Cheating YouTube. And Proud.
We’ve seen lots of YouTube cheaters, but I believe this is the first company that has boldly announced it will cheat YouTube. Driven by disappointing view counts on YouTube and a shameless desire to self promotion, EndlessEurope’s Matt Dickinson writes the following on a comment (edited slightly below for clarity) here on WillVideoforFood.com:
My company has decided to officially try to game the YouTube system(sic on the split infinitive). After months of our independently-professional videos — that I like to think are better than the average YouTube video — www.endlesseurope.comis going nowhere on YouTube. We’re fed up and have decided that the only way to get some attention on there is to submit to the game. We have started running scripts, and we’re going to follow the strategies that Little Locaand other’s suggest work, to see if in fact we can grow to the featured level… YouTube model has been set up from day one to encourage gaming. Those outside the YouTube world that criticize those that game miss the point that everyone does it, and it’s the only way to get to the level where people legitimately come accross your videos, watch them, and pass them on. If you want to criticize the cheaters, criticize the model…or as my urban counterparts would claim, ‘don’t hate the player, hate the game.’…
Yesterday Matt asked me his thoughts on this move and my advice was… worst case scenario his YouTube user account gets blown up… best case scenario he gets some publicity and prominence on YouTube. Probably worth the risk.
That said, I’ve decided not to “game” YouTube because it would make me feel like I’m wearing my brother’s letter jacket. I want my views to be a reflection of the video’s quality and my ability to promote it, rather than manipulation. (Naturally I don’t regard it as cheating when I watch my own clips over and over and over and over).
For updates on Endless Europe’s progress visit this forum. Warning– EndlessEurope has auto-load video with obscenity. Matt- you’re going to want to fix that.
Re the auto-play – thanks for the feedback – We’re on it.
Look forward to everyone’s thoughts on our YouTube strategy.
insert cricket sound
Really interesting.. good luck 2 u. I’m a director and have had no luck by putting my work on youtube.. If it’s a quality product, do whatever it takes to be seen… otherwise it’ll all be a waste of time.
Good luck
YouTube’s front page picks are the result of human editors making the call… not numbers. You can game the numbers and get attention thru people noticing and “most viewed” look-ups, but that front page requires someone at YouTube liking your stuff and putting it up.
Still, I dig your approach, definitly an interesting experiment. Make sure you document the results fully.
“Sometimes what’s right isn’t as important as what’s profitable.”
– Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Hi, I really apreciated this website! Thanks
Ha ha auto plays and refrshers don’t work anymore, this is so old hat.