Google Plus: Now You Can Ignore Friends While Zoning on a Video
You can now use Google plus to watch a YouTube video live with friends who are remote. Thanks to SFGate and Business Insider for pointing out this new feature.
Now you and up to 9 viewers can watch a YouTube video spontaneously, and see each other via webcam. Hopefully Google Plus will boost that number, and allow for many more to join even if via text only. It’s kinda like Stickam or Blog.tv but there’s no need for anyone to be interesting. You just need to find a video that’s not boring. Good luck.
Here’s how:
Go to Google Plus (you need an account, and here’s my Nalts profile).
Click the “Share” button on any YouTube video (how about Airport Crawling?).
On the right, click link that says “Start a Google Hangout.”
When window launches, use commands to talk (push the green button) or just watch.
I’m not sure how to invite friends, but maybe they find you from your circle jerks.
Use Google Plus' "Hang Out" tool to watch YouTube videos with friends (if you have any)
So the NextUp YouTube winners are in NYC right now… receiving loads of love from Google/YouTube. It made me happy seeing the next generation of amateurs… and to see that Google/YouTube still encourages them even while commercial content is on the rise on the world’s second-largest search engine.
I was invited to speak to the 25 of ’em, and here’s my presentation. If you were one of the wanna-bees, don’t fret. I asked if they’d be picking a new crop 3 times until I got the answer I wanted to hear… yes.
After I cranked this presentation out, I realized I’d been billed as the marketer. So this deck actually represented only half my time. During the rest I decided to play the role of an amalgamated product director, and I replaced my “Nalts” hat with a blazer. I asked them to pick a product (they said Coke), then I proceeded to explain my goals, hidden agendas, beliefs about YouTube and my understanding about product placement and sponsorship. I couldn’t help but point out that Coke gives out free products on the streets of NYC but no swag to people that have hundreds of thousand views daily. Hmmmm.
I told them I wanted to sell more Coke so I could become Chief Marketing Officer, and that I was mostly concerned with reach, frequency and single-minded proposition. I wanted to leverage emerging media, but I deferred YouTube spending to my media agency. And I wouldn’t know how to begin to tap YouTube creators… frankly I’d be scared they’d harm my brand (as a product director, of course, I wouldn’t realize I could review/approve any sponsored videos).
Lots more detail in my free eBook or Beyond Viral, which you really should just go ahead and buy. And dont find any thpelling erars.
Without bookmarks, RSS or e-mails, there are a few sites I remember and visit randomly. It’s usually because I’m bored or curious (but don’t know what I’m curious about). For instance, TechCrunch, Cheapskate, TheOnion, Google News, Yahoo Buzz. What are yours?
On TechCrunch I found an article about Blekko, a search engine that avoids spam by only indexing sites identified by people (like 2100 university sites). You use slashes to refine your search, so I tried Nalts and /date. That awakened me to a SocialTimes piece Megan O’Neill (Tel Aviv) curated a bunch of people and websites worth following on Twitter if you’re an online-video enthusiast. It’s quite handy, but I’m biased because I made the cut. 🙂
The Twitter accounts include ReelSEO’s Mark Robertson, GigaOM’s Ryan Lawler, Shape Shifting Zadi Diaz, as well as a bunch of people I consider “Friends” by a broad definition (meaning I have met them in person, I like them, and we share interests). Author Steve Garfield, Revisiond3’s Jim Louderback, Michael Buckley (WhatTheBuck), iJustine, Charles Trippy, Kassemg (the guy I know least among these). By a pure definition they’re not exactly friends, though. But isn’t the term “friend” changing because of Facebook’s use of the term?
Hey on that note, what’s a close friend? I’d consider a “close friend” someone you’ve known for a year or more, you’ve exchange meaningful information, and you know well and vice versa (meaning you each know your family/friends/significant others). For me, a friend isn’t competitive, they listen, and they share values. They can differ in many ways, but enjoy each other’s conversation and company. Most importantly, they forgive lapses in communication (something important to me because I’m spread thin and often vanish). I can think of dozens of people who are too frustrated by my intermittent communication to consider me a friend, and others who I can call after a long lapse and it’s like no time has passed.
Photo by Jim Davidson (Bucknick)
Anyway, Megan also assembled a nice collection of online-video stats and news websites (these are her words below). I’d suggest adding a few sites sites like ViralBlog, ReelSEO, Urgo6667‘s stat site called Social Blade, and Renetto’sMyU2b).
Unleash Video– Unleash Video is a video entertainment sharing website. On their Twitter account they tweet about videos and news from their website, but they also tweet about general news in the online video space and they always have something interesting to share.
Web Series Today – If you enjoy web series then Web Series Today is definitely a must-follow. Web Series Today tweets about the web’s top video series and is the best source for unfiltered web series information online.
Viral Video Chart– If you love being the first of your friends to know about the latest viral video hits then Viral Video Chart is the Tweeter to follow. Viral Video Chart tweets about all the latest and most popular viral videos on the web.
Web Video News – Finally, Web Video News is a great source for online and web video news, research and trends, compiling news from a variety of different sources across the web.
My list of linked sites is somewhat arbitrary and antiquated, but I hope to revise it. Please let me know what else you read for news about online video, and I’ll try to refresh the list with these and others!
Trying to become more popular on Facebook, or promote your Facebook channel, brand or page?
This short “how-to” instructional video contains everything you need to know about having a robust, quality base of friends on Facebook and other forms of social media. It was created by the accomplished author of “The Stupidest Article on Social Media Ever” so you know it’s advice worth following.
The trick here is to be totally transparent about your intent (to make loads of friends), yet not appear desperate. Appearing desperate in social media, my friends, is a turn-off. Hold your head up high, and people will be attracted to your charisma, leadership and wisdom.
The trick to being happy is to feel good. So watch this albiet archain video showing a real-life Thumper and Bambi. This deer and rabbit get along wonderfully. Now relax and feel wonderful about your week. Yey! Thanks, Jan. We don’t know how you find these, but love that you keep sending ’em.
Speaking of animals, I spent about 3 hours this morning editing a future video that’s a battle of the cutest Halloween contests… it’s BabysitterofNalts’ Rusty (a pug) versus Triscuit (a cute cat with sharp teeth). Various cute costumes, lovely music and voiceovers by Nalts and Wifeofnalts. Certainly has viral potential. Of course I won’t be including the shot in which Rusty took a bite out of Triscuit’s tail, and Triscuit clenched her teeth on babysitterofnalts’ finger, which is now in some strange cast. Sorry Jen.
Animals are so gosh darned cute, though. Even cuter than the pale, hopeless, corporate faces I encountered in my walk into the office today.
