INTRODUCTION
YouTube – You What?
Have you heard about YouTube.com? Maybe you are scratching
your head, wondering, “What is it”?
Is it, a catchy name for a catchy service?
Is it a marketing tool?
Is it a website for novice filmmakers?
The answer is yes, yes, yes and then some. You see, YouTube
is many things to many people, depending on how they use it
and their purposes for its use. You can define the website’s
purpose tradition-ally as:
“YouTube.com is one of the many Web 2.0 sites popping
up on the Web. It is a “video sharing” website.”
However, YouTube.com, like many Web 2.0, sites is much more
than a site allowing individuals to share video clips. It is a place
for public commentary, a place where people can review the
latest and greatest info products, a place where people can
network and share common interests, goals, and opportunities.
The best part? YouTube.com is not too complicated to use,
driving away hordes of novice users. In fact, the opposite is true.
YouTube.com is easy to master. This website allows just about
anyone to sign up for an account, upload, share video clips, and
view other people’s video clips. Sounds neat, huh?
Just like many popular sites, registered members can rate
videos, or find out how many times other people link to a video clip
for their viewing pleasure. YouTube.com provides and publishes
this informa-tion for your convenience, for its loyal fans. Have you
heard about Netflix? The idea is the same. Netflix is an online video
“store” if you will, like Blockbuster. Registered members can log in
and rent videos sent directly to their home. They can also rate and
review the videos they see. That way, the public has a better feel
for what videos are worth watching (and whether there are some
videos they shouldn’t bother with).
The site can also tailor its recommendations to you depending on
how many videos you rate. The big DIFFERENCE between a site like
this however, a static site, and YouTube.com, is using YouTube, and
you can watch video clips right from your home computer. There is no
renting, no late fees and no charges to become a member.
Will you watch a full video? No. You will watch a video clip. In the
ten minutes of time a user has to make a video clip however, you can
be sure they will input as much valuable and telling information as they
possibly can. So, a visit to YouTube.com is well worth it.
Is YouTube.com popular? Yes, and not just among the young. In
fact, the young and old alike are enjoying their newfound “celebrity”
status by posting their own video clips to the Web. And, speaking of
celebrities… YouTube is popular among web fans, your average Jane
or Joe, and celebrities getting in on the action. Just like MySpace.com
attracts many public figures interested in connecting with their
fan base and audience, so too does YouTube appeal to the
same crowd for similar reasons.
Alanis Morissette (a well-known singer, just in case you don’t
know) just did a spoof of Fergie’s (another young hip-hop singer)
“My Humps” video. It’s pretty funny, if you have a good sense of
humor. “You love my lady lumps?” What isn’t funny about that?
Even if you never heard the original song, you will get a good
chuckle out of it. It is also a great example of a good video, and
you can use it for a model when trying to create your own video
clips for YouTube (we’ll get to that later).
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=My+humps+alanis+
There is no cost just to listen, and you will learn a great deal.
Of course you can just type it (my humps) into Google and
find about another dozen sites promoting the video. While
YouTube.com is fun, it can also be an extremely useful tool for promoting your business, your website, and for networking and
connecting with people around the globe. So why write a guide
on YouTube? I’ll tell you why…
Here’s the point.
YouTube isn’t just for fun, though we have focused so far on
some of the funnier and entertaining features offered by the popular
site. But, just as YouTube.com is fun, you can just as easily use it
to promote your website, advertise your business or simply
publicize what it is you have to offer. For that reason, people are
jumping hand over heals to get their hands on it. Large corporations
including CBS, NBC, Sony BMG and others, people that once
opposed the site, are clamoring to get in on the action. The reason?
Millions of consumers are logging in every day to catch a glimpse of what YouTube has to offer…
YouTube may become the most popular Web 2.0 site on the
Net. The sooner you get in, the faster you will start realizing the
benefits YouTube has to offer.
Want to see just how useful YouTube.com can be to the ordinary
politician, small business owner or marketer? Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=obama
Consider YouTube.com a platform, one you can use to connect
with users in a meaningful, directed and intimate way.
YouTube.com offers something for just about anyone.
What does YouTube offer? Among the material posted on
YouTube include many TV clips, multiple music videos, and much
amateur content, content from bloggers, and content from Internet
Marketers interested in getting in on the action. Celebrities, news
organizations, and even musicians are now allowing users to upload
short video clips of their works to this incredibly fast-growing website.
When Did It All Begin?
Here are the facts about YouTube.com as a business and rapidly
growing enterprise. Started in February of 2005, the site gained
massive media attention and popularity, in part because it was some-
thing fresh and new. It also brought with it some controversy, as many
of the more popular and successful websites do. Time Magazine
suggested it was the most popular invention during 2006. Of course, it
is not to say YouTube is not without its share of controversy. Quite the
opposite is true. We’ll learn more about the ups and downs YouTube
has experienced in the next section.
What is important for you to know now is YouTube is a
power-house, a weapon anyone can use to gain free publicity. It
even captured the attention of industry giant Google Inc.
Google Inc. bought the company for just over $1.5 billion dollars in late 2006.
Infusing the company and website with even more capital and
resources, there is almost no limit to what YouTube can do in
the future, and where it will take its customers.
Be aware, we’ll use the terms YouTube and YouTube.com inter-
changeably throughout this guide. This is not because we can’t decide
which is better, it just helps make the reading a tad more inter-esting.
OK, now that you know “what” it is, I’m sure you want to know how you
can jump on the bandwagon and become part of the next generation
legacy YouTube has to offer, right? Here’s how…
How To Become A Part Of The Legacy
Everyone wants to be part of a legacy. If you bought this guide
you are considering what exactly YouTube has to offer you. You
can use it as a source of entertainment. If you are an entrepreneur,
business owner or marketer, chances are you want to know how to
use YouTube to connect with your target audience. The good news
is you can easily to this. In fact, joining YouTube is easy, just as
easy as it is to sign with other popular site.
Now, to get “in” on the action, you will need to register. If you
just want to find out what all the fuss is about, you can tour the site
and check out popular video clips free of chard. That’s right… you
can watch videos free on YouTube, you don’t need to register.
But…
If you want to upload videos, promo your site, brand your name
or get the attention of others, you will have to register. Don’t
worry, registration is easy. We’ll talk more about that later too.
Now that you have a better idea of what YouTube is about concep-
tually, let’s learn a little bit more about the history of this incredible site.
In the next section we’ll provide you a small history of YouTube,so you have a better sense of where it came from and where it
may go. Hold onto your hats…
THE HISTORY OF YOUTUBE
Technology affords us new and interesting abilities every day.
YouTube.com is just one example of how technology is
helping us in our endeavors.
By now you probably have a high-level of interest in finding
out more about YouTube. Before we talk more about getting in
on YouTube and making it work for you, let’s review YouTube’s
brief history, as it is.
YouTube was “born” from the creative minds of former PayPal
employees. YouTube first became active on February 15, 2005. As
you can see, despite its enormous success the site is still in its infancy.
The start-up found funding in the form of venture capital from
Sequioa Capital, raising $3.5 million dollars for the site. The
venture capital firm later invested another $8million dollars into
the company, helping spur its popularity during the last year and
a half. This just shows you how attractive YouTube’s business
model was and how many people instantly recognized the
promise this site had to offer.
Today many refer to YouTube.com as the, “fastest growing website on the web,”
“YouTube is one of the fastest growing Web 2.0 sites to make history today.”
OVER 100 MILLION visitors watch clips each day. By some reports,
over 60,000 people upload videos within a single day. YouTube
did face many copyright infringement lawsuits, one reason it
agreed to the huge settlement deal with Google.
WHO USES YOUTUBE?
Everyone. Even your local politician. Yes, it’s true, political
candi-dates and fans alike now use YouTube as an informal
medium for advertising. Barack Obama is one of a few
candidates that have a large fan base on YouTube.
Many political commentators are joining in, realizing millions
may hear their voice and message, and even internationally
candi-dates are using YouTube as a platform to market their
campaign and platforms.
YouTube restricts individuals from sending material with
known copyrights. Therefore, NBC was among the first to ask
YouTube to remove clips of material including material from the
2006 Olympics, obviously uploaded to the site. YouTube
imposed several extra cautionary measures, including limiting
video clips to a brief 10-minute tape. This lessened much of
NBCs concerns, but added to YouTube’s popularity.
Think about it… word of mouth is one of the best ways to
promote anything. Interestingly enough, NBC eventually retracted
its criticisms and instead decided to collaborate with the company.
Many others are likely to follow suit. YouTube you see, is an
exceptional outlet for promoting just about anyone. A short 10-
minute clip is more likely to garner increasing interest than it is to
damage a corporation’s ability to sell its products and services.
Many major media moguls now provide content willingly to
YouTube. Among them include CBS, Sony BMG and even
Warner productions.
MOVING Forward
Now that you understand more about where YouTube
originated and how people are using it, it’s time to learn how you
can use YouTube for your personal or business needs.
In the next section, we will provide details about setting up
your own account and video clips on YouTube. We arranged this
section much like a Q&Q session so you can find the information
you need as simply as possible.
USING YOUTUBE
REGISTRATION
CONFIRMATION
GETTING Your Video Featured
MAKE YOUR VIDEO “WATCH WORTHY”
Apart from making a great video, there are many ways you
can express yourself and get noticed on YouTube.
Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t let registered members upload
personal avatars of themselves, small pictures of their liking.
You can however, create a brand simply by using your video
cam. You can provide an intro clip, a short bio of yourself if you like.
Otherwise, use your full creativity to help brand your name, your
products or your services. You can even brand your message if you
place enough time and energy in creating your videos!
MAKING Your First Video
Since YouTube is a relatively new concept, there are still many
people that are not certain “how” to go about making a great video.
First, you will need the proper supplies. You can make a video using
something as simple as a digital camera, your cell phone (provided it is
one that takes video pictures) or a traditional camcorder.
What you do is simply record a short, 10-minute clip of your video.
Then, download the video to your computer just as you
would any digital pictures you would take. YouTube then allows you
to upload your videos. If you want to shine, you can edit your
videos before uploading them. There are many software programs
readily available that allow you to edit videos relatively easy, even if
you are a beginner.
Some examples include Windows Moviemaker.
Software applications are a big hit, in part because you can
add subtitles to your video, you can incorporate special effects,
and you can zoom in and out and take advantage of many other
features. Since optimizing your video is essential if you want to
attract atten-tion on YouTube, let’s find out how to do that.
The next section will help you learn how to create and
maximize your videos’ potential so they captivate your audience.
