I’ve decided to write a book on viral video — aimed primarily at marketers and advertisers since amateur videographers and film makers don’t have enough money to buy books. Naturally I haven’t written a book before, but I sometimes read them. So I figure I’m pretty qualified.
The working title is: “The Profit (Prophet) of Viral Video,” and it comes with access to an extranet that hosts updates and links to case-study videos.
To you, dear readers, I pose the following question:
- Can I write a book despite having a full-time job that occupies no less than 12 hours a day? And without compromising my wife and kids? I’m willing to sleep less.
- Any better ideas on the title? It’s a double entendre.
- How do I find a publisher? Of the 1,000 of you that read this I have to believe someone knows a friggin’ publisher that focuses in mainstream marketing books. I don’t feel like self publishing. How about forwarding this post to your buddy at a publishing company and help him discover his next New York Times best seller?
- I want to follow the lead of Hemingway (pictured here), but I will be using shorter sentences and not killing myself when I’m done.
Here’s the synopsis of “The Profit (Prophet) of Viral Video”:
The online video market is exploding, with incredible surges of consumer-generated online video, and dramatic jumps in the videos viewed on such sites as YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video, AOL Video, Revver and Metacafe. Online video has surpassed cable television as a medium and will soon merge with traditional television viewing in ways we can hardly anticipate.
It’s the end of the 60-second spot. Marketers can no longer rely on creative advertisements that are thrust on consumers “interruption style.” Advertisements have to do more than hold attention, they must create a viral effect in which the video is so good the viewer will share it with friends. As we consumers take control our viewing habits through online video and time-shifted viewing (TiVo), the only videos we’ll elect to watch (when we have an option) are those that inform and entertain us.
(Here’s the part where I toot my own horn): Viral video creator Kevin Nalty has shared more than 200 short videos online that have been viewed my millions online and featured on prominent sites like Yahoo and Google. His videos have appeared on ABC Nightline, Good Morning America, CBS News, CNN and BBC. Nalty shares his learning from creating videos and maintaining the most popular blog on the subject of online video profiting. His background in television and marketing – including participation in some of the most viral video campaigns – gives him unique insight into what works and doesn’t in the new age of short-form, demand driven video. He also makes a side income by producing videos for Revver and Metacafe, which share their advertising revenue with creators.
- In “The Profit (Prophet) of Viral Videos,” Nalty provides the tips you’ll need to:
- Understand the impact of online video to advertisers, marketers and brands
- Create appealing viral videos that get forwarded and shared
- Market your promotional and entertainment videos through prominent online video channels
- Develop ways to measure the views and impact of your videos
- Profit from vehicles that that share advertising revenue with video creators (like Revver and Metacafe)
- Build your own video site without any technical expertise
- Stay on top of the rapidly changing online-video landscape
Target Audiences:
- Advertisers looking for ways to create viral videos for their clients
- Marketers wanting to understand how to play in the new world where the consumer can be your best marketing channel
- Amateur video creators looking to make a side income doing what they love
- Filmmakers who are not sure how to approach the online space
P.S. Don’t steal the idea please. I’m trusting you. I’ve already got about 10 chapters outlined with sub bullets, but I thought I’d better not give the whole thing away or you won’t buy the book.
P.P.S. Post comments or contact me via the e-mails listed in the “about me” section of this blog.