KevinNaltsisoneofYouTubesleast

talentedweblebrities,withsome20million
viewsofhismorethan550onlinevideos.He
isoneofthemostsubscribedcomedianson
YouTube,andhisvideosroutinelyrankin
thetophighestratedandmostdiscussed
lists.Youneedonlywatchseveralofhisvideostoknowtheserankingsarenot
duetohisvideomakingabilitiesalone.Here,thecareermarketerrevealssome
insidersecretstodevelopingafollowingonYouTube(andotheronlinevideo
sites),andgettingyourvideoswidelyviewedglobally.Thetechniquesheshares
donotincludetricksthatultimatelyundermineavideo,butprovenstrategies
thatareoftennotintuitive.TosubscribetoNaltsvideos,pleaseclickhere.To
subscribetohisblog,WillVideoForFood,clickhere.

Version1.3.January2008.ThisworkislicensedundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionNoDerivative
Works3.0UnportedLicensebyKevinNalts,WillVideoForFood,LLC.Youmaydistributeorpostasyou
wish,butpleasecredithttp://www.willvideoforfood.comorrepurposeitforfinancialgain.Naltsisnot
affiliatedwithYouTubeorGoogle,andmayhavetochangethetitleofthisbookifYouTubeobjects.But,
candidly,thetitleHowtoBePopularinOnlineVideojustdidntsoundasinteresting.

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AboutThisBook
Afterlanguishinginonlinevideoforninemonths,KevinNaltswasadvisedby
doctorsthathisviralvideocareerwouldbedeadwithinweeks.Buthe
persevered,andnowrevealssomeeasytoapplytechniquesthatcanhelpyou
becomepopularonYouTube.In30funfilledpagespackedwithreal
experience,examplesandvideolinksthevideocreatorandmarketershares
provenmethodstodevelopaglobalaudienceviaYouTube.
Thetechniquesarebuiltonexperience,andwillhelpyouavoidsomeofthe
manypitfalls,andhelpkeepyoufromviolatingunwrittenrulesofthe
YouTubecommunity.Theyalsowillsaveyoufromwastingtimewithineffective
approaches.
Thebookoffersbasicbutsometimescounterintuitiveadviceonhowto
becomeamorewelcomeparticipantofYouTube,buildfriends,developaloyal
following,promoteyourself(orothercauses),andhaveablastalongtheway.

ShouldYouReadThisBook?
Ifyoureaskingyourselfthefollowingquestions,thisbookmaybeforyou:
HowdoIgainYouTubepopularitywithoutcheatingorappearing

desperate?Whatworksandwhatmightcreateabacklash?
WhatcanIdotogetmyvideosmoreviewswithoutspendingan

inordinateamountoftimepromotingthemtopeople?
HowcanIhelpmakemyvideosviral(getthempassedalong)?
HowcanIusemyYouTubefametopromotemyself,friends,advertising

sponsorsorworthycauses?

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Testimonials
Icantbelieveyoureputtingtestimonialsinabookyouregivingoutforfree.
Isntthatalittleweird.
JoNalts(akaWifeofNalts)
PromotingaproductorserviceorevenyourselfonYouTubeisutterlydifferent
thanthemessagedrivenadvertisingcentricapproachtomarketing.Withtonsof
examplevideos,Naltsshowseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutcreating
YouTubevideos.Hisinsidertipsonetiquetteandsmartpromotionalideasare
worththousandsofdollars.Thiscompellingguidehastaughtmeagreatdeal.
Nowyoucanlearnhowtohavefunwiththisterrificmediaandpromoteyour
ideastoo.
DavidMeermanScott,bestsellingauthorofTheNewRulesofMarketingandPR
Onlinevideoisonecrowdedspacerightnowandifallyoudoisuploadyour
videoandhopeforthebest,donthavehighexpectations.Youhavetobean
activeparticipant.KevinsbookonthesubjectisaneBook,soyoullhavetoprint
itoutyourself(preferablynotongoodpaper).
PaulKontonis,ForYourImagination
IreadKevinseBookafterIhadalreadybecomepopularandafterreadingit,
Iamstillpopular.ThanksKevin!
MichaelBuckley,WhatTheBuckShow
Hisbooksummarizestwoyearsofuselessknowledge.Itwasntreallyasstrong
asmyViralVideoFeverDVDs,butitcertainlywasavalueforitsprice.
CharlesTrippy,YouTubeHeartthrobandProducerofViralVideoFever

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TableofContents

I.Foreword ....................................................................................................................... 5
II.DoYouReallyWanttoBeaYouTubeStar?....................................................... 10
III.UnderstandingTheCoreofYouTube................................................................ 12
IV.HowToMakeVideosThatDontSuck ............................................................. 14
V.TipsforGettingYourVideosSeen ...................................................................... 19
VI.AvoidTheseTricks ................................................................................................ 25
VII.YouTubeandProfit .............................................................................................. 29
VIII.BigFinish .............................................................................................................. 31
IX.AdditionalResources............................................................................................. 32

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I.Foreword

ThankYou
IappreciatethetimeyouaretakingtoreadthisbookandIhopeyoufindit
helpfulandinspiring.Keepaneyeoutformysoontobepublishedbook,The
ProphetofOnlineVideo(downloadafree2pagesynopsishere).UnliketheeBook
yourereading,TheProphetofOnlineVideowillbegearedtowardmarketers
andagenciesinterestedincapitalizingontheconvergenceofonlinevideoand
advertising.Anditsgoingtobewickedexpensive.Moohaaahaaa.
Iamsogratefultothepeoplethatviewmyvideosandparticipateonmyblog
(WillVideoForFood).Thesearethepeoplewhohavepavedtheway,makinga
realityofalongandpreciousdream.Thesearealsothepeoplewhohavegiven
methepopularityIhavetoday.Thankyouall!
Ofcourse,therealsohappenstobeaslightfactionofpeoplethatdespisesme,
theylabelmeasellout,onewhofeedsandpromotesthecommercializationof
theYouTubeCommunity.ThiseBookwillprobablypissthemoff.Somuchso,
thatinasmallpart,writingthisandmakingitavailabletothepublicforfreeis
moreworthwhilethananyprofitIcouldpotentiallyrealize.
Iwanttogivemywife,Jo(akaWifeofNalts)aspecialthanksforhercontinued
support;herpatienceismorethantremendous!Morethananyone,sheknows
justhowtimeconsumingonlinevideoisandhasbeen.Shecontinuestotolerate
myneglectofbasictasksaroundthehouse,nottomentionsleep.Imavery
fortunateman.Ialsowanttothankmychildren,Kate,Patrick,Grantand

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Charlie.Myfatheringisnotnearlyasflawlessasitappearsonvideo,andthey
arepatientandkeepmefromtakingitalltooseriously.
IwouldalsoliketothankJanIschingerandTom(formerlyknownas
TrippleHelixonYouTube)forhelpingmelaunchtheWillVideoForFood
Forumalongwithsomanyofmyotherpeeps.
Therearemorewhohavebeentherethroughthickandthin,diligently
supportingmeoverthesepasttwoyears.WhenIwasinitiallypassedoverfora
YouTubesrevenuesharingprogram,IcreatedavideocalledNAPPYwhichwas
metwithsuchasupportivevoicefromthecommunityandremainslistedasone
ofYouTubesmostrespondedtovideosofalltime.WhenIhavegrown
frustratedwithYouTube,thecommunitywelcomedmeback.AndIam
constantlytickledbythecreativevariationsof___ofNaltsthatpeoplehave
createdasYouTubeusernames.
IwishIcouldlistallofthembyname.Youhavewatchedmyvideos,provided
mewithpositiveandconstructivefeedback,collaborated,participatedinmy
blog,andtoldyourfriendsaboutmycrazyantics.Youveevendriventomy
housetotakemeoutforpizzaandbeerwhenIwasreadytothrowinthetowel.
Agreatthankstoyouall!
Idalsoliketothankafewpeoplefortheirhelpwiththisbook.Itsafreebook,so
Iclearlywillshareallproceedswiththefollowingpeople.

ThankstoDavidMeermanScott,whoencouragedmetopublishthisbook
forfree(Icantrememberhisrationalebutitwasreallycompelling),and
forreviewingadraft.Davidisanaccomplishedauthorandonlinevideo
expert,andhastoleratedanendlessbarrageofquestionsfromme(whose

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closestventuretoprintpublishingwasaweeklynewspaperthatwent
bankruptjustsixmonthsafterIstartedworkingthere).

JanIschingerhasnotonlyhelpedwiththisbook,butisthedrivingforce
behindtheWillVideoforFoodForum.Shealsosendsnoteslikethis:Take
careofyourhealth.ViralVideoMakingcanbedangerousThestressis
exhilarating,butitisalsodebilitating.Meltdownsreally,reallyhappen,almost
overnight.Andshesright.

PaulKontonisofForYourImaginationnotonlybroadenedmy
knowledgeofonlinevideopromotionbeyondYouTube,butrevieweda
draftandtaughtmethedifferencebetweenthewordMikeandmic.

BenRellesofBarelyPoliticalprovidedsomeimportanttipshelearned
whilepromotingoneofYouTubesmostpopularvideosof2007.UntilI
methimrecentlyIdidntknowtherewasanotherMBAwhomoonlighted
inonlinevideo.

Thereafewothersthatinvestedtimeproofingmyearlierdrafts,and
oddlywouldnttakemeupmyofferforcredit(likethenicemysterious
ladybehindTheCultofNalts,whosavedmefromquiteafew
grammaticalerrors).

TheApologies
Mysorrysectionisasimportantasmythanks.Invariably,whenyoumake
yourselfthisaccessibleonlineyouendupentertainingmany,butalsooffending
afew.Itakethistoheartwhenitcomestoignoringafairchunkofmyemailand
YouTubemessages.Honestly,itsreallyhardtobediligentaboutthissortof
communicationwhilekeepingafulltimejobandcaringforafamilyofsix.I

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reallydotry,butcantfindthehoursittakestoreadandreplytoallthe
messagesIreceive.Ioftenthinkthismaybeinterpretedasarrogancebypeople
whodontknowwhatitsliketogethundredsofemailsandmessagesevery
day.Asaresult,Ivebecomefairlyhaphazardaboutmypersonal
communication.Ratherthansortandprioritize,IvefoundthatIimpulsively
checkmessageswhenIminamoresocialmoodandignoreeverythingwhenmy
plateisfullwithpressingmattersatworkandhome.IfyoufeellikeImblowing
youoff,Ihopeyouwillunderstandmycircumstancesandplease,Ibegyounot
totakeitpersonally.

Welcome,AndtheBrassTactics!
Ihopeyourealizethatthetitleofthisbookwasmeantasselfdeprecatinghumor
andnotawarranty.Whenmakingvideosforonlineentertainmentyouhaveto
havesometalent.Contrarytoconventionalwisdom,however,talentisnotthe
onlyingredientforsuccess.Admittedly,therearepeoplefarmoretalentedthanI
onYouTubewhodeservemyincredibleaudience.Thestumblingblockoftenis
thattheydonotknowhowtoattractanaudienceandarerelegatedtoendless
obscurity,lostinaseaofgarbage.Unfortunately,whenthishappensthese
talentedpeoplestarttothinkthatmaybetheyarentsotalented.Theybeginto
loseinterestwhenalltheyreallyneededwereafewbasicmarketingtools.
Hereisanimportanttakeaway(youmightwanttohighlightthispoint).
YouTubefame(f)isafunctionofyourtalent(t)multipliedbyyourmarketing(m).

f=ttimesm.

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Ifyoure9outof10intalentandthisbooktakesyoutoa5outof10in
marketingyourself,thenyouveachievedahealthy45,congratulations!
However,ifyourelackingintalent(saya2outof10)thenthisbookmaynot
help.Sorry.
Iwilltouchbrieflyonhowtomakeyourvideosnotsuck,butletmesaythis,Ive
seensomereally,reallytalentlesspeopleonYouTube.Ishuddertothinkthat
oneofthemisturningtothisbookforsalvation.NottobeSimonCowlesorthe
like,butifyourfriendsandfamilyfindyourvideoslameyoumaywanttothink
abouttakinguppotteryorbasketweaving.
Stillreading?Great!Ifyoutakenothingelsewithyoufromthisbook,please
rememberthis:TheactofuploadingisonlyonetinysteponyourGreatYou
TubeAdventure,andifyoustopthere,yourenotgoingtogetveryfar.

GlossaryofTerms
Imgoingtobeusingsometermsinthisbookthatareworthdefining.

CollabVideos:Makingacollaborationvideowithsomeoneelseon
YouTube.ThisisanimportantwaytointroduceyourselftotheYouTube
community.Itstimeconsumingbutfun.Pipistrellotaughtmethis.

Subscribers:Youknowhowyourmagazinesmagicallyshowupinyour
mailbox?HardcoreYouTuberswakeupeachdayandchecktheir
subscriptions.Iftheyvesubscribedtoyou,theyllknoweachtimeyou
postanewvideos.Youwantqualitynotjustquantityofsubscribers
becausetheyretheoneswhowillrateyourvideos.Iftheylikewhatthey
see,yourvideowillgethonoredandappearonsomeofthemost
viewedormostdiscussedlists,whichbringsyouasecondaryaudience.

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Honors:Theseareatemporarystatusavideogarnersifitsthemost
viewed,mostdiscussedorhighestratedwithinacertaintimeperiod.A
videoreceivingthesehonorswill,temporarily,beplacedonlistsandbe
morelikelytosurfaceonaYouTubesearch.

Partner:YouTubesharesadvertisingrevenuewithpartners.Tolearn
more,seeYouTubespartnerpage.Ifyourethinkingyouregoingtoretire
onYouTubepartnerincomeyoureinforashock.Butitsstillniceto
receiveincomebasedontheadvertisingthatappearsaroundyourvideos.

II.DoYouReallyWanttoBeaYouTubeStar?
LetsevaluateYouTubefameforamoment,andmakesureyoureallywant
whatyoureapparentlyafter.IfindmostpeopleinpursuitofYouTube
weblebritystatusarelookingforoneoffourthings:
1) Theyreaperformerlookingforastage.
2) Theyrelookingtosellaproductorservice.
3) Theyretryingtofillaselfesteemvoidwithpositivefeedback,ratingsand
views(therapyischeaperinthelongrun).
4) Theyrehopingtoconnectwithsimilarpeopleandshareexperiences.
Imgoingtostartbytemperingyourdesire.Yousee,ifyouenterYouTubewith
desperationforfame,peoplearegoingtofindyoureallyannoying.Youllgiveoff
ascentlikethosepeoplesellingAmwayatneighborhoodpicnics.Youmighteven
annoypeoplemorethanIdo.
YouTubepopularityisnotallitscrackeduptobe.Youllfindyourselfspending
inordinateamountsoftimeonYouTube,youllloseagreatdealofyourprivacy,

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andyoullgetinsultedinwaysyouveneverimagined(someoneonce
commentedonavideothathewantstodefecateinmymouth).
Eachdayyoullfeelguiltybecauseyoureignoringsomeonescryforhelp
watchmyvideo,mentionmysickfriend,beinmycollaborationvideo,tellmewhat
youthinkofmysonsvideo.Sometimesemailwillfeellikeaportaltohellwith
desperateandthirstysoulsscreamingforjustadropofwater.
InsomewaysYouTubefamebringsallofthenegativesideofrealstardom
withoutthemoneyandperks.Youllalmostcertainlybecomeaddicted,and
sometimeswillfailtodifferentiatebetweenyourownviewofyourselfandthe
opinionsofyourviewers.Thefirsttimeyougetfeaturedorhaveavideothatgoes
viralwillcreateamadrushofadrenalinefollowedbyasugarcrash.
But,enoughpsychobabble.Ijustwantedtomakesureyourealizethereare
somedownsides.Nowletsexplorethefunthingsyouregoingtoexperienceif
youhavesometalentanddeploythetechniquesyouregoingtolearnhere.
Therearesomefantasticthingsabouthavinganestablishedaudienceforyour
videos.First,youllmeetsometerrificpeople.IstartedonlinevideoinDecember
2005withnavehopesofsupplementingmyincome.Icertainlywasntinpursuit
ofmeetingvirtualfriends.Imbusyenoughwithmydayjobandmyfamily,and
Improficientenoughatneglectingmyflesh(nonvirtual)friendsmuchless
forgettingthebirthdaysofmyvirtualones.ButIvemetsomereallyamazingly
creativeandinterestingpeopleonYouTube.Somearepassingrelationships
whereweemailormentioneachotherinanoccasionalvideo.AndothersIve
metinpersontoshootvideos,grabadrink,orhuddletogetheratvarious
YouTubegatheringsthatmakeStarTrekconventionslookcool.

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Ivebeenbroughttotearsbyvideosbymyfriends,andgainednewperspectives
fromindividualsfromallovertheplanetwithwhichIdotherwisehaveno
contact.AndIvelaugheduntilIcouldbarelybreathe.LatelyIveleveragedmy
YouTubeexperiencestohelpmarketersbenefitfromonlinevideo,andthats
beenhelpfulineliminatingthemoundofdebtweveaccumulatedalongtheway.
Butmostgratifyingisthejoyofinteractingwithothercreators,andgetting
instantfeedbackwheneverIexperimentwithanewapproach.WhereIusedto
burdendinnerguestswithmyvideos,Inowcanpostavideo,goupstairsand
shower,andreturntofindhundredsofcommentsthattellmeiftheideasankor
sailed.

III.UnderstandingTheCoreofYouTube
DidyouknowYouTubeismorethanasearchengineforvideos?Itsactuallya
livelycommunity,anduntilyouunderstandandrespectthatcommunity,youre
notlikelytobewidelyseen.Certainly,thereareexceptionsIcallthemonehit
wonders.Sometimesavideoissodarnedremarkablethatitgoesviralonits
ownmerit.Butpleasedontbetonthat,becauseyouhaveagreaterchanceof
gettingkilledbyallama.ManyofthemostpopularvideosonYouTubenever
helpthecreatorgeneratearegularfollowing.
IfyourenewtoYouTube,youmaywanttoimagineyourselfwalkingintothe
highschoolcafeteria.Whatsyourbodylanguagesaying?
SitwithmebecauseImafraidtositalone.
Icametoeat,sostayawayorIlleatyou.
Hi.Imacheerleader.Wanttositwithmeandbepopular?
Wheresthetableforthepeoplewhohateeveryoneelsehere?

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BecauseYouTubeisavisceralmediumwithtwowayinteraction,youcant
simplypostyourvideoandreturnafewdayslatertoseeifyourethenext
NumaNumakid.Peoplearegoingtotalkbacktoyoueventually.Ifyoulisten
andrespond,theymightstickaroundandwatchmore.Theymayeventelltheir
friendsaboutyou.ButifyourepostingtoYouTubelikeyouresendingoutmass
holidayletters,yourcommunityreputationwillbepoor.
ThereisacoregroupofYouTubersthathangoutonStickam(alivevideosite)
eachnightandinteractwitheachother.Youcanlearnalotfromthisgroup,and
theyllinfluenceyourYouTubereputation.IfIhadmoretimeanddidntderive
socialanxietyfromlivevideo,IdbeonStickamhangingoutwiththesepeople
regularly.
Aswithanycommunity,therearecountlessunwrittenrules.Tofitinyoull
havetowatchalotofvideosandgetasensefortheseyourself.ButIllgiveyou
thequickguide.IoutlinesomeoftheseinavideocalledYouTubeEtiquette.
Nobodywantstoadmitthis,buttheresasubtlesocialladderbasedonhow
manysubscribersyouhave.Itsratherrepulsive,andItrynottolookatthe
numbers.Ifindthatacreatorsegocanunjustlyenlargeastheirsubscribers
grow,andIoftenprefertohangwiththelesspopular,moreinterestingpeople.
Butthissocialladderisimportant.
Forexample,Igetalotofrequeststocollaboratewithpeoplethathavenovideos
orsubscribers,anditisaloteasiertoignorethemthansomeonewhohastalent
andafollowing.IknowsomefamousYouTubersthatsimplywontcollaborate
withsomeonewhoobviouslydoesntwatchtheirvideos.Ifyoutrytodoa
collaborationvideowithHappySlipbeforeyouknowherandhave
developedyourownfollowingsheslikelytoignoreyou(sheignoresmemost
ofthetimetoo,butthatssurvivalwhenyoureblastedwith100emailsaday).

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Soinitiallyinteractwithpeoplewhohaveasmanysubscribersasyou,andfind
yourownpodwithinYouTube.Therearecountlesssubculturesbuiltaround
peopleandtheirfriends,andthisgroupstayswithyoulikeyourfreshman
roommates(orthestinkofgarlic).
SomeYouTubersleveragetheirtalent(inmusicorgraphicdesign)tocreate
custommaterialthatpopularYouTuberscanuse.Thismakesusfarmore
interestedinhelpingthesecreatorsfindtheirwaytothetop.

IV.HowToMakeVideosThatDontSuck

Thischaptersoundsarrogant,anditssomewhathypocritical.BecauseImakeso
manyvideos,manyofthemsuck.Ifanyoneshouldhavethemagicrecipefora
decentonlinevideo,itshouldbeme.ButImstilllearningeachday,andthats
partofwhatmakesitsofuntocreatevideos.PeopleoftenaskmewhyIdont
focusoncreatingfewerqualityvideosinsteadofpostingroutinely.Therearetwo
reasonsforthat.First,ifIstopcreatingformorethanafewdays,Igenerally
dontfeellikepostinganymore.Second,IhavenoEarthlyideawhichofmy
videoideaswillresonateandwhichwillbecomepopular.Therearealotof
factorsinvolved,soIplaytheoddswithvolumeandfrequency.
Thatsaid,thereareanumberofthingsIdadvisetohelpyoumakebettervideos.
Technically,thebarrierstoentryareextremelylow(accesstotheweb,a
computer,andaninexpensivecamera).Butherearesometipstomakingyour
videosinterestingandmorelikelytobesharedand,therefore,becomeviral.

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A.StickToYourBrand
IknowthatmyvideoswouldbemorepopularifImadethemmoreedgyand
sexy.Butitsnotconsistentwithmystyle,andsoIforgothatupside.Itsnot
sustainabletocreatecontentthatdoesntreflectyourpersonality,anditwill
confuseyouraudience.Findauniquestyleandstaywithit.Thatdoesntmean
youshouldntexperiment.SomeofthebestYouTubecreatorshaveavery
specificandownablestyle:WhatTheBuckdoesdailycelebritygossip.Smosh
doessketchcomedy.HappySlipdoesclevercomediesaboutherfamily,and
expresseshermusicaltalent.
Thesecreatorsarentjusttalented,theyknowtheiraudienceandconsistently
provideforthem.Some,ofcourse,participatemoreextensivelywiththe
YouTubecommunity,andothershavetheireyestowardlargermedia
opportunities.ToseeotherpopularYouTubers,visitthemostsubscribedofall
timeYouTubesectionandgetafeelforwhatspopular.Justresistthe
temptationtoimitatethesestylestooclosely.Findyourownniche.
Itendtoprefervarietyinmyvideosfromsimplevlogs(talkingtothecamera)
andrealfamilymomentstosketchcomedyandcandidcamerastylevideos.
Iveevendonesuspense/thrillerstyle,butusuallywithacomedicelement.When
FartinginPublicwasfeatured,Ipickedupthousandsofnewsubscribers,and
someofthosepeoplestuckaround,whileothersleftdisappointedthatallofmy
videoswerentinthesamecandidstyle.

B.Short,FastandBigFinish
Therearenohardrulesofonlinevideo,butpopularvideostendtobeshort,fast
pacedandofferabigfinish.Peoplegenerallywanttwoorthreeminutes,and

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90secondsismaybeideal.Thatsaid,thehistoricallymostpopularvideoeveron
YouTube,(EvolutionofDance)issixminuteslong.
Ittakesmemuchlongertoeditavideointo3090seconds,butitsalmostalways
betterthatway.Whenyoureediting,yousometimescantresistkeepingsomeof
yourfavoritemoments.ButwhenIreturntothevideoweekslater,Ibecome
infuriatedbymyundisciplinedediting.Trustme,theviewerswillnevermissthe
gagthattookavideofrom3to5minutes,andyoullfindyourviewsare
inverselyrelatedtothelengthofyourvideo.Ifyoumusttellthestoryinmore
than35minutes,considerbreakingitintoa3partseries.
Isometimesforgetaboutthepowerofthebigfinish,butitsthemagical
moment.Certainlyitsasimportantascaptivatingtheminthefirst20seconds.
Ifpeopleloseinterest,theywontforwardthevideoon.However,iftheresa
greatendingwellforgivesomeofthedipsinthemiddle.Wellalsorateithigher
andshareitwithothers.Surpriseusattheend,oratleastreturntoaprevious
gagsothestorydoesnttaperaway.GoogleButtCrackisanexample.Itryto
closemyvideoswithmyURL,thenreturntoonefinalgag.
TheresnothingIenjoymoreaboutvideoproductionthanfinalizingtheediting,
andaddingmusic.Italsohelpstohavesomeonewatchyourvideowithyou,and
notewhentheylookbored.Ivechoppedmyvideosdownbywatchingmywifes
blankstarewhenImakeherwatchthem.Youllgetaquicksenseofwhatyou
canlose.Sometimesthebestpartofthevideoiswhatyoudecidetoleaveout.

C.TopicalityDrivesViews
TopicalcelebrityhumorbroughtMichaelBuckley,hostofWhattheBuckShow
fromobscuritytotopYouTuberstatuswithinmonths.ComedianMarkDayis

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oneofafewcomedianswhohavetranslatedtheirtimelywitintovideospeople
watch.AndBenRelles,founderofBarelyPolitical,discoveredthemagicalmixof
timelypoliticalcontent,attractivewomen,andmusicvideos(Benremindedme
recentlythatmanyofthetopvideosaremusicals).HeproducedObamaGirl,
oneofthemostpopularvideosof2007.HealsoparodiedanSNLshort(Dickin
aBox)withBoxinaBox,whichhasbeenviewedmorethan5milliontimes.
Typicallyamajornewseventwillspawncountlessparodies,andtimingis
everything.ChrisCrockersLeaveBritneyAlonewaswelltimed,andspawned
abarrageofparodies.GoodluckfindingthatvideowithoutitsURL.

D.RespectBasicProductionGuidelines
Wanttoknowasecret?Manytopcreatorshavelousyequipment.Forinstance,
thisGooTubeConspiracytrailerwasshotonalowendcamerausingavery
antiquatedcomputerprocessor.Amediocrevideocanbecomemuchmore
appealingifthecreatorworrieslessaboutfancyequipment,andputstimeinto
thelighting,camerashots,editingandsound.
Manypeoplegravitatetoonlinevideobecausetheyretiredofoverproduced
televisionandfilm.Soyoureallowedtohaveawobblycameraandsomerough
editing.Buttherearesomebasictips,andcountlesswebsites,thatcanhelpyou
improveyourproduction(seeLose10Poundsin20Minutes).

Lightyoursubjectsoftlywithlightsontwosides(notceilinglightsthat
produceashadow).Naturallight(overcast)producesthebestquality.

Whenpossible,useanexternalmicrophoneandavoidpublicplaceswith
ambientsoundorhorribleacoustics.MostYouTubecreatorsusethemic
onthecamera,whichisusuallypoor.Andtheresnothingthatscreams
amateurlouderthantheechoofanemptyroom.

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Edittightsomostshotslastfewerthanfiveseconds.Thebestmovieshave
rapidfireediting,andshortformentertainmentneedsittoo.

E.PackageYourVideo
Yourvideoismorethanjustthevideo.Yourthumbnail,description,titleand
evenkeywordtagsarepartofthepackage.Iftheseelementsarentconsistent
withyourvideoidea,itwonthavethesameimpact.
Somecreatorsworkhardforapowerfulthumbnail,whichistheimagethat
representsthevideo.YouTubeinitiallydrawsthisimagefromtheexactcenter
frameofthevideo(soa2:00minutevideowillusetheimagethatsatexactly
1:00).Brotherhood2.0hasanicetoolforcalculatingthisimage,andtheothertwo
possiblethumbnailsbasedonthedurationofthevideo.Ideallyyourcenter
frameisstrongbecausechangingtooneoftheothertwoisbrutallyslowand
unpredictable.Ifyouuseastillimage,youllwanttohavesomemovement(a
pan)becauseastaticimagemaybeinterpretedasmanipulation.
Thispictureisvital,andIspendtimeineditingtoensurethatitsa
representativeimage.SomeYouTubershavebeenpenalizedbyusingaphotoof
anattractivewomaninthisthumbnail,whichcertainlyworksintheshortterm.
Butmanyofthecuriosityclickswillresultinfrustratedviewersthatwere
expectingsomethingelse,andgiveyouafalsesenseofthevideospopularity.
Titlesplayanothersignificantroleinthedecisionofasubscribertowatchyour
video.Forexample,thevideoIpostedrecentlyfeaturesSpencer,theboyfrom
mymostpopularvideo(FartinginPublic)beatinguphisfriendswitha4foot
inflatableball.Thetitle,SpencerHasBigBalls,shouldrousesomecuriosity.

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V.TipsforGettingYourVideosSeen
Ifyoureascanner,herecomestheimportantpart.Ilikelistsbecausethey
simplifythings,andleadtoaction.Soletmejumprightintosomeofthe
techniquesthathavehelpedmeonYouTube.Idalsoencourageyoutowatcha
fewofmyvideosandreadblogpostsIvedoneonthissubject:

YouTubeEtiquette:Thisismeanttobehumorous,butithassomeserious
tipsaboutposting,watching,interacting,collaborating,andmeetingother
YouTubers.

HowtoPromoteYourVideo:ThisisplayfullytitledHowtoCheaton
YouTube,butithassomedecentbasictipslikeengagingtitles,attractive
thumbnails,compellingcontent,shortvideosandabigfinish.More
importantly,ittouchesonthesubjectofqualitynotjustquantityof
subscribers.Ispeakaboutfrequencyofposting;myunofficialtaglineis
Naltspostsavideoeverytimeyoupoop.Ialsowarnaboutthe
ineffectivenessofsometechniques,liketagwhoringanddesperatewatch
merequests.Itoutlinesthepowerofmakingcollaborationvideosor
thosethatinviteresponses,suchascontests.

HowtoPromoteYourYouTubeVideos(thisisoneofmany
WillVideoForFoodblogpoststhatprovidessomeadditionalspecificson
promotingyourvideos).

A.CollaborateWithOtherYouTubers
TheresprobablynothingyoucandoonYouTubethathasmoreimpactthan
collaborating.Ispentninemonthsuploadingmyvideos,onlytofind2050

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peoplehadviewedeach.Quitebyaccident,Ibeganinteractingwithpeopleand
collaboratingwithotherYouTubecreators.Thatiswhenthingsbegantochange.
Collaborationsareafunexperience,andalsointroduceyoutotheaudienceof
thepersonwithwhomyoucollaborate.Forexample,whenpopularYouTuber,
Renetto,shavedmyhead,Igotsomeexposuretohisrabidfans.WhenIstalked
HappySlipsNYCapartment,shewaskindenoughtopostmyvideoonherblog,
andsuddenlysomeofhersubscriberssubscribedtome.Ifyoucollaboratewith
someonewhosecontentissimilartoyours,theaudienceismorelikelyto
subscribeand,moreimportantly,keepwatchingyourvideos.
Ijustlaunchedanewonlinevideoshow,titledBubblegumTreeShow,to
feature50ofthemostinterestingonlinevideocreatorsin2008.Peopleenjoy
seeingtheironlinevideoweblebritiesoutofcontext,andthisshowwillbefun
toproduce,butalsoanicewaytomeetcreatorsandfindnewaudiences.

B.PursueQualitySubscribers(NotQuantity)
ThistimelastyearIhadabout200hundredpeoplesubscribedtomyvideosand
nowIhavemorethan25,000.Ofcoursemanyofthesepeoplesubscribedand
dontchecktheirsubscriberpage,orperhapslostinterestinYouTube.But
amongthesesubscribersarepeoplewhosharemysenseofhumor.Onlyasmall
portionofpeoplewhofrequentYouTubeactuallysubscribetovideosandcheck
themroutinely.Thiscoreaudienceisvital,however,becausetheyaretheones
thatwillwatchyourvideos,giveyoufeedback,andrateyoufavorably.Imable
topostavideo,andhaveitappearinYouTubesmosthighlyratedvideosofthe
daybecauseIhaveagroupofsubscribersthatgenerallylikemystuff(dontask
why).Then,whenotherYouTubebrowserssearchforthehighestratedvideos
oftheday,theyrefindingmyvideosthankstomysubscribers.

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Thereareafewofuswhosevideosfrequentlymakethemostwatchedandmost
discussedpages,andmanyofusarentverytalented.Butoursubscriberslikeus,
andthatpropelsustohonors,whichgiveusaccesstoasecondaryaudience.
MyvideosalmostalwaysgethonorsbecauseIhaveaqualitybaseof
subscribers.ButifIsuddenlyinheritedallofthesubscribersofSmosh(which
featuresyoungsketchcomedians),Idprobablygetdestroyed.Someofthem
wouldlikeme,butmanyofthemwouldnotbeamusedbyanold,baldingguy
whodrinksoutofacoffeemugbearinghisYouTubename.Soitsquality,not
justquantity,youwant.

C.BePatient
CreatorswhopostedonYouTubeearlyon(in2005)haveapowerfuladvantage
overtherestofus.Theirearlyarrivalhelpedthemdeveloparegularfanbase
whenthepickingswereslim.RenettoandMrSafetyaregoodexamples.Theyre
almostastalentlessasme(Isayinjest),buttheyhaveestablishedanaudience
thatreallyenjoystheircontent.Itsveryhardforanewcomertorankinitially.
Pleaserememberitsamarathonnotarace,sosaveenergyandpaceyourself.

D.Interact
TheYouTubeaudienceiswatchinglesstelevisionandbecomingenthralledwith
onlinevideobecauseitsmostlyrealandamateur.Werealltiredofscripted
television,orworseyet,thefauxrealitytelevision.Wewanttoseerealpeople
whoareaccessibleandauthentic,andwithwhomwecanconnect.Thismeans
youshouldtrytoreadandreplytoasmanycommentsoneachvideoaspossible,
andnotjustyourown.Thisiseasyatfirst,butbecomesoverwhelmingastime
goeson.Still,myfavoritepartofYouTubeisthediscussionthattakesplaceon

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thevideowithinthefirst24hours.Ialmostnevercheckcommentsfromold
videos,butItendtojumponlinetomymostrecentvideoandreadandreplyto
interestingcomments.IfyoueverwanttocatchtheattentionofaYouTuber,try
commentingontheirmostrecentvideo.Themorepopulartheyarethelesslikely
theyreadYouTubemessagesoremail.

E.WatchOtherPeoplesVideos
Ireadoncethatanewbloggerspendstimeonhisownblog.Anoldblogger
spendstimeonotherpeoplesblogs.Thesameistrueforonlinevideo,andyet
Imprettybadatthis.Itendtosubscribetoanyone,andasaresultmy
subscriptionpageisbloatedwithgarbage.SoIdontvisititwithgreatfrequency,
andsometimesmissthatmyfavoritecreatorshavepostedanewvideo.
Nevertheless,doasIsaynotasIdo.Watchvideos.Loadsofthem.Thereare
severalreasonsforthis:

First,peopleliketoseeyournameonthecommentsectionoftheirvideo.
Itmakesthemfeelappreciated,especiallyifyouhavealotofsubscribers
andstilltakethetimetowatchtheirvideos.

Watchingvideosgivesyougreaterinsightintowhatworksanddoesnt,
andwillkeepyoutopicalonYouTubetrends.

Itshardtoconnectwithpeopleifyoudontwatchtheirvideos.Andits
awfullyembarrassingwhenyoumeetaprominentYouTuberandaska
questionthatrevealsyouhaventwatchedtheirvideos.

Takethisfromsomeonewhoknows.Imalmostafraidtotalktoprominent
YouTubersbecauseIllinvariablyaskaquestionthatrevealsIdontwatchtheir
videos.Icanalmostcountdowntowhentheyregoingtosay,youdontwatch

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myvideos,doyou?IhadonefamousYouTubergetsoannoyedhesatmedown
andshowedmesomeofhisvideos.TheygetlessangrywhenItellthemIve
watchedthemallbutcantrememberanythingformorethan5minutes.ThenI
callthemMrSafetyiftheyreaguy,andBrookersiftheyreagirl.Thatusually
calmsthemdown.
IvowedtomyselfwhenImeetpeopleIwouldneverassumetheyhavewatched
evenoneofmyvideos.JoinmeatthenextYouTubegathering,andyoucould
askmeifIhaveanychildren.Iwouldntholditagainstyou.

F.GoBeyondYouTube
RememberthatYouTubeisthemostpopularvideosite,butonlyoneplacewhere
YouTubevideosareseen.Whenyoupostyourvideoyoumaywanttomarketit
onnichesites,blogs,anddiscussiongroups.Itendtoavoidthisbecauseitstime
consumingandoftenaviolationofthecommunityaroundthatparticulartopic.
Forinstance,whenIdidavideoaboutmyobsessionwithNBCs
TheOffice,Iresistedthetemptationtosendthelinktothosebloggingaboutthe
show.Unlessyoudevotethetimetopersonalizingyournote(asampleformat
below)andfamiliarizingyourselfwiththeirblog,thenyoureprobablygoingto
looklikeaspammer.HeresanexampleofanemailImhappytoget:
DearKevin:IvebeenreadingWillVideoForFood.comforquitesometime,and
particularlyenjoyedyourrecentposton(inserttopic).Iworkforacompanythatdoes
(insertcompany),andIwouldimaginethiswouldbeofsomeinteresttoyourreaders.
Doyouagree?CouldIsendyouinformationforthepossibilityofbeingmentionedin
afuturepost?

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Nowcontrastthatwitharandomcomment(includingalink)onmyblogfroma
promoterorpublicrelationsflack.Orworse,aformletterfromacompanythats
simplyinterestedinpushingitsmessage.Thesefeellikejunkmailatbestyoull
getsomemoderateuptakeandatworstyoullgetsmarmycommentsfromtheir
readers.
Therearecountlesssocialmediavehiclesthatcanhelpyoupromoteyourvideos
(MySpace,Friendster,FaceBook,Digg,StumbleUpon).Ifindthese
overwhelmingandnotnearlyasproductiveasmyothertechniques,butother
YouTubersswearbythepowerofthese.Ahelpfulresourceonthissubjectis
CharlesTrippysViralVideoFever.
Marketingyourvideostoblogsandsocialmediasiteshashelpedmanypopular
creators.IfyouremakingavideothatspoofsHillaryClinton,looknofurther
thanbloggerswhohavetrashedher.SomechosetosendtheirvideoURL
anonymously,andothersareforthrightandpersonalizethemessage.

G.MergePublicRelationsandSocialMedia
Therearecurrentlycountlessinteractiveagenciesandpublicrelationsfirms,but
veryfewhavemergedthesecompetenciestopromoteeffectivelyviasocial
media.Thiswillbeanevolvingdiscipline,andafewcompaniesareemerging
withthisvaluableexpertise.Inthemeanwhile,someofthemostpopularcreators
arepartneringwithpublicrelationsexpertstopromotetheirvideocontent.One
ofmyfavoritesisPaulKontonisfromForYourImagination.Paulsonlinevideo
networkhasavarietyofshows,whichhelpshimamortizethecostofpromotion.
HestaughtmeabouthowtogetseenbeyondYouTube,andhasaknackfor
gettinghisvideosseenviablogsandothersocialmediavenues.

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VI.AvoidTheseTricks
Therearewaystoartificiallydrivetheviewsandratingsofyourvideos,and
tricksyoucanusetospamyourvideostoothers.Ultimatelythesewonthelp
muchbecauseyoulllosecredibilityandannoypeople.Itscheap,tackyandat
bestmaygiveyouashorttermboost,butitsjustnotworththeeffort.Hereare
someothermistakesIveseenpeoplemakeastheytrytopopularizetheirvideos.
Saveyourselfsometimeandhumiliationbyavoidingthese:

A.BlatantSelfPromotion
IoftengetaccusedofblatantselfpromotionbecauseYouTubebeganasa
communitysiteforopendialogue,andImamarketer.SoIcantresistalogo,a
tokenhat,andaNaltslogomugthatsneaksintoframewithallthesubtletyofa
migraine.Perhapssubconsciouslysomeofmyselfpromotionalbehavioris
drivenbyadesperateattempttogainpopularitytofortifymyselfworth.In
fairness,alotofwhatIdoismeantasselfdeprecatinghumor.Itsalsofunto
annoypeople.
Butselfpromotioncangoterriblywrong.IwishIcouldshowyousomeofthe
desperateemailsIgetaskingmetogratuitouslymentionsomeoneelsesothey
cangetfamous.Igetmanyrequeststobeincollaborationvideoswhenthe
creatorhasnoaudienceofhisown,oranyideaofwhattheyaretryingtodo
otherthantoborrowsomefame.Itsawkwardandembarrassing.Mostofthe
popularYouTubersareinsecurepeoplewithnoexperienceinfame,somanyof

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usareinconsistentaboutwhatcollaborationswejoin.Nonetheless,fame
desperationisageneralturnoff,andsomethingtoavoidatallcosts.

B.Spamming
Unlesstheresareasontosendsomeoneavideo,itsbesttoletthemfindsiton
theirown.Forinstance,Irarelysendsomeonealinktomyrecentvideounless
theyrementionedorinit.Itsgoodfortheegotowatchavideoinwhichyou
makeacameooryourereferenced.However,IstoppedreadingmyYouTube
mailbecause90%ofthemessageswere:

Whattypeofequipmentdoyouuse?(NevermindthatIexplainedthaton
myprofilepage).

Willyouwatchmyvideoandtellmewhatyouthink?(Nospecificreason
justadesiretobeseenbyapopularstranger?).

Youaresoincrediblysexy(okaythatsnotoneIvereceivedbefore,butI
wantedtomakesureyourestillawake).

Thereareotherformsofspammingvideosthroughsocialnetworksandfriends
lists,andcandidly,Idontevenunderstandmostofthese.LisaNova,oneofthe
mostpopularYouTubers,facedseverebacklashforspammingpeoplewithher
videos(seeexampleofparody).Shemadeapublicapologyonthesubject,as
wellasaparodythathasmorethan2millionviews.Thebottomlineisthatyour
videosshouldgoviralbasedonthecontentandsomepromotion,butnot
throughlazyandautomatedwaysthatwillannoypeople.
Stayawayfromanypromotionaltoolthatsdonebyabot(automatedtool).

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C.KeywordBloating
Manypeoplehaveanavebeliefthatiftheybloattheirkeywordswithterms
likefunny,humor,comedyandevenotherYouTubersnames,itwillpropelthe
videotothetopofarelatedsearch.Indeed,thismythisnotwithoutsomebasis
oftruth.Keywordsnotonlyhelppeoplefindthevideo,buttheycanpropelitto
thetopofGoogleandensureitappearsbesiderelatedcontentonYouTube.
WhenIwasfirstfeaturedonYouTubeInoticedthatpeoplewerepostingtheir
videosasreplies,andmimickingmyvideokeywords.Thisismisleadingand
annoying,andwilleventuallypenalizeavideosperformance.Remember
YouTubeisnowownedbythemasterofdefyingsearchenginemanipulation.A
betterapproachistouserelevantkeywordsinhopesthatyourvideoappears
besiderelatedvideos.Itsnotabadideatomisspelleither.Forexample,sellersof
Heelysshoesarespendingmassiveadvertisingbudgetstohavetheirsitesappear
onthecommonmisspelling,Healies.Meanwhile,myvideo(calledPoor
MansHealies)isoneofthetopresultsbecauseIcantspell.

D.AbusingVideoResponses
YouTubeallowsyoutoreplytoanothervideo,andunfortunatelythisisa
functionalitythatsoftenabused.Manypeopletacktheirvideosontopopular
videos,knowingthatboredpeoplewillclickthemoutofcuriosity.Somevideo
creatorspolicethisbynotallowingpeopletopostreplieswithouttheirapproval
(theydothisbyselectingaYouTubeoptionthatmoderatesvideosinsteadof
permittingthemautomatically).Idonthavetimetogroomthevideoreplies,soI
sometimesletanythinggetposted.HoweverIbecomeveryannoyedbypeople
postingvideosthathavenorelationshiptomine,andwilloccasionallyblock

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them,thuspreventingthemfrominteractingwithme.Ontheotherhand,a
relevantvideoresponsethatriffsofftheoriginalvideoinafunorsurprisingway
canwinyoulotsofaffectionfromtheoriginalcreatorssubscriptionbase.

E.AskSomeonetoHelpGetYouFeatured
YouTubeeditorshaveoneofthemostpowerfuljobsinmodernmedia,andthey
canliterallyturnobscuretalentintoovernightfamebysimplyfeaturingavideo.
Naturally,whenyouvebeenaroundYouTubeforawhile,youoccasionally
interactwiththeseeditors.Irarelysendthemavideotofeature.Dontask
someonetodothisforyouevenifyouknowthemfairlywell.Selectivelysend
someoneavideolinkandletthemtodecidetoforwarditontheirown.
IvebeenfeaturedtwiceonYouTubeshomepage.OnceaYouTubecommunity
manager(BigJoeSmith)broughtmetothehomepagewithViralVideoGenius,
butthevideowasonlymoderatelywellreceived.Thesecondtimewasmy
breakoutvideo,anditwascalledFartinginPublic.Therearethreecritical
thingstorememberaboutthehomepagefeature:
1. Dontbankonit.Youroddsareverylow,andifyouconsistentlyproduce
appealingcontentitmayhappenwithoutyoutrying.
2. Thehomepageofanysiteattractshaters,soyoullbelambastedwith
negativecommentsifyoulandonthehomepage.Newlyfeaturedcreators
areusuallyshockedbythis,butitssadlyinevitable.
3. Noteveryvideofeaturedresultsinpeoplesubscribingtothatcreator.
Manyviewerswillvisittheprofilepageofthefeaturedcreator,butthen
decidetheresnotenoughtheretosubscribe.Lookattheprofilepageof
popularcreatorsandimitatesomeofthethingstheydo.

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VII.YouTubeandProfit
AsImentioned,Iamworkingonabookdevotedspecificallytothetopicof
marketingviavideoandmonetizingcreation,anditstentativelytitledThe
ProphetofOnlineVideo(downloadafree2pagesynopsisofthebookhere).Its
worthnotingthatmyblog,WillVideoForFood,isdesignedforcreators,
marketersandagencies.HeresarecentarticleIwroteforAdvertisingAge(a
leadingtradepublicationformarketersandagencies).Sinceitsarchivednowonthe
site,youcanseethefullarticlehere:TenThingsaMarketerShouldKnow
AboutOnlineVideo.
Coincidentally,myAdvertisingAgearticlerandaysafteracontroversial
TechCruncharticlethatrevealedsecretstrategiesbehindclandestinemarketing
approaches.Ihaverunclandestinemarketingcampaignsmeanttoensurethat
promotionalvideosbecometrulyviral,saidTechCrunchcontributorDan
AckermanGreenberg.WewerecharacterizedbyonebloggerasGlendatheGood
WitchandTheWickedWitchoftheWest.Iwasflatteredinaway,butwould
secretlypreferanarmyofflyingmonkeystoawhitedressandabubble.
Again,Istartedinonlinevideowiththehopeofentertainingpeopleand
supplementingmyincome,andinitiallyImadeafewthousanddollarsthrough
sites(likeRevverandMetacafe,whichshareadvertisingrevenue).Ifoundthisto
beveryslowandconservativemoney.YouTubeoffersaPartnersProgram,and
unfortunatelyImnotallowedtodisclosemyearningsbutrestassuredIwont
soonberetiringtoliveonadvertisingrevenuegeneratedbymyvideos.If
makingmoneyisyourgoal,therearefar,farmoreproductiveusesofyourtime.

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Forexample,findatopicyoulikethathasahighGooglecostperclick
(litigation,mortgage,diet,digitalcameras),andstartablogabout,thensprinkle
GoogleAdsenseadsallabout.Butdontpostvideosexpectingquickmoney.IfI
dividedtherevenueIvemadefromonlinevideobythetimeIveinvested,my
paybackwouldbelessthanminimumwage.
Asmarketersplungedeeperintoonlinevideo,itspossiblethatadvertising
premiums(whicharesharedwithsomecreators)willbecomesignificant.Inthe
meantime,Ivefoundcustomsponsoredvideostobefarmoreprofitablefor
myselfandmysponsors.Imcarefulnottomaketheseoverpromotional,andI
turndownmoreclientsthanIaccept.Butitsfuntomakeavideoforalarge
brand,andhelpthemengagewiththeonlinecommunitywithfarmore
relevancethananonlineadvertisement.
Iespeciallylikebeingabletomergemydayjob(marketing)withmynightjob
(onlinevideo),andIcurrentlymakebetween$3,000and$10,000forthese.
Beforeyougettooexcited,recognizethatmymarketingexperienceandfixed
audienceispartofwhatIoffer,andthegoingrateforasimplesponsoredvideo
appearstobearound$2,000.Ifyouhaveadayjobandkeepyourcostsdown,
thisispossible.Butasmallproductionhousewillchargemore,andIveseen
agencieschargehundredsofthousandsofdollarsforafewviralvideosthatare
generallyoverproducedandunderpromoted.
IfyouareseekingYouTubepopularitytomarketyourselforyourownproducts,
Idrecommendputtingthatgoalasideuntilyoudevelopafollowing.The
communitywillwelcomeyoumoreiftheydontseeyouasawalking
advertisement.Therearesubtlewaystoprofitfromyourtalentswithoutlooking
likeacommercialwhore(thatsmyjob,okay?),whetheryoureamusician,
painterorvoiceoverprofessional.Forinstance,Ivedoneseveralcollaborations

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withBrettSlater(slatersgarage.com),andheuseshisincreasingonline
popularitytopromotehisserviceswithoutappearingoverlyselfpromoting.
AnothergoodexampleisValsArtDiary,whereyoucanwatchtheartistpaint
eachweekandbidonherartviaasilentauction.
Ifyoureanartist,youmightfindsomeoneyoulikeonYouTubeandofferthem
afreesong,logo,painting,etc.Theylltypicallymentionyouinavideo,andthat
canhelpyouexpandyouraudience.

VIII.BigFinish
Ifyoubeganthisbooktopropelyourselftofame,Ihopeyouverealizedthat
thereareeffectivestrategiesandsomehiddenpitfalls.Moreimportantly,Ihope
yourealizethatthereistremendousgratificationthatcomesalongtheway.
Ihopeyoullfocusonthefunjourneyandnotjustonthedestinationoffame.
Youllbecriticizedlikeneverbefore,butyoullalsogetwonderfulfeedbackand
meetfantasticpeople.Andoccasionallyyoufindoutyouvemadesomeoneelses
lifebetter,oratleastabitmoreinteresting.
Thereareotherimportantvideosites,butIvefocusedmostlyonYouTube
becauseitsthelowhangingfruit,andcurrentlywherethevastmajorityof
videosareseen.IfyoucancracktheYouTubecode,youcanalwaysexploreother
sites.Theaudiencesamongthesevariousonlinevideositesoverlaplessthan
youdthink.IuseTubeMogultouploadmyvideostoadozensites,butfewget
anywhereneartheviewsIgetonYouTube.

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Idreallyappreciateyourfeedbackaboutthisbook,asyourereadingafirst
draft.Diditmeetyourexpectations?Wereyouhopingforthemagicbulletand
feelletdown?Letmeknow.
Pleasesendmeanemailatkevinnalts@gmail.comwiththesubjectheading
BookFeedbacksoIcanrevisethis.Thanksforreading,andasthepublic
relationsfolksatYouTubesay,KeepTubing.

IX.AdditionalResources

InsideOnlineVideobyMikeAbundo:Oftenthefirsttoreportonnew
trendsandsitefeatures.

OnlineVideoWatch(agreatsource).

ReelPopbySteveBryant,acolumnistandeditorlivinginNewYork,NY.

CinematechbyScottKirsner,whowroteTheFutureofOnlineVideo.
CinemaTechfocusesonhownewtechnologiesarechangingcinema.

UsertainmentBlog,writtenbyaveterantechnologybusinessjournalist.

NewTeeVeeanEntertainmentTonightofonlinevideo.

TheDailyReelhashadgoodcoverageonthespace(notlately).

FredGraverBlog,writtenbytheguythatoncehelpedABC/Disneyto
exploreTelefusion.

Mashable,asiteforsocialnetworkingnews.

WebVideoDoctor,fortipsandtrickstohelpmakebetterwebvideos.

ViralBlog,collaborativeteamofbloggershaunttheglobeforgreatvirals.
KevinNalts(WillVideoForFood,LLC),January2008.

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SystemVideoBlogbyKenMcCarthy

StreamingMediaBlogisabittechieforme,buthassomeniceinfo.

Xlntadsisawebsitethatconnectsmarketers,advertisersandamateurs,
andhasanicerelativelynewblogwrittenbyMarkSchoneveld.

WebVideoZoneisaterrificresource(includesmembersonlycontent).

Lessofablog,butthisOnlineVideoIndustryIndexhasanicelinks.

NewsVideographerforjournalistslookingtoleverageonlinevideo.

ReelSEOhowtooptimizeyourvideosforSEO.

GadgetNews:Lotsoftopics,includingonlinevideo.

Ronamok,byRontheNewMediaEvangelist

HotAir,byanewmediaconservativenamedMichelleMalkin.

WebVideoReport:Thebizzznessofonlinevideo

PoliticsYouTubeInReview:Icontributeoccasionallytothisone.

MathewWingram:Theintersectionbetweenwebandmedia.

PandemicLabs:Viralvideoandsocialmedia.

CamcorderInfo:Morethanyoudexpectfromacamcordersite.

ViralVideoWannabe:FallofAutumnDistroisoneofYouTubesmore
cleverselfmarketers,andalsohelpedmecleanthisbookup.

WebJungle:Advertising,digitalmarketing&webculture.

ViralVideoFever:TheCharlesTrippyDVDcollectionthatwillgiveyoua
comprehensivevideotutorialofthisspace(andIminit,okay?)

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MyShamelessPlugs

WillVideoForFood.com:Myblog.GoRSSitimmediately.

NaltsonYouTube:Myvideos.Gosubscribe.

KevinNalts.com:Mylameattemptatapersonalsite.

HireNalts:Informationaboutmyservicesforbrands.

TheBubbleGumTreeShow:Anewchannelfeaturingviralvideo
weblebrities.Only10subscribersasofthiswriting.ThankstoGageforthe
design,Seanforthethemesong,andTrevorfortheanimation!

Contactme:kevinnalts@gmail.com(butImnotgreatatcheckingitso
pleasebepersistent).

HowcouldInotendwiththecoollogothatGage(cosmicflight)mademe!

KevinNalts(WillVideoForFood,LLC),January2008.

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