Free Video Sites Are Made For Marketing

The content on the free video sites (á la YouTube) can today roughly be divided into two different groups:

1. Content where the content is the message. This is primarily marketing content and user created content.
2. Content that’s produced primarily for another platform, normally TV, recorded and uploaded by users. This content carries no specific message with it. It’s purpose on the original platform is to engage and gather viewers in order to show advertising and get paid for it.

The free video sites today are perfectly made for the first group. They can spread their message easy, fast and for free! If they can make it a bit viral, the content can even spread it self.

Professional content creators on the other hand can’t benefit this system while their main purpose is not to expose their own content but the advertisers. Therefor they have few incentives to upload and spread their content. Of course, they do attract attention to their original platform and thus get the function of marketing. But why should this great sites only be used for marketing other real platforms?

I think it’s time for professional content creators/owners to apply the same ad system that’s used on other media also on the free video sites as YouTube. While their viewers watch their content, ads should be shown to them financing the production costs. I think it’s strange that we’re not seeing anyone doing this yet on a large scale, but I’m sure we’ll do that pretty soon. The free video sites are made for marketing, not for advertising in this way, but that isn’t a problem with in-video ads (overlays, pre- and post rolls). So, don’t wait for the sites to change, sell your own ad spots. It’s possible today!

(Some vlogs and podcasts (Chris Pirillo, CalanisCast) have done this already and I really find it non-obtrusive. And of course, its all about how you present the ads, but that’s a discussion for another blog post. )