenn

One of Wilson's other models is called Brenn. She has a curvier body shape and visible stretch marks, and so can represent a more inclusive side of the fashion industry.

Instagram: brenn.gram



Lil Wavi

Lil Wavi is a 20-year old avatar with 17,000 followers and face tattoos who likes to flex. He was created by fashion artist Emily Groom who told Hunger that she created him because she was building a "digital brand for a digital era" and Lil Wavi was an "expression of that idea."

Instagram: lil_wavi



Jedy Vales

Jedy Vales is a SFW porn star with 30,000 followers, created by YouPorn to promote the company's VR offering with Camasutra VR.

Instagram: jedyvales



Alex Hunter

Alex Hunter is a CGI footballer with 68,000 followers. He was created for EA Sports' Fifa 18, and was sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Twitter: @MrAlexHunter



Liam Nikuro

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Liam Nikuro is a virtual human created using CG, based in LA and Tokyo. He has 12,500 followers.

Instagram: liam_nikuro



Imma

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Imma says "I'm a virtual girl" on her Instagram profile. She has 121,000 followers and appeared in a Puma advertisement.

Instagram: imma.gram



Knox Frost

Knox Frost is a mysterious 19-year-old CGI man with 769,000 followers who "lives" in Atlanta. One Reddit thread hilariously runs through someone's journey of trying to work out whether or not he is real.

On his website, another Google doc, he said he wants to share his "deeper story."

"I want to tell you about my past. I want to tell you about my goals," he said.

Instagram: knoxfrost



Noonoouri

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Noonoouri, with 310,000 followers, is a "digital character,""activist," and "vegan" who has advertised KKW Beauty. She told Vogue Australia: "I am in between urban and luxury — I like opposites but always quality. I am a quality-driven girl."

Instagram: noonoouri



Ami Yamato

Ami Yamato is a VTuber, the name for computer-generated YouTubers. She lives in London and has 145,000 subscribers on her channel.

"It's hard to explain," says her channel description. "A mixture of vlogs, movie parodies, and sketches, with a difference."

Instagram: amiyamato




How much YouTube pays creators for 100,000, 1 million, and 4 millions views

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  • YouTube's Partner Program allows influencers to earn money off their channels by placing ads within videos. 
  • Google filters these ads and pays a creator based on factors like a video's watch time, length, and viewer demographic.
  • Here's how much creators are earning from a video with 100,000 views, 1 million views, and 4 million views, according to top YouTube influencers. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

How much money a creator will earn from a single YouTube video varies, but there are some factors that can help boost revenue.

Creators become eligible to earn money by placing ads within their videos through YouTube's Partner Program. These ads are filtered by Google and creators get paid a certain amount based on factors like a video's watch time, length, and viewer demographic.

One YouTube creator told Business Insider that lengthening her videos to over 10 minutes long has helped her channel earn more money because she can place more ads. Other YouTube influencers said that placing about four ads on a single video is a common technique used to maximize the revenue you earn from Google AdSense.

Creators on YouTube earn a certain amount of money based on their CPM rate, or cost per 1,000 video views. CPM rates vary between creators, and no creator consistently has the same CPM rate. It can change based on factors like where the viewers of the video are located and what type of advertisers are interested in the content.

One YouTuber said that out of her three successful YouTube channels, her one focused on business gets a much higher CPM.

"People who watch this content aren't kids or students,"she said. "They are people who already started their careers and want transition in their career."

Business Insider spoke to YouTube influencers who broke down how much they earned from a video with 100,000 views, 1 million views, and 4 million views.

To read the full posts, subscribe to Business Insider Prime.

How much creators earn from 100,000 views

  • Natalie Barbu shared how much money she's earned from a video with 100,000 views with Business Insider and broke down her tips for maximizing the amount of money a YouTube creator could earn. 
  • Barbu is a social-media influencer and YouTube creator with 227,000 subscribers who started her YouTube channel about eight years ago, while she was in high school.

Read the full post here: YouTube creator Natalie Barbu breaks down how much money she earns from a video with 100,000 views

How much creators earn from 1 million views 

  • Shelby Church, a YouTuber who has 1.2 million subscribers, shared with Business Insider how much she's earned from a video with 1 million views. 
  • Church has 17 videos with over 1 million views.

Read the full post here: YouTube star Shelby Church breaks down how much money a video with 1 million views makes her

How much creators earn from 4 million views 

  • Church also shared that her recent YouTube video with 4.1 million views earned her the most she's ever made from a single video in nine years as a creator.
  • She said this single video also helped the overall growth of her channel.

Read the full post here: YouTube star Shelby Church breaks down how much money a video with 4 million views made her

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A YouTuber who filmed himself visiting the 7 Wonders of the World in 7 days told us how he did it

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  • YouTuber Simon Wilson recently visited the seven Wonders of the World in just seven days.
  • He told Insider that while it initially seemed impossible to find a flight schedule that would allow it, miraculously, he made it work with no delays or cancellations.
  • He released a video of each step of the journey, afterward telling Insider: "I set out to achieve something and I achieved it."
  • He did it with lots of perfectly coordinated flights, taxis, and showering in an airport lounge. He only spent one night in a hotel and another night in an Airbnb, catching sleep on planes where he could.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

There aren't many things Welsh YouTuber Simon Wilson won't try — including visiting the seven Wonders of the World in just seven days.

"I've always wanted to do the seven Wonders of the World," he told Insider. "I thought, 'There are 7 Wonders, what if I could do one a day for 7 days?'"

Wilson's YouTube career started just over two years ago.

Now with more than 400,000 subscribers, he said: "It's been a crazy ride. It's been amazing to do the things I've done, and take people on a journey with me."

He explained that the goal of his channel is to "do fun things, but the message I've always wanted to send out is that anything is achievable or possible when you put your mind to it."

Wilson's early YouTube days saw him doing a lot of "sneaking in," as he calls it — to A-list events like the Emmy Awards, the Governors Ball, and even to a seat at Mayweather vs. McGregor.

Read more:The 19 most visited cities around the world in 2019

The motivation behind his "7 Wonders" trip was no different, though initially looking at flight times, he thought it would be "sort of impossible."

"Eventually after a lot of searching I found a flight plan that, [though] very tight, technically worked."

He added: "Obviously travelling a lot you get a lot of delays and cancellations, traffic problems, you name it. I booked all of the flights, [thinking] 'technically it works, but it's completely out of my hands now. I'll go and see how far I get.'"

'If I get a delay early on, this whole thing is going to be ruined'

The cost of the trip came to around £6,000 ($7,500) in total.

"I thought 'if I get a delay early on, this whole thing is going to be ruined,'" he said. "I had loads of connections, it wasn't like I was going from one place to another. If I had one delay, it would mess up the next flight, which would mess up the next flight."

But he packed his single small bag— taking a drone, batteries, a camera, storage, power banks, and just two T-shirts, a pair of jogging bottoms, and a few pairs of boxers — and set off on his way, documenting the trip in a series of videos.

Luckily, things worked out.

His first flight was direct via Jet2 from his home of Manchester, England, to Rome, Italy, where he took a taxi straight to the Colosseum.

simon wilson coliseum

Though he had just two hours to spend there before needing to head back to the airport for his next flight, he called it "incredible" once inside.

You can watch the video of the first stint of his journey here:

 

Next up, he flew direct with EgyptAir from Rome to Cairo to see the Egyptian pyramids.

simon wilson pyramids

Upon arrival in Cairo, he took a taxi to a hotel close to the pyramids to get some rest for the night, then got a guided tour of the pyramids the next morning.

"This is right up there with the best things I've ever seen," he said. 

Watch it here:

 

After that, it was another one-hour EgyptAir flight from Cairo to Amman, north Jordan, where he visited Petra.

simon wilson pic 3

It was there that Wilson said he had "the best night's sleep I've ever had" in a cave which he booked on Airbnb.

"In the mountains in Petra, there's a big Bedouin community, and a lot of them still live in the caves," he said. "I stayed in this guy's cave — no WiFi or electricity, pitch black and completely silent, I only got five to 6 hours of sleep but it was the best I've ever had in my life."

He added that Petra was his favorite wonder, calling it "special."

"There was a part in the video where I'm just chilling with some of the locals on the side of a cliff ... There was a moment where this Chinese guy was trying to take a picture up there, and a guy who lived on the cliff offered to take a picture," he said.

He added that the tourists asked the local how much money he wanted for the gesture, but of course, he declined any payment.

"He turned to me and said, 'These people think you need money to be rich.'" It was a phrase that stuck with him.

Watch the experience here:

 

From there he flew from Amman to New Delhi, India, with a stopover in Muscat, Oman, then took a four-hour taxi ride from the airport to the Taj Mahal in Agra.

simon wilson taj mahal

"That was a killer," Wilson said. "Not taking anything away from it, but the weather was 42 degrees Celcius (over 107 degrees Fahrenheit), and I'm not even being dramatic, but honestly you couldn't breathe.

"I would bend down to take a picture and feel light-headed standing back up. It was like being in a sauna but you couldn't get out.

"Not having slept, carrying a heavy bag, I'm not taking away from the wonder but once I'd seen it I was like, 'Get me out of here.'"

Watch Wilson visit the Taj Mahal here:

 

His next flight was overnight from New Delhi to Beijing via Guangzhou to see the Great Wall of China.

simon wilson great wall

He managed to use the showers in an airport lounge at the New Delhi airport, and upon arriving in Beijing found a taxi driver willing to take him to the Great Wall, wait two hours, then drive him back.

 

He ran into some issues when flying from Beijing to Cancun, Mexico, via Los Angeles, after which he planned to visit the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.

simon wilson pic 2

"I spend a lot of time in the US, I've always just got a visa," Wilson told Insider. "I didn't even think about my US visa, I've had one for the last five years constantly."

However, when he got to customs in LA, he was asked if he had an ESTA.

"I said I didn't because I was going straight to Mexico, [but] they told me you do need a visa any time you step onto US soil, even just in transit," he said. "I said 'I've got one anyways,' but it expired the day before I got there."

Luckily, he had a four-hour flight connection because the customs officer took him to the immigration office. "They took my phone off me and everything and I had to have a meeting with US border officials to explain why I didn't have a visa," he said.

"They potentially would have had to send me back where I came from."

However, he said he told them all about the challenge he was on — and they loved it.

"They took me to the terminal I was flying out of to make sure I left," he said.

He made it to the ruins, which you can watch here:

 

It was finally time to fly from Cancun to Brazil via Panama City to see the final wonder of the world — Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

simon wilson rio

"This is so much more than just seven YouTube videos,"he says to the camera as he stands beneath the statue.

'If you don't try something you're never going to know if it's doable'

He told Insider the experience was certainly tiring.

"I had broken sleep on planes but towards the end, I was exhausted," Wilson said, adding that other than the night he spent in the cave, he only spent one night in a hotel.

However, he says it was completely worth it.

"If you don't try something you're never going to know if it's doable," he said. "You're going to have different things that happen along the way, meet random people along the way that you didn't really account for."

As far as spending so little time in each place, Wilson didn't think it impacted his experience of each wonder.

"I wouldn't say you're missing out by not going for as long," he said. "Each experience is great within itself. Whether it's for an hour or for seven days, it's what you do in the time that you're there. If you go somewhere for a weekend you can chill out and go to the pool, or you can smash it out in a day."

"You can go to the same place 10 times and have a completely different experience every time. If I went to Petra for a weekend, I could have seen more, but would it have been better? No, it just would have been different.

"I saw the wonder, I met some great people who showed me around. Do I want to go back to some of them? Definitely," he said. "But I had an amazing experience. Do I wish I stayed for longer for what I was doing? No. I felt fulfilled, I set out to achieve something and I achieved it."

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THE STORIES REPORT: How brands can take advantage of the viral growth of the Stories format (FB, SNAP, GOOGL)

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5cc1d23efa99af67eb339bf5Stories are on track to become the main format for social media consumption, providing brands with a massive and vital opportunity to reach consumers.

 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims the format will supplant News Feed use as soon as mid-2019, a much quicker pace than the social network anticipated. Combined, Stories features on Facebook-owned platforms command a whopping 1.5 billion daily active users (DAU), though some may be double-counted.

Snapchat's audience is significantly smaller, though still sizable at 190 million DAU as of Q1 2019. Stories-centric features have also emerged on several other platforms, including YouTube, Google search results, and even LinkedIn.

The viral acceptance of Stories, their accelerating usage, and their highly engaging nature make it imperative for brands to use the format to reach consumers. This fast-growing opportunity will enable brands to reach consumers in a native format that's immersive and highly appealing to younger demographics.

But because Stories are a completely new animal for brands — most are still playing catch-up to consumer adoption — they must follow best practices to make sure to avoid aggravating users through overexposure, or wasting resources by creating Stories that users don't want to watch. 

In TheStories Report, Business Insider Intelligence identifies the most popular platforms for Stories features, defines best practices to maximize engagement without alienating users, and pinpoints challenges hindering brand adoption for the future. 

The companies mentioned in this report are: Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • Millennial users are more likely to watch Stories on Instagram (60%) than Snapchat (53%) and Facebook (48%), according to VidMob.
  • Gen Z — comprised mainly of teens — favors Snapchat for watching Stories. Teens are heavy viewers of Stories, and 73% of Snapchat's Gen Z audience consume content via Stories, compared with 70% of Instagram's and 34% of Facebook's, per VidMob.
  • Brands looking to build successful Stories campaigns and make meaningful connections with customers should shoot vertical content that's uncluttered and post no more than seven Stories within a 24-hour period, among other best practices.

In full, the report:

  • Provides insight into which platforms brands should prioritize based on their target audience segments. 
  • Offers an inside look into marketers' best practices for Stories creation. 
  • Explores the hurdles the industry will need to clear so brands can take full advantage of the format. 

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

  1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> Purchase & Download Now
  2. Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you've given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of one of the fastest-growing opportunities in short-form video — the Stories format. 

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An Australian billionaire and politician is demanding $500,000 from a YouTube creator and threatening to sue for calling him a 'dense Humpty Dumpty' (GOOGL, GOOG)

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  • Australian billionaire and political donor Clive Palmer is threatening a defamation lawsuit against the YouTube channel Friendly Jordies and its main star, Jordan Shanks.
  • The letter claims Shanks defamed Palmer by calling him, "Fatty McF---head" and "dense Humpty Dumpty."
  • A letter from Palmer's lawyer demands $500,000 in damages, legal costs, and that Shanks "make no further publication of and concerning" Palmer within 28 days.
  • If those conditions aren't met, the letter says a defamation lawsuit will commence.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Australian billionaire, political donor, and political party leader Clive Palmer is threatening to sue an Australian YouTuber over what he says are defamatory statements.

In statements made by YouTube creator Jordan Shanks on the channel Friendly Jordies, Shanks calls Palmer, "Fatty McF---head" and a "dense Humpty Dumpty."

Those statements, among others, are what Palmer says are "defamatory" statements.

Jordan Shanks / FriendlyJordies YouTube channel

In a letter sent by Australian law firm Alexander Law, Palmer demands an "offer to make amends"— a legal term in defamation cases that applies to a set of demands for settling a defamation suit.

In the case of Palmer's threat against Shanks, the demands are:

  1. $500,000, plus legal fees.
  2. That Shanks "make no further publication of and concerning" Clive Palmer.

If Shanks doesn't comply within 28 days, the letter says, Palmer's lawyers will commence with a defamation lawsuit.

Based on the video Shanks released about the letter from Palmer's lawyers, it doesn't sound like the firm will have to wait the 28 days. "I'm not gonna capitulate to you, you fat toad," Shanks says in the video. "In short, see you in court tub tub."

In the video, released on Sunday, Shanks goes through the letter from Palmer's lawyers and breaks down why he's willing to fight the billionaire.

He even went as far as to release themed shirts based on the legal threat:

Clive Palmer shirts (Friendly Jordies)

It is unclear if Palmer will proceed with the lawsuit, and Alexander Law didn't respond to a request for comment as of publishing.

Either way, it doesn't sound like Shanks is too worried about potentially losing the case.

"In Clive's attempt to pervert the law, he made one tiny miscalculation," Shanks says in the video released on Sunday, "I'm a millennial. Going bankrupt doesn't scare me. I don't have a house."

SEE ALSO: A teenager died after being severely burnt when she reportedly copied a video of a popular Chinese YouTuber cooking popcorn in a soda can

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How to delete YouTube comments you've left on videos, on desktop and mobile

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  • If you want to delete a YouTube comment you left on a video, you just need to find the comment and make a few clicks.
  • The process for deleting YouTube comments is the same whether you use a computer or a mobile device — you just need to be logged into the Google or YouTube account you used to leave the comment.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The YouTube comment section is often as popular as the actual video on which people are commenting. YouTube comments give you the chance to share a thought or memory, debate a topic, decry an opinion, or support someone else's stance. 

YouTube comment sections can be home to hilarious anecdotes or brutal vitriol, but either way, they're never boring.

If you've left a YouTube comment that you now want to remove, you can always delete it. 

Removing YouTube comments only takes a few seconds whether you're on a computer or on mobile, so don't throw up your hands and leave that pesky comment out there for all to see.

How to delete YouTube comments

1. Log into your YouTube account and go to the video with the comment you want to delete.

2. Tap or click on the three vertical dots to the right of your comment.

3. Click "Delete."

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A text box will appear reading "Comment Deleted" to confirm that your comment has been removed.

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How to report a YouTube video that you find inappropriate or rule-breaking

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  • If you see a YouTube video that you feel is inappropriate, you can report the video to YouTube for potential removal.
  • People who report YouTube videos are kept anonymous, while if the report is accepted, the party that posted the content will be informed that their video is under review.
  • Repeatedly posting videos that are flagged by viewers and confirmed as inappropriate by moderators can lead to YouTube account termination.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

YouTube's rules aren't very strict, but there are still a number of rules that creators need to follow. If you see a video on YouTube that you think is inappropriate or illegal, be it hate speech, pornographic, libelous, or otherwise improper, you can report the video to YouTube.

You will remain anonymous when reporting a YouTube video, while the report will go to a group of YouTube moderators to review. If the report is accepted, whoever posted the video will be told their content is under review. Any account that repeatedly posts inappropriate YouTube videos could ultimately be terminated and banned from the site.

How to report a YouTube video

1. While logged into your YouTube account, go to the video in question.

2. Click on the three dots below the video, to the right of the view count and title, and then hit "Report."

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3. Select the primary reason you're reporting the video ("Spam or misleading," e.g.) and then select a specific reason from the dropdown menu that appears. If there are offensive links in the video, click the box that indicates as such. Click "Next" once you're done.

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4. Mark down the timestamp where the offensive content occurs, and add any comments you have to support your report and tell moderators what to look for.

5. Click "Report" to confirm the report, and then let YouTube's moderators take care of the rest.

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Shane Dawson just dropped a trailer for his documentary series about multi-millionaire beauty YouTuber Jeffree Star

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Shane Jeffree

Shane Dawson, a YouTuber with 22 million subscribers, is something of an icon on the platform. Last night he dropped an incredibly long-awaited trailer for his latest docu-series "The Beautiful Life of Jeffree Star."

Dawson and Star, who has 16 million subscribers, have been working together on a documentary which goes behind the scenes of the YouTube beauty community for months now. Dawson, who has become known for his in-depth, multi-episode sagas such as "The Truth About Tanacon" and "The Mind of Jake Paul," first indicated he might be looking into the beauty world in March 2018 when he tweeted"are there any good make up/beauty conspiracies out there that I don't know about?"

In April of this year he tweeted again that he was "sliding" into the beauty community, and was realizing "why so many of them have no real friends."

"These people are RUTHLESS," he wrote.

On September 24, Dawson tweeted that the trailer would soon be revealed to the world.

"I can't believe something we've been working on all year and put all of our hearts in is finally starting to come out tomorrow," he said. "I've never felt this excited, nervous, and emotionally invested in my life. Thank you guys for letting us take the time to do this. It means so much."

In the four-minute video, Dawson and Star are seen in the office of Star's beauty business Jeffree Star Cosmetics discussing a potential collaborative merch line, boarding a private jet, waving at adoring fans, and crying. There are also clips of some of their reactions to the beauty community going into meltdown in May, when two of the platform's biggest gurus, Tati Westbrook and James Charles, had a very public falling out.

Star sided with Westbrook at the time, publicly calling Charles a "danger to society" and a "predator" in a string of now-deleted tweets.

Dawson is seen watching the videos each creator put out at the time while he wipes away tears.

Read more: Why the beauty community on YouTube is one of the most turbulent and drama-filled places on the internet

There is no dialogue in the trailer — only the song "Prom Queen" by musician Catie Turner playing in the background. But even without words, it's clear the series is going to be a turbulent and emotional rollercoaster.

Star is shown crying at various points, and there are even clips of when Dawson proposed to his long-term boyfriend Ryland Adams.

"I hope you're all ready for the next chapter..." Star tweeted when the video was released. "Thank you @shanedawson & @AndrewSiwicki for changing my life. It's been a crazy f---ing year..."

Dawson has worked with Star on a docu-series before, called "The Secret World of Jeffree Star." In five videos, he revealed the secrets behind Star's multi-million dollar empire that he built from the ground up, including the fact he owns warehouses that ship out the merch of other YouTubers.

To get a sense of how wealthy Star is, he recently surprised his boyfriend Nate Schwandt with a $150,000 lime green Aston Martin Vantage. This added to their impressive collection of at least five other luxury cars, including a pink Tesla and a Lamborghini Huracan at their mansion in Calabasas, LA.

Inside their home is a hot pink vault filled with designer items, including dozens of Birkin bags and pieces of diamond jewelry, probably worth millions.

Jeffree Star Shane Dawson

Read more: Jeffree Star says his $60,000 Birkin bag was returned after being lost by an airline, but he's only 'semi-happy' because his makeup is still missing

But Star's career has also had its fair share of controversy. As well as ending his friendship with Charles, Star has come under fire from other creators who accused him of using racist slurs in the past.

Star also faced some unhappy customers in July who bought his Summer Mystery Boxes, claiming they were disappointing because of lipsticks wth strange textures, faulty items, or colors they didn't want.

Dawson has been criticized by some fans for working with Star because of his problematic history. But overall, people are on tenterhooks waiting for the first episode to be uploaded on Dawson's channel on October 1. The trailer alone has racked up 4.5 million views in 11 hours.

"Honestly, how DARE Shane Dawson release a BEAUTIFUL trailer for the new series with Jeffree Star just to have to wait another WHOLE ASS WEEK to watch the whole thing,"tweeted one person. "Cheeky, cheeky motherf---er. Can't f---in wait tho, damn."

Read more:

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Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft are officially making their joint counter-terror program an independent body

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jacinda ardern

  • In 2017, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and Google's YouTube joined forces to form the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT).
  • World leaders and tech companies came together at the United Nations this week to discuss taking the next steps with GIFCT in vetting extremist content.
  • The group will now be funded by Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft and is set to become an entirely independent structure.
  • As well as receiving permanent staff, GIFCT will also receive a dedicated staff and an executive director.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and Google's YouTube joined forces in 2017 to form the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT).

On Monday, September 23, world leaders and tech companies came together at the United Nations to discuss taking the next steps with the industry body responsible for vetting extremist content and handling online-oriented global crises.

Thought of as a sort of an industry watchdog aimed at weeding out extremist content online, the forum is primarily tasked with handling dangerous material on social media.

FILE PHOTO - People visit a memorial site for victims of Friday's shooting, in front of the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Ultimately, its goal is to bolster and improve reporting, as well as to ensure the swift removal of extremist content present on the Internet.

Funded by industry contributions, GIFCT has, up until recently, been run by a rotating chair from one of the four founding companies, according to Bloomberg Quint

While, according to CPJ, policymakers in their own respective countries have separately taken action to "eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online," particularly after the Christchurch shooting in New Zealand in March, GIFCT is now moving forward as an independent body too. 

Read more:Execution videos, sex in the office, PTSD and ISIS sing-alongs: a day in the life of an online content moderator

According to announcements made on Monday's gathering, the group will now be funded by Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft and is set to become an entirely independent structure.

As well as receiving permanent staff, GIFCT will also receive a dedicated executive director.

At Monday's meeting, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has taken on an active role in combatting online extremism after March's massacre, said the structure would be led by a board of directors made up of Facebook representatives and an independent advisory committee would be made up of both government and civil roles.

Sheryl Sandberg

In addition to UN and European Union experts, respective governments in the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, France, and Japan will also be involved in an advisory capacity. While the industry will lead the forum's operating board, non-governmental groups will head an advisory board.

"We are trying to create a civil defense-style mechanism," said Ardern, addressing the United Nations General Assembly. "The same way we respond to natural emergencies like fires and floods, we need to be prepared and ready to respond to a crisis like the one we experienced."

"When terrorists try to use one platform, they try to use all of them. So when one of us finds them, we can remove them from several platforms," she added.

Read more:Facebook and Instagram deliberately condition you to use your phone like a drug, says this app developer

The ultimate goal of these structural changes will be to foster stronger collaboration between those government bodies and companies involved, uniting them in the goal to combat extremism and violence on online platforms.

Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg told France 24 that, while there could have been 1.5 million views of the footage from the Christchurch shooting, the company successfully managed to prevent a total of roughly 1.2 million of these potential views before audiences had the chance to see it.

"We can't wait until a moment like this happens again," she said.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Ms. Jacinda Ardern speaks during the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Part of the structure's work will be to fund and coordinate academic research on terrorism and violent extremist operations, as well as best practices in data sharing, according to Ardern.

"If we want the greatest gains, we actually need to collaborate," added Ardern, according to a report in France 24. "There is nothing we had seen, even at this point several months on, that has ever suggested to me that any of these tech companies had an interest in providing a platform for hatred and violence."

SEE ALSO: The Christchurch massacre is being used by government officials around the world who want to curtail freedom of speech

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YouTuber David Dobrik gave a homeless man a car and free Chipotle burritos for a year

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YouTuber David Dobrik has become known for gifting his friends expensive cars thanks to his lucrative sponsorship deals with brands like SeatGeek and EA Sports. He tends to reveal his surprise presents in his iconic 4-minute vlogs on his channel that has nearly 14 million subscribers

But he also sometimes extends this generosity to strangers, such as giving them money to help with living situations or their tuition. In his latest vlog "BEST FRIEND CONFESSES FEELINGS FOR ME!!", Dobrik decided to help out a man who waved down the car he was in with some other members of the Vlog Squad.

They learned that the man, called John, had been on the streets for about three years, but was a huge fan of Dobrik's videos. 

"After talking to John, we found out he had been kicked out of foster care to live on the streets, and even recently had his car stolen," he said. "And then we learned something that no-one should ever hear."

John said he'd never had Chipotle in his life, which Dobrik thought was tragic. So they went and got him his first ever Chipotle burrito.

Then, while John was still eating, Dobrik revealed Chipotle was offering him a year's worth supply of burritos for free.

"Are you kidding me?" John said. "That's awesome!"

Read more: Jeffree Star surprised his boyfriend with a $150,000 lime green Aston Martin Vantage

But it didn't stop there. After pretending to roll the end credits of the video, Dobrik said "oh shit, I forgot to mention, we also got him another gift."

Dobrik filmed John receiving some bags of clothes then said matter-of-factly: "Do you want us to help you with them and put them in your new car?" while handing John a key. 

John stepped back in shock then collapsed in disbelief. 

"I'm about to have a heart attack, please don't kid with me," he said. "Are you kidding me? I'm shaking right now, are you serious?"

Sure enough, a Chrysler minivan was parked down the street. John hugged Dobrik, then a message on the screen said: "Thank you Chipotle :)"

"Holy shit this is literally everything that I needed," John said.

You can watch the full video below.

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People are calling an 18-year-old YouTuber 'privileged' and 'entitled' for saying her trip to Greece was 'not fun'

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How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on your computer or mobile device, to prevent subsequent videos from playing automatically

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So, it happened again — you clicked on a YouTube video intending to watch that one clip of a standup routine, and suddenly it's 45 minutes later and you're watching the 23rd video delivered to you via YouTube autoplay.

The autoplay feature on YouTube will automatically play a new video after the one you're watching is over, leading you down a perpetual rabbit hole of recommendations and nonstop content. Sometimes, this might be a good way to discover new videos, but it can also suggest videos you don't want to watch. 

Whether a time thief or an annoyance, YouTube's autoplay feature is often best switched off.

Fortunately, that's easy to do on a computer and on the mobile app. Here's how to do it. 

How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on your computer

Turning off YouTube autoplay on a desktop or laptop could not be easier. 

While you are watching a video, click on the blue dot beside the word "AUTOPLAY" above the column of video thumbnail images on the right side of the screen.

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You can always click the gray dot to turn autoplay back on.

How to turn off autoplay on YouTube on your mobile device

To turn off autoplay in the YouTube mobile app, tap on your profile image (or your avatar) in the top right corner of the screen. 

Then hit "Settings," and finally, on the next menu, scroll down and tap the slider beside the words "Autoplay next video."

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You can tap the slider again to turn autoplay back on in the YouTube mobile app. 

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How to start a YouTube career without spending tons of money, according to a creator with millions of subscribers

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Benji Travis

  • The entrepreneur Benji Travis and his wife, Judy, the popular beauty vlogger behind the channel Itsjudytime, film videos for YouTube. 
  • What started out as a hobby with no professional equipment or experience has led to a decadelong career online for this Seattle-based family.
  • Benji shares tips on how to grow an audience online on the YouTube channel Video Influencers, which he runs with Sean Cannell, a fellow creator. 
  • Speaking with Business Insider, Benji said starting a YouTube channel didn't require any fancy equipment, and he broke down four basic steps to start an online career. 
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

If there's one piece of advice an aspiring YouTube creator needs, it's to just start. 

Benji Travis, who has been on YouTube for over a decade, told Business Insider that a creator didn't need fancy equipment to be success. He said his wife, Judy Travis, who is popular in the beauty-vlogger community, filmed her first few YouTube videos with a camera that cost less than $50 propped on a stack of shoe boxes. 

Judy, known as Itsjudytime online, was the first in their family to start a channel, and since then, the family has grown to help run over five YouTube channels.

"She didn't have anything fancy at the beginning," Benji said. "In fact, she had no experience." 

After successfully growing an audience 11 years ago by sharing makeup and beauty tutorials on Judy's channel, the Travis family launched a daily vlog channel in 2011, ItsJudysLife. Both of the YouTube channels have over 1 million subscribers. 

Benji uses his platforms to share tips for growing a successful career online. He and Sean Cannell are the coauthor of the book "YouTube Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Following and Making Money as a Video Influencer." They run the YouTube channel Video Influencers, which has 530,000 subscribers, sharing similar tips.

Read more:A rising YouTube star with 1.6 million subscribers uses her iPhone and a $30 app to make her video

Here are four steps Benji said anyone could follow when they are starting out online:  

Benji Travis

1. Choose a passion to share beyond wanting to make money.  

When starting a new YouTube channel, it's best to choose a specific topic or theme within your content that you are passionate about sharing. Being passionate about the topic, rather than just sharing it with the goal of making money, will allow your content to build a genuine following. 

"You need a passion for what you're doing," Benji said. "It's got to be beyond just wanting to make money." 

What value do you want your content to provide? Is it to teach someone a new skill? Help them figure out a problem? Or make them laugh? The desire to help someone and provide value will drive your content and should be at the heart of why you are doing it, he said. 

Judy knew a lot about makeup and beauty and decided to share her tips online before making money on YouTube was even a possibility. Her message outweighed any equipment or editing, he said. 

2. Skip the fancy equipment and just start. 

Benji said once you narrow down what you want to film, it's best to get started right away. Start with your iPhone or smartphone device, which likely has a good-quality camera built-in.

Typical DSLR cameras, which you will see some professional YouTube creators using, can cost anywhere between several hundreds of dollars and thousands of dollars. This doesn't count the additional equipment you'll need, such as a tripod. 

But you don't need that.

The YouTube phenomenon Jennelle Eliana, who gained 1.6 million subscribers within a month of posting her first video, previously told Business Insider that she used only her iPhone X and the $29.99 LumaFusion app to edit her videos. 

"There have been a lot of conspiracies that I have a whole team behind me, but I literally just film and edit on my phone,"she told Business Insider.

Benji Travis

3. Pay attention to lighting, which will enhance your video quality. 

"The more lighting you have, the better," he said. 

Tips for free lighting: 

  • Use natural light from a window. Face the window and place the camera in front of the light shining onto you. 
  • Consider filming outside if the light is better. 
  • Gather lights from around your house and place them behind the camera. Point the lights so that they are shining onto you.

Paying attention to the way your video is lit will enhance your video quality overall. 

4. Hacks for using what you already own to record your audio.

If you are going to spend money on anything, Benji recommends purchasing an external microphone, like a lapel microphone that plugs directly into an iPhone, he said. These range between $20 to $30 on Amazon.

"What you're seeing nowadays is people using their Airpods as their microphone," he said. "You can use your AirPods as a microphone, and it will capture better audio than what your phone can. That's one little hack that a lot of people don't think about." 

Airpods, or other wireless headphones with built-in microphones, can lay on your lap and record better audio than the phone in front of you. Benji also recommends plugging in headphones with an external microphone into your phone in front of you, similar to using a lapel mic. 


For more on how influencers are profiting from their success online, according to industry professionals and creators, check out these Business Insider Prime posts:

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The 10 most inspiring leaders in tech, according to thousands of tech workers

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Anne Wojcicki Marissa Mayer Sheryl Sandberg

Tech moguls can be as zany as they are inspiring. 

Career marketplace Hired asked 3,600 tech workers to share who they think are the most inspiring leaders in tech for the company's 2019 Brand Health Report.

Here are the top 10 most inspiring tech leaders, according to Hired.

SEE ALSO: How 3 guys turned renting air mattresses in their apartment into a $31 billion company, Airbnb

10. Anne Wojcicki — cofounder and CEO, 23andMe

Net worth: $690 million

Background: Anne Wojcicki founded DNA genetic testing and analysis company 23andMe in 2006. 

Leadership style: When asked by Quartz which behavior or personality trait she most attributes her success to, Wojcicki said, "We were raised to not shy away from conflict. That quality has helped me focus on what I believe is the right thing to do and manage the conflict and criticism that has come our way."

Fun fact: Anne Wojcicki is the sister of YouTube CEO Susan Wojcick and ex-spouse of Google cofounder Sergey Brin.

Source: Forbes, 23andMe, Quartz



9. Marissa Mayer — former CEO, Yahoo; cofounder and CEO, Lumi Labs

Net worth: $620 million

Background: Marissa Mayer started her career at Google and served as the CEO of Yahoo from 2012 to 2017. Mayer cofounded Lumi Labs, an "early-stage technology studio," in 2018.

Leadership style: When asked how she rises above criticism in the press at a talk at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, Mayer said, "I don't read it. That might sound tone deaf, but I feel like if you read it, it changes who you are and how you think about things ... to make decisions, or allow your decision-making to be influenced by a third party who has a fraction of the information that you have, overall isn't a great strategy."

Fun fact: At Google, Mayer was employee No. 20 and the company's first female engineer.

Sources: Stanford, Forbes, Lumi Labs



8. Susan Wojcicki — CEO, YouTube

Net worth: $490 million

Background: Susan Wojcicki became employee No. 16 at Google in 1999. She pushed for Google to acquire YouTube in 2006, and began running the video platform in 2014. 

Leadership style: "What I find is, you can't say comments in a timid, unsure way — no one's going to listen to you and no one's going to take you seriously," Wojcicki said in an interview with Guardian reporter Emine Saner.

Fun fact: Wojcicki's mother Esther wrote a book titled "How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results" based on her three daughters. Wojcicki's sister Anne is the CEO of 23andMe and her sister Janet is an MD and assistant professor in pediatrics at the UCSF School of Medicine.

Sources: Forbes, The Guardian, Time, UCSF



7. Reed Hastings — cofounder and CEO, Netflix

Net worth: $3 billion

Background: Reed Hastings started Pure Software (which had a debugging tool for engineers) in 1991; it went public and was acquired in 1995. Hastings started Netflix in 1997, and the company went public in 2002. Today, it has over 150 million subscribers.

Leadership style: "I take pride in making as few decisions as possible, as opposed to making as many as possible," Hastings told Stanford in 2014, where he went to business school.

Fun fact: Hastings joined the Peace Corps after he graduated from college; he taught high school math classes in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) for two years.

Sources: Business Insider, Forbes, New York Times, Stanford

Read more:The 15 highest-paying tech jobs for recent college grads and Gen Z



6. Sheryl Sandberg — COO, Facebook

Net worth: $1.7 billion

Background: Sheryl Sandberg started off her career in politics, but pivoted to tech in 2001, joining Google as a general manager and getting promoted to VP of global online sales and operations. She joined Facebook as its COO in 2008

Leadership style: "Leadership is not bullying and leadership is not aggression. Leadership is the expectation that you can use your voice for good. That you can make the world a better place," Sandberg told ABC News in 2014.

Fun fact: Sandberg was Larry Summers' chief of staff when he was secretary of the treasury in 1999.

Sources: Forbes, Business Insider, ABC News.



5. Jack Ma — cofounder and former executive chair, Alibaba Group

Net worth: $38.5 billion

Background: Jack Ma started his career as an English teacher. In 1999, he founded Alibaba, an internet marketplace for China. Today, the company is worth $460 billion. He retired in September 2019 as the wealthiest person in China.

Leadership style: "No company can rely solely on its founders," Ma wrote in a letter to Alibaba's customers as he retired.

Fun fact: Ma failed his college entrance exam not once, but twice, before finally succeeding and entering the Hangzhou Teachers Institute. 

Sources: Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC



4. Mark Zuckerberg — cofounder, chairman, and CEO, Facebook

Net worth: $68.9 billion

Background: Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room as a 19-year-old undergraduate in 2004. Though the company has faced its fair share of scandals over the past 15 fifteen years — including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, for which Zuckerberg had to testify before Congress — its market cap is $529.14 billion as of September 2019.

Leadership style: "Finding your purpose isn't enough, the challenge for our generation is to create a world where everyone has a sense of purpose," Zuckerberg said in his commencement address to Harvard's class of 2017.

Fun fact: Zuckerberg was playing the video game Civilization when he received his acceptance email from Harvard.

Sources: Forbes, Business Insider, Harvard.



3. Satya Nadella — CEO, Microsoft

Net worth: Approximately $320 million

Background: Satya Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992, was promoted to his first executive position in 1999, and become CEO in 2014.

Leadership style: "You can't call yourself a leader by coming into a situation that is by nature uncertain, ambiguous — and create confusion ... (you) have to create clarity, where none exists," Nadella said in 2019.

Fun fact: Nadella commuted from Washington state to Chicago on weekends in the late 1990s to finish studying for his MBA at the University of Chicago.

Sources: CNBC, Business Insider, CNBC

Read more: These are the 28 hottest tech startups to work at, according to LinkedIn



2. Jeff Bezos — founder and CEO, Amazon

Net worth: $110 billion

Background: Jeff Bezos launched Amazon out of his Bellevue, Washington, garage in 1995. The company crossed a trillion-dollar market cap for the first time in September 2018, and Bezos is currently the wealthiest person in the world.

Leadership style: "Base your strategy on things that won't change," is a maxim of Bezos', according to Forbes.

Fun fact: A 3-year-old Bezos took apart his crib with a screwdriver, saying he wanted to sleep in a real bed.

Sources: Forbes, Business Insider, Business Insider, Forbes, Business Insider



1. Elon Musk – cofounder and CEO, Tesla and SpaceX

Net worth: $19.6 billion

Background: Elon Musk founded X.com in 1999 using money from the sale of the company Zip2, which he previously had launched and sold with his brother. X.com merged with Confinity to make PayPal, of which Musk was CEO briefly. He launched SpaceX in 2002 with money from the sale of PayPal to eBay. Musk began investing in Tesla in 2004. He launched SolarCity in 2006. His other projects include Hyperloop, The Boring Company, and OpenAI.

Leadership style: "Leaders are also expected to work harder than those who report to them and always make sure that their needs are taken care of before yours," CNBC reported Musk said.

Fun fact: Musk was raised in South Africa.

Sources: Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC



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