YouTube quietly turned 7 years old on May 20th. The social video sharing site was started by three former PayPal employees who simply wanted an easier way to share video clips with each other. Less than two years later, the company was acquired by Google for $1.65 billion. Today, it flaunts the fact that 72 hours of video are uploaded every minute.
This is truly a platform that is “for the people, by the people.” All kinds of videos can be seen on YouTube – both professional and homemade – including music videos, life events, political debates and even country revolutions. YouTube’s birthday video seen here shows the true impact of the service all over the world.
YouTube is also a powerful marketing tool for companies small and large. Media corporations offer television shows and copyrighted material, of course, and companies of all sizes use the platform to host commercials, infomercials, product demos, testimonials and the like. It’s a cost-efficient vehicle to connect and engage with your audience visually. YouTube also offers metrics, which can help with strategy and tracking. For more information on using YouTube Insight, read this post by The Social Media Examiner on “8 Ways to Track YouTube Video Performance.”
Just a few days before the website’s anniversary, it announced that the MerchStore, which had previously been available only to musicians, is now available to all YouTube partners. They’ve even teamed up with CafePress to help with all your merch needs, from t-shirts to just about anything you can stick a logo on.
Whether you use YouTube for business or pleasure, one thing is for sure – it has impacted our lives in the modern world in immeasurable ways. What ways have you used YouTube to market or promote your business? Tell us your story in the comments section.
