“Further positioning itself as a TV alternative, YouTube has launched a new user interface option named ‘Leanback,’ with which users can more easily browse content at a distance.” MediaPost, Thursday July 8, 2010
Awesome idea and functionality that will help lead YouTube to the forefront of next generation online video viewing. YouTube is so often overlooked as an incredibly viral social media tool and platform. Everywhere I go the speakers in the social media space are talking about Facebook and Twitter and forgetting the highly engaged value of YouTube.
If you are planning a social media strategy, and want visibility and consumer engagement, make sure to include YouTube… especially as Google adds functionality to the platform.
In a matter of days, a sixth grader from Oklahoma, twelve-year-old Greyson Chance, has become a YouTube sensation, garnering over 15 million views, an appearance on the Ellen show, and a recording contract. In the process, this kid from Oklahoma has given a few lessons for students of social media:
1. Find and learn from a model of success. Greyson chose for his inspiration Lady Gaga. Not a bad choice considering the fact that she is the first entertainer to achieve one billion views on YouTube.
2. Find your voice and sing. Greyson Chance has never had a voice lesson, yet he has a voice that has propelled him to stardom. What made all the difference in the world was his decision to sing.
3. Share your passion. Ah…just watch the video that follows.
4. Be authentic. Be yourself. Chance chose to sing an extremely popular song from an extremely popular singer. Yet, he made the song his own. His version of “Paparazzi” is not an imitation of the original: it is an original, new version of the original.
5. Don’t give in to skeptics: convert them. As Greyson began his performance at his sixth-grade talent show, the expressions of his classmates seemed to convey disinterest at best: his performance visibly transformed skeptics into fans.
6. Content is still king. All the search engine optimization in the world still has a tough time trumping raw talent. Content, really good content, whether it’s a song or story, is still the best way to be found.
7. With compelling content, video is a viral rocket. YouTube is celebrating its fifth-year anniversary with two billion daily views. Twelve-year old Greyson Chance is one if its users who decided to upload a video from his sixth-grade talent show. 15-million views later, the video shows no signs of slowing down in its viral trajectory.
8. Give your friends more than one forum to connect. Greyson first uploaded the video of his performance to his Facebook page, then to YouTube. He has since added a Twitter account.
Greyson Chance’s 6th Grade Talent Show Performance