Yap yap yap...so now YouTube should be secondary?
Is this as silly as saying Google didn't know about OneScreen, and if they did know and wanted to buy OneScreen, Brodeur would say "no thanks"?
Qayed Shareef
Experienced Digital Advertising Executive
Going Beyond YouTube
August 19, 2014
During my many years working with video content, I’ve seen many producers publish exclusively to YouTube. Many are drawn to the sheer power the platform has for capturing audiences. Others simply don’t know that viable alternatives exist. Despite all of YouTube’s perks, the platform remains just one publisher in a vast ecosystem of publishers. A strategy beyond YouTube is necessary for producers that want to maintain and grow their audience. Why would they want this? The main reason is the increased ad revenue opportunities. My previous blog covered why a comprehensive syndication strategy is needed to accommodate the ever-changing content consumption behaviors of audiences. In this blog, I’ll address why YouTube should be part -- and not all -- of your syndication strategy.
No one can deny the array of benefits YouTube offers. The largest draw is the platform is free to get started, provides a large built-in viewership, implements SEO features, offers social sharing capabilities and enables bulk uploading and embedding, among others. However, when producers are ready to grow and start taking monetization seriously, they’ll quickly realize the constraints and limitations of YouTube. Jason Calacanis, a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur, told Business Insider: “YouTube is an awesome place to build a brand, but it is a horrible place to build a business.” For those looking to build a business, here are some additional reasons to syndicate beyond YouTube.
Distribution - If a partner publisher wants to embed your content on their site, they are embedding a YouTube player. This leaves content creators with zero control over the economics of distribution. Furthermore, it’s YouTube syndicating to the publisher, not you. When you have full control over embedding your content on publisher sites, you build new relationships and control ad monetization.
Monetization - Even if you run a successful channel on YouTube, you need to meet the minimum price set by YouTube to sell against your inventory. Not only that, but even the most accomplished YouTube channel owners are subject to YouTube taking a 45% cut of the ad revenue.
Missed Opportunities - Let’s say Android wants to bring your content into its app store, or advertisers want to sponsor your content on your website? It would be much harder to earn money from these types of partnerships because your video technology is essentially built around YouTube.
Full Ownership - YouTube has the power to shut down user accounts at any time, for any reason.
Customer Service - Because YouTube is a free service, user questions, comments, and requests are most likely going to sit in a forum or be subject to templated, less-personalized responses.
It’s easy to understand why so many producers have chosen to build their video business around YouTube. But why rely on one road to bring audiences to your content, especially when that road is hidden amongst so many others competing for the same view? Yes, you should have a YouTube channel to tap into YouTube’s audience, but it shouldn’t be used to serve all of your video publishing and syndication needs. Instead, partner with someone who gives you control over your content, puts you in the driver’s seat of your advertising initiatives and makes it easy for you to discover new partners.
AI
