The Problem
The problem that the YouMess app aims to solve is the difficulty and time-consuming nature of connecting businesses with relevant and suitable YouTubers for influencer marketing campaigns, as well as the difficulty YouTubers face in finding the right brands to collaborate with. The app aims to provide a simple, efficient platform for both parties to connect and collaborate, streamlining the process of influencer marketing for businesses and monetization for YouTubers.
My role
I was the only designer. Picked it from the idea phase to prototype which helped founders to raise $50K from an angel investor.
The Market
The market for influencer marketing has been growing rapidly in recent years. According to a report by Business Insider, the global influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $15 billion by 2022. The majority of this growth is driven by the increasing popularity of social media platforms such as YouTube, where influencers have a significant presence.
However, despite the potential for influencer marketing, businesses often struggle to find the right influencers to collaborate with. This is where the YouMess app comes in. By providing a platform for businesses to easily search for and connect with the right YouTubers, the app aims to make influencer marketing more efficient and effective for businesses.
Furthermore, the app also targets the audience of YouTubers by providing a way for fans to follow and stay updated on their favorite YouTubers’ collaborations. This creates additional value for the app as it allows businesses to reach the target audience of these influencers.
In the current market, there are a few similar apps but the YouMess app stands out by providing a one-stop-shop for both influencers and businesses, as well as a way for fans to stay updated on collaborations. With the increasing popularity of YouTube and the potential for growth in the influencer marketing industry, the YouMess app has a strong market potential.
Users, are you there?
Shared this survey with more than 30 people to better understand their standing
Demographic information:
Business type (e.g. e-commerce, retail, B2B)
Industry (e.g. fashion, technology, beauty)
Company size (e.g. small, medium, large)
Location
Contact information (e.g. email, phone)
Questions:
How do you currently find and connect with influencers for your brand? (Check all that apply)
Social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, TikTok)
Online directories or databases
Referrals from colleagues or industry contacts
Cold-emailing or reaching out to influencers directly
Other (please specify)
How often do you currently use influencer marketing as a part of your overall marketing strategy?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Very often
How do you currently measure the success of your influencer marketing campaigns? (Check all that apply)
Sales or conversions
Brand awareness or engagement
Traffic to website
Other (please specify)
On a scale of 1–5, how satisfied are you with your current process for finding and collaborating with influencers? (1 being very dissatisfied, 5 being very satisfied)
1
2
3
4
5
How interested would you be in using an app that connects businesses with relevant and suitable YouTubers for influencer marketing campaigns?
Not interested
Somewhat interested
Interested
Very interested
What features would you like to see in an app that connects businesses with YouTubers for influencer marketing campaigns?
Search and filter options based on audience demographics, content niche, and follower count
Messaging and collaboration capabilities
Campaign tracking and reporting
Other (please specify)
Based on the survey data of 30 people, the following insights can be gathered:
About 60% of respondents currently use influencer marketing as a part of their overall marketing strategy, with 20% using it often and 40% using it sometimes.
The most common method used by respondents to find and connect with influencers is through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, with 70% of respondents using this method. Referrals from colleagues or industry contacts were used by 30% of respondents, and cold-emailing or reaching out to influencers directly was used by 20%.
The most common way for respondents to measure the success of their influencer marketing campaigns is through sales or conversions (70%) and brand awareness or engagement (60%).
The majority of respondents (70%) were not satisfied with their current process for finding and collaborating with influencers, with a rating of 2 or lower on a scale of 1–5.
The majority of respondents (80%) were interested in using an app that connects businesses with relevant and suitable YouTubers for influencer marketing campaigns.
The most desired features for an app that connects businesses with YouTubers for influencer marketing campaigns were search and filter options based on audience demographics, content niche, and follower count (80%), messaging and collaboration capabilities (70%), and campaign tracking and reporting (60%).
So there is a market, but who are the users?
1. Sarah, a small business owner: Sarah owns a clothing boutique and is looking to expand her reach through influencer marketing. She is busy running her business and doesn’t have a lot of time to spend searching for the right influencers to collaborate with. She is looking for a platform that makes it easy for her to find the right YouTubers to collaborate with and promote her brand.
2. Michael, a YouTuber: Michael has a YouTube channel with a niche audience in fitness and wellness. He is looking for brands to collaborate with that align with his niche and target audience. He is also interested in a platform that allows him to easily connect with businesses and showcase his portfolio to potential collaborators.
3. Olivia, a fan of YouTubers: Olivia follows several YouTubers and is interested in staying updated on their latest collaborations and partnerships. She is looking for a platform that allows her to follow her favorite YouTubers and stay informed about their latest collaborations.
Enough talk, let’s build!
User story: As a business owner (sponsor), I want to be able to easily find and connect with relevant YouTubers in order to efficiently promote my products or services through influencer marketing. With the YouMess app, I can search for YouTubers based on specific criteria such as audience demographics, content niche, and follower count, making it easy for me to find the perfect influencer for my brand. Additionally, I can easily message and collaborate with YouTubers through the app, streamlining the process of influencer marketing for my business.
The user(s) are prompted to sign up or login. User can either log in or create new profile. While setting up their profile, some basics questions are asked (this is for business owners aka sponsors).
Once sponsor’s profile is created, some Youtubers are suggested to them, users can also search and filter potential collaborators based on criteria such as audience demographics, charges, and follower count. They can also use advanced filters such as location, age range, gender, and interests.
The sponsors can contact potential collaborators through the app’s messaging feature. They can initiate a message, or respond to an existing one.
YouTubers will need to provide information such as their channel name, content niche, and follower count. Some sponsors and groups will be suggested to them and they can share with their followers that they are on YouMess platform.
Sections where all three users can interact: Feed, groups and chat rooms.
And of course all of this in dark mode as well…
The YouMess app can successfully solve the problem of connecting YouTubers and businesses by creating a user-friendly platform with a focus on matching the right YouTubers with the right brands. The app will also provide a way for fans to stay updated on their favorite YouTuber’s collaborations, making it a valuable tool for both YouTubers and businesses in the industry.
