Should You Create a Publicity Stunt to Boost Views?

Twitter feud anybody? Celebrities date, fight, and post cryptic tweets all the time for attention; and, YouTubers have followed suit. Clout chasers spill the tea! When you see the benefits of positive AND negative publicity, you may be tempted to act out as well. But should you create a publicity stunt to boost views? Let's break this down...

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Although the notion of a publicity stunt to boost views seems silly for small creators, I've personally thought about it. The battle of micro influencers! Besides, drama follows me around in my personal life, which is why I have so many stories. But then again, a Small YouTuber crying hooplah may look pathetic... But drama doesn't have to be petty, like donating to charity.

I found a list of PR stunt ideas. To me, a lot of the ideas are about partnering with an influencer, hijacking an event with press, or just being bold. Ok, great, we knew that. But I do like how they offer real examples, so read the article anyway. 

Should You Create a Publicity Stunt to Boost Views?

Below are some question to ask yourself to make sure you are in the right stage of your career and mindset to formulate a PR stunt. 

Do you have an audience? At this time, we cannot count your 25 video views and call them an audience. When I use the word "audience," I'm referring to repeat viewers who make their presence know through commenting. You need to start off with some traction before you take the leap. 

​Does your idea match your brand? If you're a kids channel, creating or even addressing drama may hurt you from the beginning. Parents don't want that message given to their children. And kids, depending on their age, don't care about spilt tea. 

Jake Paul is a great example of purposely making scandals while marketing to kids. Many YouTubers have ostracized the YouTuber, Disney fired him, and other brands have closed the door on him. There's no way he is getting a big AdSense check either.

How do you want to be known? If you're the creator of drama or just always pulled into the mess or discuss drama, people will give you full affiliation. That's how their minds work.

It's sad because some YouTubers are quickly labeled when they aren't about it. Jaclyn Hill has a loud hate train that follows her around. She's made her mistakes, but to me, she hasn't revealed any malicious intent or greediness. SimplyNessa15 had extreme storytime videos about being robbed, hit, etc., so she was an easy target to nickname "Messy Nessy" during a controversy that she never wanted to be a part of. Some labels are insanely sticky.

Perhaps this shows it doesn't matter because you can enter the digital space with good intentions and still rub people the wrong way. Other times, people forget or stop caring about drama by the end of the week. So, why NOT start some drama? 

Can you handle the negativity? Scroll through Tana Mongeau's video comments at any point in her career. Many people have forgotten her scandals, but the haters never do. They continue to bring up her past in the comments and constantly use them as examples to define her character or deem her a liar even when she's truthful. You're past will haunt you. You must be ready to handle the worst when you go through the scandal, but constantly wear a thick skin for months and months afterward. (Remember, a PR stunt doesn't have to be mean or petty.)
Are you putting yourself or somebody else in harm's way? In history, people have chosen dangerous stunts in order to gain the public's attention. From climbing buildings to fasting for days, these tactics have lead to emergency room visits and death. Don't do these things.
Are you promoting violence, racism, etc? There are certain controversies you can never bounce back from. Even a celebrity like Kevin Hart was asked to apologize again years later for his homophobic jokes in order to host the Oscars 2019. (Although he refused to say sorry and was dropped as a host.) These scandals are not cute, not funny, not good...don't even entertain the idea.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have infamous troll Trisha Paytas who loves to start drama. I personally think the public doesn't know her very well despite the fact that she seemingly documents 90% of her life. She may not know who she is. She's opened up about her mental health struggle that started when she was very young. Throw internet fame and hate comments on top of that....she may not know herself very well either. I wish her the best.

By now, her entire brand is controversy. Being insecure of being 30+ years old knowing 1 working formula just encourages Trisha to dish the drama on a weekly basis. The YT algorithm rewards that. She may not be ad-friendly, but she's been a known name for years with a loyal fan base. The internet has cancelled her numerous times, but she remains.  In the wake of 2020, Trisha has made several posts taking accountability of her actions.

How to Create a Publicity Stunt to Boost Views

A great PR stunt creates a reaction. Moves should be calculated without too many nuts and bolts to work. If you have to explain a multi-layer plan where A must work to make B happen, and C must perfectly align with D, then your idea is too complicated. 

Only use trusted players. Don't stage an online feud with your best content creator friend unless you have 100% confidence. You're unsure if they will expose you on purpose or accidentally. Fake fights often look fake. Celebrities don't pull these PR stunts off by themselves. They work with a PR specialist, aka a publicist. Fans can spot fake fights fast anyway. If you're a super-mega small content creator, your fight may look silly. Bee boo bop.

You may also wonder how you personally should react to your PR stunt. Observe how the Kardashians react. When a drama bomb drops, planted by Momager Kris Jenner of course haha, the sisters all go quiet, return to posting like nothing happened, and then a few leaked hints here or there. It takes forever to get a confirmation.

I know, this article was exhausting. It almost seems easier to create your own drama channel. But hey, you can always put the advice in this article in your back pocket. I want to know what YOU think in the comments: should you create a publicity stunt to boost views?