TOPMAN: “HOW TO GAIN 1 MILLION YOUTUBE FOLLOWERS”

TopMan revelead yesterday their interview and phoshoot with Jack. They did a little Q&A with Jack, with 21 questions, where he talked about a lot of subjects like his YouTube channel and why he decided to be a full-time YouTuber, success, the content in his YouTube channel, style, music and lot of other stuff.

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While you’re trying to get likes into double figures for your moody black and white artisan coffee, social media star Jack Baran is getting 65,000 likes for a bright pink Starbucks. How do you even get to that level of online popularity? The YouTube mogul explains all…

First and foremost, how many YouTube followers do you have as of this very second?

1,445,000.

What would you say is the exact moment that you realized you were a YouTube star?

Near the end of high school when I chose to pursue YouTube full time as opposed to college I think was when I came to realize my success and the potential I had as a creator.

How did you get into this whole world of vlogging?

I first started on YouTube making music videos as a hobby, with a huge community of people. A few years after that people desired to hear my opinions and vlogging became a trend.

What challenges do you face in video-social content creation?

Big picture, holding myself to standards— I strive for perfection and sometimes it’s hard to let go of something that isn’t exactly how I want it. Smaller picture, it takes me way too long to edit my Instagram pictures.

What do you constitute as success?

Confidence in yourself and your work.

What would you say is the number one key to forming a successful YouTube channel?

To me, quality is key. I always ask why would you spend so much time on any project if the quality doesn’t represent your hard work? There’s so much that goes into making high quality content on YouTube; creativity, equipment, lighting, framing, editing, audio, titles, intro, outro, etc.

What would you say has been a learning experience in this whole process?

Viewing myself compared to the way millions of people view me. I have become a type of self aware that I’m not sure most people would relate to. I’ve not only learned so much about myself through this process but also about my surroundings and humanity.

Would you say 1M followers happened very quickly or was it a slower process that just picked up immediately?

It’s always been pretty steady however I can identify phases of myself and relate them to growth, some periods gaining faster than others.

What type of content do you feel resonates best with your followers?

I like to think YouTubers attract like-minded people and that my favorite videos (i.e. look books, music-related videos and meaningful content) resonate best with my viewers. Sometimes my favorite videos or videos that I’m passionate about don’t perform as well as videos meant for more general entertainment, but I know the response from videos I’m proud of are the most meaningful.

Which is your favorite YouTube vid you’ve created thus far?

Styling Outfits Girls vs. Guys. It’s a look book with my friend Taylor, I’m so proud of it. Look books combine my 3 favorite things; fashion, music, and editing. I get to choose a song I’m obsessed with, pick out whatever outfits I want (sometimes themed), and edit these looks to the music creating one overall aesthetic. It’s similar to what I did on YouTube years ago when I made music videos with my friends. In this case I edited to the song Winterbreak by a girl group named MUNA who I discovered on Spotify. It’s one of my favorite songs of 2016 and it was so satisfying making a video to a song I love so much.

Who is your style icon?

Harry Styles was one of the first people that spoke to my interests in fashion. I related to many of his fashion choices and remember obsessing over some of his popular looks. I’ve found that body type plays a part in developing a style to comfortably fit your build, so sharing a similar body type inspired my staple pieces like long skinny black jeans and tall boots. We also share a favorite brand, Yves Saint Laurent, which has definitely influenced a resemblance in style.

What’s your favorite current trend?

Suede. I just got these awesome suede sneakers that I’ve been wearing along with my suede boots.

What’s your least favorite?

People online who get offended over everything.

Favorite Topman piece from our website?

I love the suede bomber style and denim cut jackets.

When it comes to music, you’re doing pretty damn well. How would you describe your interest and success in the industry thus far?

I’ve always been very interested in music. Most people don’t know that I actually played the piano and cello for 6 years each before committing most of my time to social media. I’ve been finding ways to reincorporate music into my career, taste making at the forefront. I’ve made a handful of videos on my YouTube channel called “My Favorite Songs You’ve Never Heard” and I now have over 130,000 followers on my Spotify account. On there I have a playlist with 40,000 followers giving many “underground” artists yet to be discovered a chance to gain listeners and streams. One month I checked the discovery analytics for the artists on my playlist and I was ranked “#1 most discovered on playlist” for over 3/4 of the artists, ahead of any Spotify curated playlist. Needless to say, my passion in music and influence as a tastemaker has been very beneficial. In the future, I plan to executively produce music videos and study production. My passion for music goes beyond a good song to jam out to, I find myself focusing on production, lyrics, concepts, and the energy behind each song I listen to.

Who’s your favorite band? Be honest. If you say Backstreet Boys this is a judge free zone.

HAIM and most recently, MUNA.

Song you’re listening to right now?

I Don’t Wanna Know by Astrid S and Control by Kevin Garrett in the queue

Tell us a secret

The first things I notice about someone are their shoes.

Any other hidden talents?

I’m fairly good at matching the maturity of someone older than me—It’s more of an ability than a talent but some of my favorite conversations have happened with people twice my age.

Describe yourself in 4 words

Particular, Aware, Eccentric Intuitive

Come up with an original Haiku:

The first time it hurts

The fiftieth time it hurts

Learn to stiffen up

Check out Jack’s YouTube channel and Instagram page to see what all the fuss is about

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Check out the full photoshoot by clicking here, where you will be automatically sent to our brand new photo gallery. Hope you like it!