• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, May 22, 2012

Got a betting pool at your office on the next YouTube star?

Okay, me neither. But if you want to start one, here’s a cool tip that may help you win. YouTube is tracking its rising talent over on its blog. If you’re keen on sponsoring videos on cooking skills or blues guitar lessons, check out the creators that YouTube is nominating for its On The Rise channel, where it regularly features talent whose viewcounts are ticking up. This is a good resource for sniffing around and getting a jump on the next YouTube celebrity or trend.

In other YouTube tid-bitty-ness, YouTube partner Mondo Media, best known for its mega animated hit “Happy Tree Friends,” has said it expects YouTube CPMs to rise for content in the YouTube original channels program. That’s good news for programmers, but actually for marketers too. Why is paying more good? Because the price tag is a signifier in the ad community that a show is worth spending money on. You know the saying: you get what you pay for.

Finally, would you look for an investment banker on YouTube? Some people might, but some others may prefer more gated communities for finding certain types of professionals. Enter Vid4Pro, started by corporate marketing expert Linda Orton. Vid4Pro is an online video platform for B2B professionals who want a “safer” place for corporate videos for law firms, accountants, human resource consultants and so on. Orton tells me that 52% of B2B marketers are now using video, so she’s aiming to provide guidance for them on making, hosting and tagging those videos to improve results.

Does the industry need another video site? Probably not, but Orton raises some interesting questions about whether the great big melting pot of YouTube might hold back professional services firms from corporate videos.