Girls Gone Viral: Online Fame From Shopping

March 21, 2010— -- The first thing every tween or teen does right after getting home from the mall is show off her shopping spree. But now, girls are doing more than bragging about their fashion finds to their best friends.

A new phenomenon called "haul videos" means they can show off their purchases to the whole world. There are more than 110,000 haul videos currently on YouTube, and some videos are racking up tens of millions of views.

Hauls are short product review videos. The "vlogger," or video blogger, shows off her goods, gushing about everything from lip gloss to flip-flops and gives her opinion on the quality of the products.

"Haul videos are the perfect marriage of two of Generation Y's favorite things: technology and shopping," says Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist. "It's a vicarious pleasure. You don't have to spend the money and you still get the thrill; it's a bit like pornography."

Haul videos are not just about blowing allowance money on designer clothes. The vloggers brag about scouring sales at drug stores and bargain outlets, too.

While haul videos are making one girl's shopping treasure into another's online entertainment, they're also transforming these savvy shoppers into young tycoons. Some videos are being viewed millions of times, and the vloggers are cashing in -- scoring sponsorships, product deals and magazine spreads.

"We have some haul videos that compare to major cable channels in views," says Shishir Mehrotra, director of Product Management at YouTube.

Mehrotra scours YouTube looking for top talent. When he finds a vlogger who has cultivated a large following, he'll offer a YouTube partnership to them.

The YouTube Partner Program allows budding entrepreneurs to get paid to make videos and pocket a cut of the ad revenue.

"We have hundreds of partners that make over $1,000 a month, and we have several that are making six figures and really are supporting a living off of YouTube," Mehotra says.

Sponsored Vloggers Play by FTC Rules

Since fans and advertisers are hanging on their every cyber word, the Federal Trade Commission recently enacted rules governing vlogger sponsorship. While they are allowed to accept free merchandise, haul video vloggers must disclose if they are being paid by a company to review a product. Any person with a webcam and an audience can become a professional paid haul video expert.

Sisters Elle Fowler, 21, and Blair Fowler, 16, from Tennessee, are two of the phenomenon's biggest stars. Combined, their videos have been viewed 75 million times.

Their popularity translates into sales for companies, too. Just 24 hours after posting a review of a watch they bought, it sold out in every color, and the company's Web site crashed from the boost in traffic. They receive merchandise to review, and they have a partnership with YouTube that allows them to get paid for the videos they make. The sisters say they are so successful that Blair is now home schooled so she can concentrate on making more videos.

Here is Elle and Blair's recipe for creating the perfect haul video:

Don't brag or boast.

Identify trends of the new season.

Offer versatility.

Look for bargains.

Don't duplicate what you already have.

Show off your personal style.

Don't take yourself too seriously.