In 2009 Rasmus Albrechtsen started providing males’s hairstyling tutorials on YouTube. He known as his channel “Slikhaar TV,” as in “slick hair.” The channel scaled to over 2 million subscribers.
Then got here YouTube’s synthetic intelligence-driven browse function, exhibiting viewers the movies that possible curiosity them. All of the sudden, Albrechtsen’s 2 million subscribers appeared much less impactful. He’s now producing movies “for the browse function greater than for the subscribers.”
Albrecthsen is predicated in Denmark, the place I’m vacationing. He and I just lately mentioned Slikhaar TV, By Vilain (his line of hair merchandise), and the impression of AI on video advertising and marketing.
The whole audio of our dialog is embedded beneath. The transcript is edited for readability and size.
Eric Bandholz: What do you do?
Rasmus Vilain Albrechtsen: I co-founded two companies with my twin brother, Emil. Now we have Slikhaar TV, which is a YouTube channel with over 2 million subscribers providing males’s hairstyling tutorials and recommendation. We launched it in 2009.
Then we now have By Vilain, the place we develop and promote hair merchandise for males, corresponding to waxes, pre-stylers, shampoos, and equipment.
Having a brother as a enterprise associate is good, though it has challenges. We’re equivalent twins, however we now have completely different personalities. I’m extra into the inventive, imaginative and prescient area. Emil is extra into executing and operations. He’s additionally our CEO. We complement one another fairly nicely.
Bandholz: Natural YouTube views will be arduous to return by.
Albrechtsen: It has been turbulent on YouTube. We are able to thank the browse function for the turbulence. It’s getting smarter, utilizing synthetic intelligence to assist viewers uncover their distinctive pursuits.
Now we have 2 million subscribers, however we don’t have 2 million viewers. Now we have 2 million individuals who, as soon as in 14 years, selected to push the subscribe button. Their lives could also be completely different now.
So we’re making an attempt to provide movies round traits for the browse function greater than for the subscribers.
Bandholz: Much like the TikTok mannequin, proper? The variety of subscribers doesn’t have an effect on how a video performs.
Albrechtsen: Sure. TikTok is excessive in some methods as a result of viewers will overlook you tomorrow should you’re not feeding into the traits. In the event you personalize content material and construct your self as somebody that people wish to get extra of, they are going to keep in mind you and return to your channel since you moved them ultimately.
To face out, it’s mainly a brainwashing course of. You entertain them, however they don’t keep in mind you. To be memorable, you retain at it.
I had an expertise in my health heart. A man approached me and mentioned, “Are you that dude that at all times pops up in my feed?” It’s tremendous fascinating when people discover you since you should have left an imprint ultimately.
So the problem is producing memorable content material so viewers can discover you. Of us might browse 100 movies an hour, 10 to twenty seconds every. In case your content material makes an imprint, you need to use it in an advert in a while.
Then, in the event that they watched your content material a few instances within the browse function, they may reply to a business together with your product. They don’t know the place they noticed it, however they realize it’s tied to good content material, so that they belief it extra.
Bandholz: Have you ever carried out endorsement offers with celebrities?
Albrechtsen: Now we have a number of endorsements. But when the query is, “Have we paid for endorsements?” the reply just isn’t instantly. They occur by casual networks — some soccer (soccer) gamers, a number of celebrities — but it surely’s not on formal contracts. It’s often people who use our merchandise. So it’s not a typical endorsement the place you pay Cristiano Ronaldo a few million {dollars}, and he’ll point out you, and you need to use his identify within the advertising and marketing of the product.
A star endorsement could possibly be a great technique, however we aren’t pursuing it due to the value level. We might in all probability pay round 80,000 U.S. {dollars} for a yr’s contract with a high-end movie star.
I’d somewhat follow guys who constantly create knowledgeable content material inside a selected area of interest and supply worth in a selected space — not simply entertaining by exhibiting luxurious life.
Bandholz: The place can listeners comply with you?
Albrechtsen: Try our YouTube channel, @Slikhaar TV, or see us on Fb, Instagram, and TikTok. Our hair care merchandise are at ByVilain.com.
