Who's The Audience? Top 5 tips for growing on YouTube from our new partners

Day One just partnered with The Audience, New Zealand's leading YouTube certified content partner. If you're making content online and want to actually get paid for it, this matters.

The Audience works with creators and production companies to grow their channels and protect their content. They handle over 300 million views a year and know digital rights management inside out. Mark Baker, their Head of Growth and Strategy, has been helping creators navigate YouTube for years, focussing on actual dollars in your account, not just views.

We asked Mark where the digital content space is heading right now. Here's what he said.

1. The shift back to "homemade" content has begun.

Mark's first insight is to "embrace 'analog authenticity'." People are tired of overproduced content. They want real. "That's not to say high-velocity doesn't work in some instances," Mark explains, "but what's the long-term sustainability of it?" Vlogging, behind-the-scenes footage, live streams. The formats that show you as an actual person. That's what's connecting right now.

2. Move viewers into community.

Views are cool, but community is where the money is. As Mark puts it, the aim is to "convert passive viewers into a high-value Community." Don't just make content people watch once. Build something they want to be part of. Mark describes a successful community as "a stable business asset, offering a reliable stream of revenue and engagement that is not solely dependent on ever-changing algorithms." Basically, when YouTube changes the algorithm next week, you're not screwed because you've built something that exists beyond the platform's whims.

3. Use AI as a tool, not a replacement.

You can't keep up the authentic content grind without burning out. Mark's clear on this: use AI "strictly as a production co-pilot" with its role "confined to automating production efficiencies, not creating the core content." Let AI remove silences, optimise titles, generate thumbnail options, handle the boring post-production stuff. But your actual content? That needs to be you. "This approach allows creators to maintain the required level of analog authenticity while significantly boosting output speed." Stay real, work smarter.

4. Move beyond views.

Mark calls views and subscriber counts "vanity metrics." They matter, but they're not everything. The shift is towards actual income sources and measuring your success in various ways. "It is a bit of a chicken before the egg situation," Mark acknowledges, "however, once a creator is established in their niche, growing beyond the content is key." Merch, memberships, sponsorships, courses. Whatever makes sense for your audience. Build multiple income streams so you're not relying on ad revenue alone.

5. Anchor everything with storytelling.

Mark argues that "the unified, data-driven strategy must be anchored by compelling storytelling." You can have all the strategy in the world, but if your content doesn't connect emotionally, people won't care. Structure your content around narrative, not just information. Make people feel something. That's what turns viewers into fans and fans into community members who actually support your work.

For Day One filmmakers thinking about how to build careers and audiences for their work, this partnership opens up some real possibilities. The Audience offers digital rights management, Content ID protection, strategy development, and channel audits. They work with everyone from major production companies to individual creators, and they get the New Zealand context.

Both Day One and The Audience are asking the same question: how do we help storytellers connect with their audiences in ways that actually sustain them? Whether that's through a short film or a YouTube channel that builds community over time, the challenge is the same. Make work that matters, find the people it matters to, and figure out how to keep doing it.

If you want to learn more about what The Audience offers or explore how they might support your digital content strategy, get in touch with us and we can make introductions.

Check out their website here - www.theaudience.co.nz/