Elements Design

“Communities already exist. Instead, think about how you can help that community do what it wants to do.”
~Mark Zuckerberg

{VIA}

Just yesterday, I saw the statistic on Twitter {via @QuantusCre8ive} that “In 2000, the entire Internet used the same amount of bandwidth that YouTube currently uses alone.”

That statistic is truly staggering for a little video sharing website started in 2005 above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in San Mateo, California (YouTube is now owned by Google.) Fun fact? The first ever YouTube video is titled “Me at the zoo“, uploaded by founder Jawed Karim. It’s 19 seconds long and shows Karim in front of the elephant exhibit. And, oh, by the way, it’s been viewed 5,029,325 times as of this writing.

Since that first video, YouTube has become the go-to source for online video. Self-made “Youtubers” have built careers out of uploading videos, establishing hundreds of thousands of followers — and yes, are making money — through YouTube’s Partner Program. After meeting a few basic qualifications, including posting 100% user-generated content (meaning no copyright infringed materials) users generate revenue by allowing ads to be displayed alongside their videos through a basic profit-sharing model.

One such success story is a personal favorite of mine, ShayCarl. In short, ShayCarl (nee Shay Butler) was a regular guy searching for his passion when he stumbled upon YouTube late one night. He decided to start his own channel with a goal of uploading a YouTube video every day of his 29th year. Using his three cute, clever and very entertaining children and wife as his subject, Shay made good on his goal, becoming a YouTube partner in 2008. He’s now one of the most successful Youtubers with over 855,000 subscribers and over 331,000,000 combined upload views. More importantly, Shay has done what all businesses and individuals are aiming to do, which is to find a loyal niche audience online. Shay didn’t do this through promoting himself or a product — rather, he stayed true to himself with a consistent brand and built lasting relationships with his viewers incrementally over time. For more on Shay’s story, check out Forbes Magazine’s BoomTuber series, a 6-part weekly series about some of the most successful video entrepreneurs on YouTube. Definitely worth a read.

Whether your business’s social media strategy includes a goal to become highly watched on YouTube or not, it doesn’t matter. The lesson here is that flash-in-the-pan viral success may be great in the short run, but it’s more important to find out where your audience is and speak to them in a way that’s organic and authentic to develop a trusting, lasting relationship. The fans will follow.