If you don't already think The Media Is You, this will change your mind. YouTube recently announced YouTube Direct, a service that allows news organizations to customize YouTube's uploader to receive video from people who want to share items of interest with the news organization's audience. The potential of this new format is massive, both for small business owners and for news organizations. Here's a video overview of the new service.
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Look for traditional news organizations that are starved for human resources and weary of having to “compete” with you and me for the attention of their readers, to implement this new technology quickly. The power of this new platform to marry the interests of small business owners and traditional media outlets is very promising.
As a small business owner, you will be able to target traditional media outlets that have audiences that you want to reach using video in a whole new way. For example, if your business participates in a fundariser in your hometown to collect money and personal care product donations to send to troops overseas, you might videotape the event and your participation in it. If your local newspaper participates in YouTube Direct, you'll be able to upload your video to their page so their editorial staff can consider including your story on their website. If your local television station participates, you might even end up on the evening news!
The potential for collaboration between traditional media outlets who are cutting back on staff, and small business owners, is immense. Now, you and your video will have a direct line into the editorial offices at the news outlets of your choosing, so long as they are using YouTube Direct, and they'd have to be crazy not to! In fact, several media outlets are already using YouTube Direct, including ABC's Good Morning America (“what are you thankful for?” videos), The Washington Post (traffic videos) and ABC's Boston television affiliate (requesting feedback on New England Patriots coaches decision).
Who knows? This new initiative and others like it (surely soon to come) may actually help save traditional media outlets! Let's hope it plays a positive role in this regard.
I'm keeping a close eye on the development of this new platform and how it can best be used by small and independent business owners like you, and will share the details at The Media Is You in 2010, starting with Atlanta on January 21! Get more information about YouTube Direct at this link.
Question: Can you think of a better illustration of the fact that The Media Is You??!
