Significant Changes in Video Marketing Aren’t the End of the World

If you look back at the world of video marketing over the past year, you can see that a lot has changed. But change doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world as we knew it.

Consider this: The sun rose and set on Dec. 21, 2012, but the world went on as if nothing had happened. Or, as CBS News put it, “Mayan calendar ends; world doesn’t.”

All we’ve done is begin the first of 20 katun cycles in the 14^th baktun of the Maya Long Count Calendar, which lasts 144,000 days, or about 394 solar years.

Now, I’m not the first one to connect video marketing with the Maya (or Mayan) Long Count Calendar. On Dec. 16, a group of internet marketers made the most fun sacrifice ever, 2,012 JELL-O Pudding Cups, in an attempt to finally appease the gods.

Of course, the folks at JELL-O think we should thank the Funpocalypse for successfully saving the world.

Whatever you believe, what do we do now?

Well, I plan to take a look back at what has changed in the world of video marketing over the past year in order to spot significant trends that can help me prepare for the coming year. And I don’t need a calendar chiseled in stone to help me remember the world as I knew it 12 (or 13.8) months ago.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), the second edition of my book, YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day, was published on Nov. 1, 2011. This means any video content producer can figure out how much of what I wrote back then is now out-of-date and calculate the percentage of what has changed.

Let’s start with the title. If I were to start writing a new version today, the book’s working title would be: YouTube Marketing: Eight Days a Week.

Why use YouTube Marketing instead of Video Marketing? That’s a no-brainer.

According to Google Trends, web search interest in the term, YouTube Marketing, passed web search interest in the term, Video Marketing, in the fall of 2010. And the search volume for YouTube Marketing is forecast to exceed Video Marketing for the next 12 months.

Why Eight Days a Week instead of An Hour a Day? That’s also a no-brainer.

The notion that a reader could spend “an hour a day” learning “the ins and outs of YouTube and how to develop, deploy, and measure a video marketing strategy” may have been naïve went I started writing the first edition of my book in the fall of 2008. Today, it’s downright deceptive.

Gone are the days when YouTube was exclusively a place for one hit, viral videos. In order to compete (or collaborate) with more than a million partners from 27 countries around the world, you’ve got to work hard eight days a week in order to build a successful channel on YouTube.

Does this mean the whole book is out-of-date? Actually, I’d only make small edits to three of the 11 chapter titles:

1. A short history of YouTube: Yes, the short history of YouTube is now slightly longer. But the video-sharing site was founded in February 2005, so its history is still relatively short.
2. Map out your video YouTube marketing strategy: When mapping out your marketing strategy, you should still target “opinion leaders.” Recent video ad research calls them “Generation V.”
3. Make videos worth watching: This was important before YouTube’s new focus on watch-time and audience engagement. Since March 2012, it’s become crucial to captivate your audience.
4. Create content worth sharing: This was important before Unruly had identified the formulas for success in social video. Now, “social video success is predictable, measurable and repeatable.”
5. Customize your YouTube channel: This was important before the “channel-ization” of YouTube. Now, your channel strategy (and the ability to drive subscriptions) is critical to your success.
6. Explore YouTube alternatives advertising: In the past several years, many YouTube alternatives have imploded. Meanwhile, YouTube advertising options and TrueView formats have exploded.
7. Optimize video for YouTube: This was important when 48 hours of video was being uploaded to YouTube every minute. Now, with 72 hours uploaded to the site every minute, it’s imperative.
8. Engage the YouTube community: This was important before YouTube provided Associated Website annotations. Now, partners who are in good standing can convert viewers into buyers.
9. Trust but verify YouTube Insight Analytics: YouTube replaced Insight with YouTube Analytics on Nov. 30, 2011. That made this chapter out-of-date less than a month after it was published.
10. Study YouTube success stories: In addition to reading classic case studies from the early years of YouTube, you can learn new lessons from RevZilla, Berkleemusic, and ING DIRECT Canada.
11. A quick look at the future: In addition to the YouTube Blog, YouTube Trends, and ReelSEO, you’ll also want to visit the YouTube Creator Blog and Meme Machine to see around corners.

So, a lot has changed over the past year – about 27.3 percent by my calculations. But that’s not the end of the world as we knew it.

We’ve just entered yet another new cycle. That’s why I plan to eat a cup of JELL-O pudding and get ready for 2013. What do you plan to do?