Your 15 Minutes of Fame: YouTube's 5th Birthday

www.youtube.com

96 million of us go to YouTube everyday, according to CBS news; however, longevity-wise, YouTube.com is a relative baby:  less than one month ago, they celebrated their fifth birthday.  The now social media giant, originally started out as a one man video about a trip to the zoo.  Now it is both a marketing and media mogul and an open mic night all rolled into one.  From wellness centers, like the Fountain of Youth, to jewelers, like West Coast, to CNET, and Train, and everything in between including River Dancing Monkeys, YouTube offers everyone the opportunity to star in their own video and get their own message out.

If your message isn't on YouTube, you're missing out on a large audience.  An audience to the tune of 96 million, and even if only a fraction of that are exposed to your organization, that's a fraction of the market that you didn't have before.

As the owner of a videography business, we have created professional videos for organizations and companies to use online.  However, YouTube allows anyone with a webcam or a camera that takes video to upload their footage to share with the world.  Businesses can:

• showcase their products
• introduce their staff
• demonstrate their community involvement
• promote specials
• create instructional videos
• broadcast training sessions
• show commercials
• have customers give testimonials
• etc.  

The uses for video - and specifically YouTube - can be endless, easy, and lucrative.  As has been discussed in previous posts, the medium of video is one of the most engaging resources that can be used for communicating with potential customers and current clients.  Make sure your content is appropriate. Think about how your video represents your company.  Keep your content suited for your audience, and then use this free site to connect with people in a whole new way.  Create an account, upload your video, add titles that give clear descriptions of what will be viewed, mark the video public, and you are on your way to your 15 minutes of fame!


YouTube has revolutionized the way we share information.  Keep in mind you are creating a professional image, and the old adage is true: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."  Before you share your video, make sure it conveys the message you really want to send.

And make sure to wish them a "Happy birthday!"  All together now!  "Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday, dear YouTube!  Happy Birthday to you!"

(Please tell me you got that?  Did anyone have their camera ready?  You mean no one got that?)





Social Media and the Pea by Alice Ann Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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