The Future Buzz

Most savvy web users are well aware of the fact that all of their actions, words and opinions online are being tracked by:

• Google
• Marketers
• Celebrities, bloggers and regular people alike via Google Alerts
• Site administrators
• PR/marketing people
• ISP’s
• (Probably) the NSA

Yup, you’re being tracked. No, your Facebook and MySpace conversations (and pictures) aren’t secret. Neither are your Gmail conversations (although Google claims they don’t read them, their robots skim them to present you with ads).

Public relations people monitor not only online newspapers, but the blogosphere and social media. If I type in, say, the word “Wendy’s” into this thread, this thread will show up in the media monitoring reports of Wendy’s. Starbucks too – hey can you guys send me a coupon for a free latte for the mention? Thanks!

Bloggers are also scanning the web for mentions. A few people I am sure have that alert setup are guys like Michael Arrington, Chris Brogan and Matt Dickman. It’s fun to have one for your own name setup, not only to see not only what others are saying about you, but also to track what everyone else with your same name is up to (you can set that up here if you’re unfamiliar with alerts).

None of this should come as a surprise, everyone knows the Internet with its open architecture should cause you to submit things with care.

Of course, different sites all use varying degrees of seriousness, tone, etc. Being on Digg is like having a casual conversation at a bar or at a coffee shop, for instance, versus contributing content on Wikipedia which is a bit more scholarly, vs. a conversation on TopRankBlog which is a bit more corporate.

Anyway, on to the point: you can use all of this monitoring to your advantage.

Bloggers:
Mention a corporate entity in a flattering way – let them know you enjoy a certain product and you’d like to see something else done that you’d like even more. You’d be surprised how far a well written post can spread within an organization. You may even gain a few new fans who have not yet had an introduction to the blogosphere. Another tip: if you’re going to criticize, use constructive criticism and you’ll be taken more seriously than if you use negativity.

Marketers:
Keeping your finger on the pulse of what the web is saying is vital to understand your deepest fans and early adopters of new products. It’s also important so you can latch on to buzz about a client or product and help fan that buzz even further. Here’s 10 more reasons you should monitor social media.

Artists:
Keep track of what your fans are saying and use the information to help you build even more fans. My post on social media and artists are a natural fit elaborates on this further. Also, it’s nice to have those mentions if you’re ever trying to get signed by a record label.

Get creative and think of unique ways you can use the fact that people are monitoring to your advantage. They will want to engage you and the results here can absolutely lead to win-win situations.

The transparent, open environment of the Web where everyone has a voice is pushing forward a great conversation unlike anything humanity has ever seen. It’s an exciting time to be alive, and we’re at the forefront of a communications revolution. The fact that everyone is so interested in reading the conversation and taking part is a positive.

Some of us have been in deep conversations like this for years, but it is really cool to see it hitting a point where the mainstream is really taking notice and there is lots of interest in seeing the content.

The title got yours, didn’t it? Did you expect to find a silver bullet here? Sorry to disappoint you, but hopefully it made a point.

An attention-grabbing headline is everything. Whether it is something completely original and novel, ultra-specific and geared towards a niche, or just incredibly compelling, good headlines on the Web always win.

If you’re a blogger, even if you have 10,000 subscribers, your content may be in a sea of 100’s of headlines inside someone’s RSS reader. Building up quality content and your reputation is a sure way to ensure that most of those readers click through to all (or most) of your articles.

But what if you don’t have that kind of base? Certainly, adding useful, compelling content frequently will slowly build it, but using great headlines (and yes, even once in awhile ‘click me’ headlines like what I used in this thread) are a great way to bring attention to what you’re doing.

Throwing some ‘must click’ type stuff out there is a fun way to draw attention once in awhile – just don’t overuse it, and be sure that your content is good and will ultimately lead to your desired conversion and not a just a click onto the next thing.

A safe bet is that everyone reading this is in some way, shape or form a worker in our world’s diverse information economy. Whether you’re a writer, a marketer, a blogger, a social media consultant, an SEO guy or anything in between, there is no doubt that you:

• Consume several hundred (or thousand) articles, headlines, stories, documents and video clips daily
• Spend 8+ hours at a desk / sitting each day
• Type several thousand (or even 10,000+) words daily
• Subscribe to hundreds of RSS feeds
• Need to develop a constant flow of creative ideas to achieve success
• Read roughly one book a week independently of electronic text (I am a rabid non-fiction reader – philosophy, psychology and sociology are infinitely compelling).
• Don’t always eat correctly
• Don’t always get proper exercise
• Don’t have time (or even care for) TV
• Are learning constantly
• Are sometimes (or frequently) sleep-deprived
• Love what you do

Does this sound like you? I’m the first to admit I probably consume far more information than the average person daily and spend more hours in front of a computer than 99% of you reading this (there is that 1% that is even more obsessive than I am if you can believe it).

But social media moves fast, and I can speak for my peers by saying that you have to be dedicated, passionate, and really just love it to be successful. It is a pleasure to be on the edge (of any new industry) and each day brings something new and exciting. We all love information, creativity, expression and watching our ideas spread. It’s really quite addictive in a good way.

Due to my obsession with my job, my blog, music, and staying at the edge of web culture and social media, I literally spend many days 100% in front of my computer. I was, just a little, starting to slip out of balance with my body by purely focusing on cerebral tasks 24/7. The good news was I knew the source of the issue.

Recently, I made a move into a new apartment with a gym right inside, and decided it was about time to get back into shape. It was finally convenient enough to get into my schedule.

Let’s be clear, I was never really out of shape, I’m a thin guy – but after moving an entire apartment worth of stuff, I realized how I was in better shape five years ago than I am now. I didn’t like the idea that my 20 year-old self was probably healthier than my 25-year old self. I used to be able to run a 17 minute three-mile. Don’t ask what it would take me now.

So Monday, I put aside an hour to workout, run, and swim to transition between working on day projects and night projects (day = marketing, night = blogging/music…usually the transition is just dinner). It wasn’t easy, but it did feel good to put my body through the paces. Now here’s the interesting part: from just one day of exercise, the next day I was noticeably more awake, alert and focused, plus felt better overall.

I know many of you are thinking “yeah, I could have told you that,” but in reality it isn’t as simple as telling someone they should get more physical exercise. You have to make the decision for yourself, and stick to it. It isn’t easy, and I’m only on day two (today was actually a bit easier), however I’m writing this post in the hopes that:

• It will inspire me to work at keeping this as part of my routine
• Perhaps you’ll be motivated to join me

What I had forgotten, and is something easy to forget when you’re in an industry that moves so quickly (and concurrently having passions that extend beyond 9-5), is that our bodies and minds needs time off from processing information and learning to soak everything in and reflect.

We can become even more effective and successful by not only learning and excelling, but by achieving balance between mind and body. The two are intertwined and need to both be at optimum efficiency to work together.

I was doing this before purely through the art of creating music (and plan to continue that). It is the antithesis of some of the things I do during the day and helps me achieve mental balance in creative tasks.

But focusing your body on a physical task does this in a different and important way, and gives you some nice clarity on the day while putting things in perspective.

Finding balance between, your passions, your mind, your body, and your relationships will ultimately lead to all aspects of your life being more enjoyable and productive.

I only needed a new workstation…
Saturday I made my first trip ever to IKEA, with a specific, single item in mind: a workstation for my new apartment. I learned quite fast, however, that IKEA is not a place to go for a quick purchase. They have created a unique consumer experience at their physical location that draws you in and gets you excited about interior design. They also have literally created a maze for the consumer, and to be honest, that made it kind of fun.

The experience
After I parked my car in their overflowing parking garage (with the help of parking attendants guiding me to an open space), I made my way into the entrance, upon where everyone else already seemed to know how things went. This place certainly is popular, and the people shopping there were a good mix of pretty much everyone.

Not simply walking in, making a purchase, and walking out, but a unique experience
Looking a bit lost, a very nice woman greeted me, explained to me how things worked, and handed me a map of the location (wish I had remembered her name, I’m sure IKEA’s PR people are reading this and I’d love to give her a shout). It’s a neat setup, with an interesting flow:

• Walk in, get handed a map of the store,
• Go upstairs and checkout their showroom of interior design products and furniture, which is a giant labyrinth with “shortcuts” to quickly get from one section to the next,
• Write down the model number of the piece you want and its location in the warehouse,
• Enjoy a delicious (and cheap) meal in their food court adjacent to the upstairs showroom,
• Walk back downstairs and go through the “accessories” section which has all the little things you might want for your home,
• Navigate the warehouse and find the clearly labeled aisle that corresponds to the information you received upstairs,
• Pay via self-checkout aisles and aisles with real cashiers.

Now, I knew exactly what I wanted and had come for, however because I was forced to walk through the entire showroom to make a selection, of course I found myself looking at tons of other items I had no initial intention of purchasing. I steadfast and only picked up the one item I truly needed, not the 10 other things I may have wanted. Observing those around me, however, most didn’t have that kind of self-control. IKEA’s strategy is highly effective.

The brand essence
Even though I didn’t make any other purchases beyond what I had originally intended, the key thing here is the entire experience was enjoyable. The product itself is fine; it is exactly what I needed and was simple to assemble. What stands out more than the product itself, however, is the entire brand that IKEA has built around it. Let’s look at the elements:

• A funky showroom with tons of neat designs and modern products
• Unique layout which you can easily “get lost” in
• Friendly, smart staff who were happy to help and seemed genuinely cheerful to work there
• Staff left you alone unless you asked them for help, which I think is part of their brand – they want the consumer to feel empowered (I’ll get into that more in a minute)
• A map of the store to help you find what you need
• Food as a complementary product and perhaps a loss-leader to sell furniture
• A story to tell your friends (or blog about!)
• Home delivery options
• Easy online ordering

The marketing messages all over the store are quirky, fun and simple, which mimic the instructions on the actual product I had purchased. The IKEA experience is cohesive, well thought out and unique.

IKEA and empowerment
When you’re in the store, you could easily make your entire transaction without even interacting with any of their friendly staff. The staff only assisted if I asked directly. I think this is important to note, as I believe a big part of their brand is empowering the consumer.

You select and purchase a relatively simple to assemble piece of furniture, you take it home, assemble it yourself, and ultimately feel empowered in a world where most things are built for you already by the manufacturer.

Now, I’m a total DIY guy – I’ve built model airplanes since I was 12, my own computers since I was 14, several friends’ systems, plus small biz servers/networks.

(Image of a server I recently built - parts from NewEgg of course)

So I found the IKEA kit pretty simple to assemble. However, I feel that for someone new to DIY and to building things, this might be their first taste of creating something themselves, an experience that is overwhelming positive. IKEA is tapping into this.

Lessons for your brand
When IKEA chooses to sell food within their physical location, that is a marketing decision. When they choose to split the showroom with finished products and the warehouse with the actual product kits, that is another marketing decision. It all comes together to create the unique experience that IKEA offers that you don’t get at any other furniture store. They are selling modern products, but that isn’t as noteworthy as the overall experience. Creating that kind of deep experience is vital for your brand.

The trends that work for IKEA and can work for you:

• Customization/personalization: let people customize their purchase to ultimately feel empowered and have the sense that they have chosen something unique and made it themselves. Create something special, something worth talking about. Make your brand personalized and and give your consumers a story to tell.
• Showcase the product: IKEA does a great job showcasing their products and ultimately that is something which drives sales. Home depot caters more to the DIY person, but doesn’t always showcase product as well as they could by combining the showroom and warehouse. IKEA is trying to bring out your creativity in purchasing by showing you just the finished products first, which ultimately will lead to more purchasing.
• Creating the brand experience: Everything I’ve listed above comes together to create the unique brand experience that is IKEA. It isn’t simply furniture, it’s so many things coming together to leave a good taste in your mouth. I don’t care if you like or hate their products, but if you have been in their physical location, you have an association with their brand one way or another and probably talked about that experience with a friend.

Whether you’re selling furniture or widgets, a unique experience is important for success in a physical retailer and will allow you to stand out among the competition. I’ve heard tons of friends telling me their stories about IKEA, and ultimately that drove me into the place to make a purchase. Some people love IKEA, others hate it, however everyone seems to talk about/know the brand and have a strong opinion one way or the other.

And that’s exactly my point: no one is purely neutral on IKEA. The brand evokes an emotional, memorable response in everyone. And I’d rather evoke a strong response one way or the other than be neutral in people’s minds. Neutrality doesn’t drive passion for your brand. And it certainly doesn’t drive traffic.

Target is a great brand and a great store, but you don’t hear anyone at the office telling you about their experience at Target over the weekend. It isn’t enough to just be a great brand anymore, you brand needs to be great, sure, but it also needs to tell a cool story to be talked about.

And for your moment of Zen, here’s the new IKEA desk which houses my home workstation for writing music, blogging, web stuff, etc:

Communications channels have been forever fragmented into:

• Hundreds of cable channels
• Millions of blogs
• A plethora of social networks
• Thousands of magazines and publications of all types both online and offline

I could go on, but you get the idea…

Everything has been diced and diced again, and the way news/information can be received is totally customizable. And, within those fragmented networks there exists an array of niches and topics even more diverse.

Not only is how you receive your news customizable, but the way that people find, publish, distribute and remix information and content is something that is completely personalized.

The blogosphere and customization
Customization and personalization is huge in the blogosphere. People blog through an array of interfaces as diverse as Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, and 20 or so others (probably even more), some use their own domains, others use free hosting provided by Google. Some use StumbleUpon, some use Digg and some use Reddit. Others don’t use any social media and get their news through Google alerts or RSS. Some people read mainstream media, others get news purely from the Web. Some read one or two other blogs, some read hundreds. Some use Twitter and Friendfeed, some use Facebook and MySpace. Some use everything.

Traditional journalists and customization
Some traditional journalists will read the wires, others don’t care for them. Some want to be reached out to by PR folk, others ignore them entirely. Some reporters like email, some like to talk on the phone (although not many of the latter).

So, it’s clear that:

• People create content and share information in diverse ways
• People get information in equally diverse ways through diverse formats

You probably already figured out what I’m driving at.

Ignore the network and the fragmentation and create ideas for the niche. If your idea speaks to a worldview in a way that really resonates, it will naturally find its way through the complex networks we’ve drawn up to spread information.

I’m not going to go into the whole Web 2.0 bubble stuff, its clichéd and not worth more ink (I mean zeros and ones). Ultimately the most usable and best apps, networks, services and sites will survive.

Essentially, you can’t expect to use every new application and service out there, and that’s okay. In fact, if you aren’t going to use an application to the fullest it probably isn’t even worth using it at all. Focus on being really successful in just a few instead of being mildly successful in many. The cross pollination is there, and the ideas will find their way between them anyway.

Besides, building 5,000 followers in Twitter is all well and good, but what if your idea is so cool 10 people with 5,000 followers say it for you?

Compelling information that speaks to a specific group will spread through that group, regardless of how spread out that group is. Don’t underestimate the ability of people to organize and share information to help positive and unique ideas to spread.

Launching a campaign specifically for Digg, Reddit, Facebook, MySpace or one specific target seems short sighted when if you put something exceeding clever out there it will naturally find its way into the right networks, the ones in the target niche you’re reaching out to.

Just like niche blogging works, creating niche messages and niche marketing works too.

To succeed, you must:

• Speak to a worldview and be specific and direct.
• Not dumb down any part of your idea. Since you’re targeting a niche it should be something that resonates strongly. A watered-down idea will fall flat.
• Develop something passionate, authentic, creative and original. Yes, it should be all of those things, and not just people internally should think so – real people need to think so.
• Not think in terms of purely subjects and topics – worldviews can be anything from groups of people who like to wear cowboy boots to groups of people who have pink houses, to groups of people who like Pink Floyd, to groups of people who love Seinfeld. But specific, clever ideas that speak to a group (hint: especially an ignored group) will spread.

The New York Times is reporting that a daily print newspaper in Madison, Wis. is moving to an almost purely online format.

They are pretty smart – clearly this is the trend. In a digital world, print newspapers are becoming already irrelevant. They say the future is here now, just in isolated pockets. I’ve seen it, and it is RSS and syndication via any and every device with an internet connection. It is so efficient and so much better the world won’t be able to deny it. Thumbing through a bulky, print newspaper is outdated. And, not a single one of my peers (we’re all around 25) even receives print newspapers.

The masses haven’t caught on yet, but it is coming.

I’m sorry, I know a lot of you enjoy reading your news in print, but once newspapers realize the revenue they can tap into online, they will all phase out their print counterparts. Plus newspapers are large, cumbersome, and a giant waste of paper and resources. When you can get just specific news you want that purely interests you, why waste your time with superfluous content that may or may not be relevant to you. Also, print ads can never touch the accuracy of online ads.

Perhaps they won’t be entirely phased out all at once, as many are afraid of change. In the beginning, they may reduce to only having a weekend edition delivered.

You can argue with me but I stand by that in the future newspapers will be entirely digital operations with minimal, if any print. The whole idea of having someone hand-deliver a paper newspaper to your door every morning is already a bit antiquated when you get that news instantly through the web, isn’t it?

Think about it: in a digital world, by the time you get a print newspaper, it isn’t even news anymore.

Read my old vs. new article for more of my perspective on what’s in and what’s on the way out.

A guy named Jim Killeen went ahead and turned the idea of Google-ing your own name (something everyone has done at least once) into a documentary entitled “Google Me” staring 7 Jim Killeens. Here’s the trailor:

Funny enough, myself and 16 other Adam Singer’s created a group in 2006 to connect us all on Facebook (see it here). Not really a new idea to connect with people of the same name as yourself through the web, however its neat to see it as a documentary.

You can watch the full version here, free. Some parts of it drag on a little bit, but overall it is entertaining and well produced.

Today I stumbled-up an interview between Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin.

It’s from 2006, but still highly relevant. One of the questions that really stood out was this:

Kawasaki: What are the five things that enabled you to be successful?

Godin: If we define success as the ability to make a living doing what I do, I’d say the following:

1. No ulterior motive. I rarely do A as a calculated tactic to get B. I do A because I believe in A, or it excites me or it’s the right thing to do. That’s it. No secret agendas.

2. I don’t think my audience owes me anything. It’s always their turn.

3. I’m in a hurry to make mistakes and get feedback and get that next idea out there. I’m not in a hurry, at all, to finish the “bigger” project, to get to the finish line.

4. I do things where I actually think I’m right, as opposed to where I think succeeding will make me successful. When you think you’re right, it’s more fun and your passion shows through.

5. I’ve tried to pare down my day so that the stuff I actually do is pretty well leveraged. That, and I show up. Showing up is underrated.

All extremely good points, and sage advice to live by. I highlighted the one point I wanted to delve into further (number 4 is worth reading again too).

Many people are involved with in-depth case studies, tests, careful planning and creating a “perfect” implementation from beginning to end for each marketing initiative they implement. Now, I’m all for planning and being prepared, but there is a problem with taking too long to execute an original and creative idea in an information economy, where so many people are putting out so much so quickly.

Perhaps Seth is right, a better strategy is simply to get your big idea out there first, ahead of the competition and be the trendsetter, the one everyone else is later compared to.

Instead of always trying to see things through to the end before you’ve even started, getting something you know is incredibly catchy out there, then perfecting it as you go through the process is a smart strategy. This is especially true on the web, as each startup, Web site, and service is constantly undergoing improvements, updates and additions. If you wait too long to launch it, someone else may preempt your idea and you’ll be wishing you were the first.

You never know what opportunities will arise once you’ve put a good idea out there, especially once it starts to catch on and is shared organically through the web. You may even get some original ideas on how to proceed from the very people you were reaching out to.

If you have a good idea that you just know will work and be successful, hopefully the organization you are with trusts your judgment and gives you the freedom to execute it quickly and decisively. Social media moves lightning fast, and you may only get a small window for success. If you know something will work, be positive and generate good buzz for your company, a product, or a client, take the initiative and do it.

Music and spreading ideas are both democratized
Just as the web has democratized the tools necessary to spread ideas, software has democratized the ability to write, remix and produce your own music. Programs like Ableton Live have turned the creative process of composing music into something relatively straightforward for anyone with a decently powered computer and some imagination.

Many of you are already aware that in addition to keeping this marketing blog, I compose and remix electronic music (you can get a free copy of my new artist album, “Lifeforce” here).

Today, while listening to some music on the way home from the office, I got to thinking about how my two passions when not working at the firm (music and blogging) are so closely related in terms of skills used. I do believe that anyone with enough passion for blogging could potentially also write music, and vice versa.

Similar basic drives necessary
The skill-set for blogging and creating music have some striking similarities. The basics (for both) are you must be driven, original and you absolutely have to have passion to create something that is compelling and interesting.

Creativity and a constant stream of new ideas
Blogging and writing music are both extremely similar as each are constantly works-in-progress and probably will be throughout life. I do experience a good degree of satisfaction after completing a song or album (just as I do with a post), however very shortly after I am already brainstorming new ideas.

Writers block
I’ve hit writers block for both blogging and music, and found similar solutions for each – seeking inspiration in other people’s work, creating lists of ideas mentally, writing down thoughts throughout the day, etc. Check out my post on 10 tips to recharge your creativity that may help you cure writers block for both creating music and blogging.

Tons of competition
Blogging and writing music are both extremely popular hobbies (and professions). There are literally hundreds of thousands of people doing both. There are, however, inauthentic people in both fields who are only in it for money or the fame. And, there are passionate people who are doing it for intrinsic reasons and because it’s their passion. In both blogging and writing music, it is obvious who is more genuine and producing the best content and who purely has fluff appeal

Must be both content creator and marketer
In the world of blogging and music, creative marketing is one of the keys to success to spread your messages and music. Social media and artists are a natural fit just like bloggers and social media are a natural fit. Bloggers and independent musicians also must be adept marketers for success. Additionally, the marketing must be built in to both blog content and music.

Standing out from the crowd is vital
Yes, both blogging and music are extremely popular, oversaturated niches. But that means that the bloggers and musicians who stand out can see huge success. These two mediums of expression have so much interest and so many people participating as creators and consumers, unique content always spreads. If you’re a blogger or musician and are truly original, innovative and standout, you can have a great chance of success – especially if you develop a strong following. Even if that following is small in the beginning, if they are truly fans of what you’re doing they will help spread the word for you in a big way.

Results and success take time
Just like you must put in a strong effort building up blog content to make a splash online and breakthrough into search, you also have to put in years of effort refining your music-making skills to become proficient. For both blogging and writing music, the journey of learning, refining your skills, and experimenting is equally as rewarding as the final product.

You must hold tight, it will only get easier – as Daniel Scocco wisely advises about blogging. The same is true for music. I find I hit new plateaus with each passing month, and each album and song flows from my mind into music smoother.

Yes, blogging and writing music aren’t the same thing and do involve some different abilities, however I believe that the motivation factors and underlying drive necessary for success in each are extremely similar. I think that a blogger who is truly passionate about music can write it, and a musician who was truly passionate about blogging can be a success in the blogosphere.

I’ll be honest before going into this – I’m a fan of both The Escapist and Zero Punctuation. Yahtzee consistently makes me laugh, and even though I dig computer and electronic games, he has cross-genre appeal to anyone who enjoys a sharp wit, unique sense of humor and plenty of originality – not purely gaming fans.

So let’s backup for a minute. Some of you read that first graph and know exactly what I’m talking about (and you’re probably Digg users). Others of you probably are a bit lost. Let’s step back and explain.

What Is Zero Punctuation?
From Escapist Magazine:

“Zero Punctuation is The Escapist’s groundbreaking video review series starring Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw. Every Wednesday Zero Punctuation picks apart the games so you don’t have to. Called “hilariously cutting … first legitimate breakout hit from the gaming community in recent memory” by Boing Boing, see why reviewers love it and developers fear it.”

That’s the basic breakdown, but it would become much clearer if you just watched an episode. You’re probably familiar with the Super Mario Brothers series so here’s Yahtzee’s review of the Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii (extremely NSFW):

Hilarious, original, fast paced, and fun - he’s got undeniable wit.

Yahtzee was creating gaming reviews previously just for fun and posting them to the web. The Escapist took notice of his original, witty, and extremely catchy videos on YouTube and knew they had to have him. Here’s a quick 30 seconds by Yahtzee which explains:

An Instant Social Media Cult-Classic
It was an extremely smart move for The Escapist, as the series has exploded in popularity. It’s one of the only video series where there’s a race every Wednesday between Digg users to see who can submit it first, at which point it is a guaranteed first-pager with hundreds of comments.

Have a look at 31 episodes that easily made page 1 of Digg.

Zero Punctuation has undeniably helped The Escapist make a consistent, strong climb in traffic numbers, subscribers, and overall loyalty. The content on the site was always good, and Yahtzee was a perfect fit with his distinct style of game review. His stuff may or may not vibe with you, however he is speaking to a niche: gamers and fans of unique web videos (it’s actually a pretty big niche).

Ars Technica has a post on the trouble with exclusive video on the web, but I would tend to disagree. Even if a few people steal the content, most of us are aware its tied to The Escapist, and the online publication is experiencing huge bumps in numbers due to social media. The drawbacks can’t possibly outweigh the traffic, interest and loyalty created.

A Huge Opportunity For Online Publications
Creating a series of ultra-popular videos and releasing them at regularly scheduled times is a powerful traffic driver for magazine-style sites or blogs in any niche. Yahtzee’s videos are no doubt edgy, however that’s part of his style and allure. The safe choice on the web can never cut through the clutter and create this kind of massive following.

The Escapist saw a big opportunity with the content already being created by Yahtzee on his own. There are people out there on YouTube and other video sharing sites creating content in your niche. If that content is good, those people may already have a strong following (or could easily have one with some marketing) and could prove an asset to your site if you’re willing to court them.

If you do bring on a popular, independent content creator onto your team keep this in mind: to edit them or restrain them in any way will both upset that content creator and destroy that content’s appeal. It’s also a good way to lose that person quickly.

Bringing an incredibly remarkable and unique personality such as Yahtzee onto your team and allowing them creative freedom is a great strategy for a content-based site to build their brand and permeate social media.

Further Reading:
NBC 11 In California Experiences The Digg Effect

Social Media And Artists: A Natural Fit

Internet Marketer Moment Of Zen Video