Why You Should or Shouldn’t Be a Rat Jumping From YouTube’s Ship
I’ve gone dark here for a record 2 months… contrast that with my manic periods which included 3 blogs per day. Of course I have two excuses: a) nothing struck me as interesting enough, b) I couldn’t remember how to login to WordPress.
Today I was struck by a piece Jim Louderback (Revision3/Discovery) wrote for AllThingsDigital. It had the saucy title. “Why Are YouTube Users Abandoning Ship.” I read it with great interest because Louderback tends to have his fingers on the pulse of emerging media, and he’s good at seeing patterns and distilling things. But the article struck me as contradictory. Talking from two sides of the mouth.
Indeed the article sends two messages- creators are flocking off YouTube for some good reasons. But that’s not necessarily wise. So here’s my attempt to consolidate both of his arguments. They don’t necessarily mix like peanut butter and chocolate, but there’s a slight ying/yang thing happening.
Why YouTubers Have Been Fleeing:
- Many have been spooked by YouTube’s new channel initiative, perceiving it as favoring more polished, old-media stars — at the expense of its burgeoning channels and communities [this blogger has indeed shared that view]
- Louderback quote: “the site’s direction was misguided.”
- Many YouTube native creators have been questioning whether or not the site offers the best long-term place for their talents.
- In part this is because YouTube keeps a big chunk of the revenue it earns via these creators’ channels.
- As mobile viewing increases, the percentage of streams that can be monetized has been dropping (YouTube doesn’t support many ad units via mobile).
- Look to tablets, smartphones and smart TVs. Ride the growth of new platforms, rather than fighting over the scraps of the old.
But…
- It’s extremely difficult to move a community from one site to another [this blogger couldn’t agree more]
- YouTube is working non-stop to monetize these emerging platforms, and to return that money to creators.
- It’s building a wide range of super-cool new features that will make the platform an even better place to build your communities, your business and your brand.
- All you guys looking to jump ship: Go right ahead! You’ll be spending a lot of time treading water as you grasp first for one and then another shiny bauble to keep you afloat. The more people get distracted and head for the exits, the more audience and attention get left for those who stick around and invest for growth.
In conclusion, Jim says everyone is jumping. But he’s going to stick around. Except when he’s looking for emerging platforms and better monetization. But YouTube will long have leadership in video streams, and they’re trying. But don’t fight for scraps of the old.
P.S. Did you see how I both complemented and dissed Louderback’s article in the same blog post? That was intended irony.
@jimlouderback says YouTube is dying. And thriving. And dying. http://t.co/sHbyBGiU
Why You Should or Shouldn’t Be a Rat Jumping From YouTube’s Ship http://t.co/CAtZ1AYM
Why You Should or Shouldn’t Be a Rat Jumping From YouTube’s Ship http://t.co/gBM3wl7y
You did the same thing that Jim did to YouTube in his Article. but crazy that a YouTube Exec Chastize him for his speech at Vidcon. Grow Up YouTube!
The most interesting part of this article has nothing to do with the topic.
My frustration with YouTube stems from their increasingly draconian processes related to content ownership. Just about everything I upload lately is getting held up by the ContentID system or YouTube’s request that I prove my ownership. I’ve been dinged for stuff we’ve produced ourselves and even footage from my own backyard!
The worst part is that their “under review” process takes so long that I am losing potential revenue while they decide if the video is worthy enough for inclusion in their revenue program.
They need a better process for dealing with smaller creators. Yes there are a lot of us but we need a little TLC because at this point we’re at a disadvantage when it comes to revenue sharing.
You said it… the block ads, ask questions later, wait, wait, wait game is getting VERY OLD indeed!
Interesting response to @jlouderb’s post: RT @nalts Why You Should or Shouldn’t Be a Rat Jumping From YouTube’s Ship http://t.co/yOa75ypK
Nalts is back – hooray!
YouTube just implement pre rolls in mobile videos, which is nice.
But they’ve changed up the algorithm again, and my views are tanking 🙁
Mobile ads are coming. True View started 8 days ago. Also, I know stuff I can’t talk about 😉
I obviously did a really bad job trying to put forth my thesis and argument. Let me see if I can summarize my thinking here:
1) Many YouTubers are trying to emulate Smosh by building their own web destinations
2) It’s really hard to do that, and websites themselves are very old media
3) The real “new frontier” is on mobile and tablets and OTT – but it’s hard to develop for those, and difficult to pick winners.
4) Many of the reasons for wanting to move away from YouTube are being addressed by the folks in San Bruno, and it remains the biggest and best place to build a video business.
5) Abandon Youtube all you want. I’ll be happy to have your audience.
Is that any clearer, or is it just as muddled?
jim
PS, you should write more.
>I obviously did a really bad job trying to put forth my thesis and argument. Let me see if I can summarize my thinking here:
– let me. you work for youtube or are a bit dim.
>1) Many YouTubers are trying to emulate Smosh by building their own web destinations
– no. many youtubers are former youtubers because youtube are a*holes and it’s not a good look to have your vids peppered with racist rants and hate trolling from threatening psychos.
>2) It’s really hard to do that, and websites themselves are very old media
then get off youtube. it’s a website. in the meantime we’re managing. vimeo, dailymotion and a long list of others. they’re not hard to find.
>3) The real “new frontier” is on mobile and tablets and OTT – but it’s hard to develop for those, and difficult to pick winners.
the ‘new frontier’ (btw it’s SINGLE quotes unless quoting speech) is anywhere we decide to land from week to week. your thinking is sadly generalistic.
>4) Many of the reasons for wanting to move away from YouTube are being addressed by the folks in San Bruno,
suuuure they are. no.. just no.
> and it remains the biggest and best place to build a video business.
– did you get a bonus for that one?
prove your case. all you’re doing is making a baseless statement. you are saying “people are jumping ship” yet claiming it’s the best place to set up. obviously not if the users are bailing in large numbers. same thing happened to myspace when it tried to be a second best facebook instead of sticking to its original idiom.
myspace won’t last much longer. it’s a ghost town.
>5) Abandon Youtube all you want. I’ll be happy to have your audience.
not for long. they’re leaving too (is this concept too hard for you?)
>Is that any clearer, or is it just as muddled?
no. just more rabbiting from you to squeeze more cash for comment out of google.
>jim
you’re life, but not as we know it.
>PS, you should write more.
why? nothing seems to penetrate. maybe you should read more.
http://youtu.be/Pmg3VrY7u4w
“It’s extremely difficult to move a community from one site to another [this blogger couldn’t agree more]”
– two words: myspace … facebook. (perhaps not so hard after all)
“YouTube is working non-stop to monetize these emerging platforms, and to return that money to creators.”
– how lovely. how’s that going to help when it’s not the reason people are leaving? the viewers and non-money viewers are leaving due to google’s dishonesty, lies, hypocrisy, support for neo nazis and sleazy spying behaviour both on individuals (perving on young girls sunbathing, stalking young girls via email, stalking boys via email etc etc .. all documented) also spying on all of us and being caught doing it many times (the latest being safari for which they got a huge fine and still denied any wrongdoing). they are a haven for neo-nazis and contradict their own community guidelines. i say the sooner they’re gone the better. you don’t get that crap on vimeo.
“It’s building a wide range of super-cool new features that will make the platform an even better place to build your communities, your business and your brand.”
– pretty pointless when people are disgusted with the place and leave thanks to hideous troll comments on nearly every video and a JOKE of a banning system. how more out of touch can you get? are you stevie wonder? you’d have to be not to see it.
“All you guys looking to jump ship: Go right ahead! ”
– already did 2 years ago. don’t remember requiring your permission. btw: get ghostery and watch how google follows you all over the internet. why? why is your personal information so important to them they have to hide from you the fact they’re gathering it?
“You’ll be spending a lot of time treading water as you grasp first for one and then another shiny bauble to keep you afloat.”
– google paying you well to say this? they might be big right now but so was microsoft for a long time .. and nokia. now look at them. floundering.
“The more people get distracted and head for the exits, the more audience and attention get left for those who stick around and invest for growth.”
– cancer is also a growth. most of us don’t want it.
there’s an old saying : “time heals all wounds .. it also wounds all heels” this is what is happening because google doesn’t listen and they are also evil. people get fed up with bad service and when an aliternative comes up they move on.
summary: cry me a river! google is bad and should feel bad. serves them right. and you’re either a fool or you work for them. not unusual for their employees to have their heads in the sand (when they’re not busy perving on kids)
I’ve been on the Tubes … gosh, 4 years this April, and I’m still kicking around, even if my views/comments/subscribers have tanked … but that could be because I’ve been doing nothing (more or less) but review/compare James Bond novels and films since mid-June. And post those videos on Fridays, no less. And some have been my longer videos in a while. Ugh.