YouTube has changed the media world, and as we find new ways of creating and consuming content, there are some users that stand above the rest. Though the relatively new media source came onto the scene in 2005, it has already rivaled mainstream media, with the celebrities that have prevailed in the medium rising to the status of their counterparts in the film and television worlds. Though there are those who are pulling in large groups of people, being symbolized by their subscriber counts, there are also a number of YouTubers who have devoted yet smaller groups of fans.

As I was first finding out about this new platform in 2009, it was on one of these channels that I found first. It was a video titled "GHOST IN THE STALLS" by the YouTuber Olan Rogers. Before I knew it, I was laughing obnoxiously in the middle of class, with everyone staring at me. Ignoring the glares, I continued excitedly watching his videos. Expecting him to have millions of subscribers, I scrolled down, looking to join what I was sure was his relative army of fans, yet I found that, though he had a good number of people subscribed to him, it was nowhere near the amount I thought his content deserved.

That was four years ago, and YouTube has grown considerably, as has Olan Rogers. The platform has transformed from merely a place to post videos to a marketplace of creative content. Olan Rogers has evolved along with the site and is part of a number of YouTubers who are using it as a way to launch other creative endeavors. Though there are many creators on YouTube, Olan Rogers is one of the ones who are using it effectively, offering a model of how to exercise creative thought. Here are five reasons why Olan Rogers is the YouTuber we need.

1. He Bases His Creative Decisions Around His Fans

Though many creators make decisions based on what benefits them or their business, Olan Rogers focuses on what projects and which offers would benefit his fans the most. There are many videos in which he is having conversations with his fans about offers that he gets from companies that want to work with him, and one of his main considerations in his decisions is what would it allow him to do for his fans.

2. He Doesn't Hide his Emotions From His Fans

Though many creators spend countless hours ensuring that what they are producing is polished and put together, and that their image is consistent with their brand, Olan doesn't let this come at the expense of his honest reactions. When he is overjoyed by something he will show it on camera, and if he is thankful to his supporters he will publicly thank them on his videos.

3. He Doesn't Limit Himself To YouTube

Though there are many YouTubers who are branching out from the platform, Olan is doing it in a different way which reflects his attention to his fanbase and what he feels lead to do, with minimal consideration to personal, financial gain. He opened up a soda shop called the Soda Parlor in Nashville, Tennessee where he sells his custom ice cream floats that are made with ingredients from local businesses and apparel from his clothing line. He is a great role model for creative expression as he goes out and does what he wants to. Recently he even released a pilot for a cartoon that he has been working on.

4. He Knows How to Laugh at Himself

Many of Olan's videos are stories of funny and sometimes embarrassing moments of his life. Staring into a camera and laughing as he narrates these stories is a main part of his brand. He also often words things in a way that will leave him laughing at himself. His videos are full of energy. Even though they are typically filmed in the confines of his bedroom, it sometimes feels as though he is larger than the room. He fills up the space, usually jumping on his bed or striking poses from across the room. It is these things which give his videos a distinctive feel.

5. He Interacts With His Fans As Friends

Not only does Olan factor his fans into his decisions, he also goes out of his way to set up events to meet with, and interact with them. At the Soda Parlor he has fan nights in which he meets with those who come, giving autographs and taking selfies. He also sets up films and has pizza for fans to come and hang out with him. He even works this approach into his tours, where fans can expect the same treatment.

Though the YouTube world is filled with great creators and interesting people, it would be an easy argument to make that Olan Rogers is among the best. He has built his creative brand around caring for his fans and truthfully conveying who he is and what he wants to do. Though he may not have the same subscriber count as some of the bigger names on the platform, what he does with his community makes him the YouTuber that we need.