THE HISTORY OF YOUTUBE
Technology affords us new and interesting
abilities every day. YouTube.com is just one example of how
technology is helping us in our endeavors.
By now you probably have a high-level of
interest in finding out more about YouTube. Before we talk more about getting
in on YouTube and making it work for you, let’s review YouTube’s brief history,
as it is.
YouTube
was “born” from the creative minds of former PayPal employees. YouTube first
became active on February 15, 2005. As you can see, despite its enormous success
the site is still in its infancy.
The start-up found funding in the form of
venture capital from Sequoia Capital, raising $3.5 million dollars for the
site. The venture capital firm later invested another $8million dollars into
the company, helping spur its popularity during the last year and a half. This
just shows you how attractive YouTube’s business model was and how many people
instantly recognized the promise this site had to offer.
Today many refer to YouTube.com as the, “fastest
growing website on the web,”
“YouTube is one of the fastest growing Web 2.0
sites to make history today.”
OVER 100 MILLION
visitors watch clips each day. By some reports, over 60,000 people upload
videos within a single day. YouTube did face many copyright infringement
lawsuits, one reason it agreed to the huge settlement deal with Google.
WHO USES YOUTUBE?
Everyone. Even your local politician. Yes, it’s
true, political candymovieng-dates and fans alike now use YouTube as an informal
medium for advertising. Barack Obama is one of a few candidates that have a
large fan base on YouTube.
Many political commentators are joining in, realizing
millions may hear their voice and message, and even internationally candy-dates
are using YouTube as a platform to market their campaign and platforms.
YouTube restricts individuals from sending
material with known copyrights. Therefore, NBC was among the first to ask
YouTube to remove clips of material including material from the 2006 Olympics,
obviously uploaded to the site. YouTube imposed several extra cautionary
measures, including limiting video clips to a brief 10-minute tape. This lessened
much of NBCs concerns, but added to YouTube’s popularity.
Think
about it… word of mouth is one of the best ways to promote anything.
Interestingly enough, NBC eventually retracted its criticisms and instead
decided to collaborate with the company.
Many others are likely to follow suit. YouTube
you see, is an exceptional outlet for promoting just about anyone. A short
10-minute clip is more likely to garner increasing interest than it is to
damage a corporation’s ability to sell its products and services.
Many major media moguls now provide content
willingly to YouTube. Among them include CBS, Sony BMG and even Warner
productions.
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• • •
MOVING Forward
Now that you understand more about where YouTube
originated and how people are using it, it’s time to learn how you can use
YouTube for your personal or business needs.
In the next section, we will provide details
about setting up your own account and video clips on YouTube. We arranged this
section much like a Q&Q session so you can find the information you need as
simply as possible.
HERE WE GO!
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USING YOUTUBE
This section will provide you with quick start
information about using YouTube to your advantage. From
registration to uploading videos and more, you will find all the answers
to your most pressing questions right here in this simple and
easy-to-use section.
REGISTRATION
You are
welcome to view video clips freely at YouTube.com. But, if you want to become
an active member of the community, you will first have to join. You can do this
easily. If you use the Web even mini-mally, registering with YouTube.com will
prove a snap.
First, you will have to log onto the main
YouTube.com sign up page.
VISIT: http://www.youtube.com/signup
REGISTRATION IS SIMPLE, just enter your user name, set up a password,
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provide your e-mail address, and provide some personal details needed by
the site. These include your phone number, the country you live in, your
gender, date of birth and a confirmation number provided by YouTube.
Worried about your privacy? Don’t. YouTube.com
provides an extensive privacy policy you can access by the bottom navigation
bar, or just visit:
http://www.youtube.com/t/privacy
YOUTUBE VALUES
THEIR CUSTOMERS’ privacy. While they may not share your personal information
intrinsically, you should know that any content you upload to the site will be
available to the public at large. YouTube may use information such as your name
and e-mail address if you choose to engage in activities offered by the site
(like uploading your video clips).
YouTube
often sends cookies out to users computers, so visitors returning to the site
can log in easier. You can always delete cookies on your computer, this has
never been an issue for most people.
The company will not send you marketing material
or other advertisements without your consent, though they might send your
e-mail address for administrative purposes, but does not share your personal
information with “third-party” companies. This means usually most of your
information is protected.
REMEMBER, here are the benefits of registering:
You get
to watch millions of videos presented by people throughout the world.
You can
set up your section so you can share home videos with family members and
friends that may live faraway. You can connect with people around the world
that share common interests, likes and dislikes. You can have fun.
You can
upload and promote your videos to a global audience, a huge benefit for any
entrepreneur, marketer or small business owner.
CONFIRMATION
Note, when you register YouTube will send you a
confirmation note to confirm your e-mail address is legitimate and that you own
it. Do not forget to confirm your email address or you will not be able to use
the full functionality of the site.
GETTING Your Video Featured
Now that you are registered, its time to start
making movies. One of the first questions people have is about getting their
videos featured. Everyone wants their turn in the spotlight. The real key to
getting your videos featured is nothing more than creativity and good luck.
Visitors
on YouTube ranks the videos they like. So, like any review system, if people
like what it is you have to show, they will rate your videos better, and your
videos are more likely to be featured. YouTube.com provides a featured section
for popular videos.
USING TestTube
Some people are generous enough to want to offer
feedback and improve any site they use, including YouTube. If this sounds like
you, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/testtube
HERE OFFICIALS
of the site try their newest features and ask users to provide them with
feedback so they can make their products and
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services more appealing.
You will get the opportunity to “test-drive” new features or programs before
YouTube launches them.
MAKE YOUR VIDEO “WATCH WORTHY”
Apart from making a great video, there are many
ways you can express yourself and get noticed on YouTube. Unfortunately,
YouTube doesn’t let registered members upload personal avatars of themselves,
small pictures of their liking.
You can
however, create a brand simply by using your video cam. You can provide an
intro clip, a short bio of yourself if you like. Otherwise, use your full
creativity to help brand your name, your products or your services. You can
even brand your message if you place enough time and energy in creating your
videos!
MAKING Your First Video
Since
YouTube is a relatively new concept, there are still many people that are not
certain “how” to go about making a great video. First, you will need the proper
supplies. You can make a video using something as simple as a digital camera,
your cell phone (provided it is one that takes video pictures) or a traditional
camcorder.
What you
do is simply record a short, 10-minute clip of your video. Then, download the
video to your computer just as you would any digital pictures you would take.
YouTube then allows you to upload your videos. If you want to shine, you can
edit your videos before uploading them. There are many software programs
readily available that allow you to edit videos relatively easy, even if you
are a beginner. Some examples include Windows Moviemaker.
Software applications are a big hit, in part
because you can add subtitles to your video, you can incorporate special
effects, and you can zoom in and out and take advantage of many other features.
Since optimizing your video is essential if you want to attract atten-tion on
YouTube, let’s find out how to do that.
The next
section will help you learn how to create and maximize your videos’ potential
so they captivate your audience.
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