Allan Cruz has a simple reason for putting YouTubers above other influencers: building a loyal following on YouTube is not easy.
Speaking on Sanyuka TV, the Ugandan YouTuber argued that the work required to attract subscribers gives successful creators a different level of respect.
YouTubers are on a higher level than other influencers. They are more respected. It is not easy to get subscribers on YouTube, and people actually know deep down that YouTube is not a platform where you can just wake up and create a channel.
For Cruz, the value of those subscribers also lies in how they engage with the content.
YouTube viewers, he argued, tend to focus on what a creator offers and deliberately follow their content.
The YouTube audience is different. They are interested and focused on what you are offering. They do not just watch.
That kind of audience, in his view, has more in common with Instagram than TikTok.
Cruz used the reaction to the same picture on the two platforms to illustrate the difference.
You can only compare the YouTube audience to the Instagram audience. If you are being dragged on TikTok and you post a picture there, people in the comments will insult you. Post the same picture on Instagram on the same day, and the comments can be positive. That clearly shows you that the Instagram audience is in a world of its own.
And while he sees similarities between YouTube and Instagram, Cruz still gives YouTube the edge when it comes to respect.
The respect YouTube commands is in a league of its own.
YouTubers are on a higher level than other influencers, they’re more respected .- Allan Cruz.#SanyukaBigendaBitya #SanyukaUpdates #FfeBannoDdala pic.twitter.com/QpeLVk4Q1H
— Sanyuka TV (@sanyukatv) August 19, 2026