That, to me, is one very good reason why employing a number of amateur video producers with sizable audiences may be strategically sound. Quality over quantity. A smaller but more targeted audience may produce more conversions to sale than a widespread campaign over a more general audience where, maybe only a small percentage actually takes notice.

Advertisers should be taking notice of who is popular in online video as it relates to their market and maybe partnering with those people to access their audience. Not waiting for amateur, wanna be marketers to approach them with a concept.

Hence my statement that the future for amateur video creators is creating original content for micro audiences (and by micro I’m talking in terms of thousands of viewers at minimum, with ten thousand plus possibly being very attractive to ad agencies).

With a Popular amateur producer and a sizable micro audience along with the right collection of highly relevant advertisers, that has to be a good marriage.

Nalts isn’t the only one doing skits and selling stuff… But he is likely one of a very short list of creators who is, in fact, getting paid for it… But not for long.

Chris: “We don’t trust amateur content and neither do our clients. No disrespect to any content producers reading this, but the quality of the majority of amateur productions sucks – in both concept and execution. Can we do better? Of course, we make TV glossy spots.”

Does glossy = effective? As an advertising guy who only fairly recently picked up a camera and started adding pictures to my work, one of my toughest challenges is deciding whether to a) produce an ad that works, or b) produce an ad the client likes. Rarely are they ever the same thing. I think that if the message is salient, the video will move the product… Quality of production can, I think, take a backseat to quality of message. But while it can take a backseat, it shouldn’t get out of the car altogether… which brings me to my next point:

Anyone who makes money doing this at any level is a professional by definition. Whether you receive a case of free Mentos for your work, or you win $30K on XLNTADS, congrats. You’ve just done something marketable, and you now turn in your amateur standing. Now, you can a) get better, and get paid more often, or b) keep it as a hobby, and let your videos work like scratch tickets: “Maybe once in awhile I’ll win one.”

To answer Chris’ concerns about cost vs. reach: While amateur videos may “look” amateurish, those producers are telling a much more intense story to a very small niche of viewers. Brands will get a higher return if I use a less professional looking video to enthusiastically tell my 20 closest friends to buy, than if your big budget production is broadcast on a medium they’re not even watching.

Successful online marketing, at its core, is all about rewarding your current customers/advocates for telling an enthusiastic story to people who are enthusiastically listening. Just how big a reward depends on how good we tell the story.

Hey, Kevin, jischinger has just handed you your next video idea! Make one about how you are THE ONLY Youtube doing skits and selling stuff on the UTube! THAT should get you lots of response! And maybe even industry queries. I’d like to see what all climbs out of the woodwork to refute that ascertion. It’d be fun to see what all is being sold under the radar on YT.

There’s a lot that sucks on TV and on Youtube and there are some things on TV and Youtube that don’t, but in terms of commercialization and selling a products good equipment makes a difference.

Is there anyone else from youtube doing skits and selling stuff besides Nalts? I don’t know if Trippy counts yet.

No, but what you guys, and I mean the industry in general not you personally, need to do is grab those people, like Nalts and like Geico did with Artie and make them look better. Soften those hard edges and use professional equiptment. What you are seeing on youtube with all the wanna bees are their screen tests. Find the product that fits thier personality and audience and then if they deliver for you, give them their 15 minutes and pay them well

There are so many studies going on now in regards to the familiar, I don’t know how the industry could miss this one…