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Newsflash: YouTube to Share Advertising Revenue

According to the Associated Press via USAToday: YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley announced today that YouTube will start sharing revenue with its millions of users. “We are getting an audience large enough where we have an opportunity to support creativity, to foster creativity through sharing revenue with our users,” Hurley said at the World Economic Forum….

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Benefit of User-Testing Viral Videos

I hope this video demonstrates the power of user-testing viral videos to ensure they’re funny before launch. It’s the difference between being a viral-video creator and a viral videologist. Our method was simple. The moderator had individual subjects review the videos, and we observe their responses behind a two-way glass. Laughter was recorded, and viewers…

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Embarassing Myself at the Mall

I pride myself on my modesty. That’s why I don’t mind telling you that my “Mall Pranks” is the #4 top rated comedy video of the day on YouTube (based on individual rankings). In this little video shot last night at the mall, I embarass myself by pretending to have really personal calls while talking…

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Viral Videologist

Are those two beautiful words. Just soak in them. Viral Videologist. Bruce Haring of DIY Convention asked if I’d speak about YouTube success stories on Sunday, February 11 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Mark your calendars, folks. Free beer with admission. Anyway it turns out I was scheduled to be presenting 6 miles from there that same…

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Video on the Net Conference: March in San Jose

The Video on the Net conference is taking place March 19-22 in San Jose, California. Decent group of presenters. Looks like fun. Who wants to blog live from the event? Here’s the schedule. I’m including it because it has speakers names with hyperlinks to them. Reader convenience or SEO manipulation? You decide. 8:00am 5:00pm Registration…

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A Marketer’s Worst Viral-Video Nightmare. Poor Dove.

Let’s say you’re the interactive marketer for Dove. You finally sold your management on the concept of inviting people to make ads for a contest viral video! They said they were afraid of what people may enter. But you said, “don’t worry… if it’s not appropriate we won’t feature it.” And then this video ends…

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What Does YouTube’s Ad Team Mean to Google Ad Reps and Digital Agencies?

The Wall Street Journal’s Emily Steel wrote a piece last week about YouTube’s efforts to commercialize itself. Steel titled it “walking the tight rope.” The article includes a Q&A with Suzie Reider, YouTube’s first chief marketing officer. Reider is rapidly expanding her advertising sales and marketing teams, as evidenced by YouTube’s own “we’re hiring” ads…

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The User-Generated Fad is Over

Okay, I’m being deliberately melodramatic in the headline, but it got your attention didn’t it? Here’s the latest news on mainstream celebrities charging into online video. While this will never stop user-generated content and amateur video creators, it will definitely steal a piece of the viewing pie. On the upside, it will also help mainstream…