What do marketers know about Web video? The industry is currently measured and ranked by its platforms and networks. Youube is viewed as the top media property. And companies like comScore and Nielsen
are trying to measure the total viewing audiences across all platforms and devices. All of this information is helpful for agencies and advertisers trying to understand how to engage with Web video.
But there is more to understand about this medium.
Unlike previous media revolutions, Web video is not controlled by a few providers and distributors. It's not run by the studios, the
networks, or platforms, but by the creators themselves. And unlike other forms of media in which the few control the many, these creators will only continue to grow in stature. When it comes to
Web video, marketers today need to admit that content creators represent the most powerful media entity. Here's why.
Original Web video creators own their own audience.
They can speak to them directly, anytime they want. Whether through a new video, comments, voting, posts, or tweets, nothing is holding these creators back. Their success depends on the quality of
their content, and whether or not the audience likes it. If the content is loved, the audience grows. And if that content is frequent, the audience grows even faster.
What's more, every
platform, including YouTube and blip.tv, provides its creators with metrics and tools to understand its audience. So not only can creators speak
directly to their audience, but they also have data for invaluable insights. When I see renowned creators like Phil
DeFranco or Shay Carl meet fans in person, the fans, who understand who these creators are, immediately
bond with them.
This happens partly because engagement is organic to Web video creators. Having grown up on lean-back entertainment that did not allow for interaction and participation, the
new creators are all about getting their audience engaged with their content. Plus, in the Web video ecosystem, feedback is instantaneous and direct. The more that creators engage with their audience,
the more the audience responds -- which leads to an upward spiral in audience development. Ultimately, no layers of producers, distributors and executives can get in the way of that audience
interaction.
Here's another reason that content creators are so powerful. The freedom of producing your own series means that you can release whatever you like, of
whatever length, whenever you want. There's no episode season limits, or run of show requirements. If you want to produce a three-minute video or a five-minute-and-13 second video, you
can. It depends only on your content, and whatever length suits it the best.
To date, the common wisdom has been that shorter content is better. But even that no longer holds true.
Audiences today are consuming longer and longer videos. In many cases,
longer is exactly what they're looking for. And as we are starting to see with the top independent creators, now any kind of content has a chance to succeed. New formats are being created
every day, from the unscripted to scripted, funny or dramatic; it's all starting to work. The promise of Web video is starting to be realized: the democratization of media!
And
ultimately, as the Web video ecosystem evolves further, content creators will gain even more control. Once agencies and advertisers can discover, compare and buy Web video easily and at scale, the
power truly shifts to the original Web video creators. For those about to create, we salute you.