The Ultimate Guide to Creating Online Video Content That Works, Part 2

"You need to create regular product that comes out thatcan build a following and allow people to subscribe toit, bookmark it, or access it through all the various wayswe distribute it. That’s a time-tested media consumptionattribute, whether it’s who you watch for nightly news orwhether you watch a sitcom or a late-night talk show.

And in terms of what to put online, it starts and ends withour editors. That’s really the foundation of what we do."

To new media startups: "Here’s the thing—we all thinkwe’re really smart, but we’re not," says Louderback. "Wecreate a lot of stuff, and we think it’s really good. But theaudience is really smart, and you’ve got to listen to them.Some stuff we’ve done and [we] think, ‘Oh we’re brilliant.’Other stuff, we think that, but we put it out there andsay, ‘Oh, we’re so stupid.’ The important thing is to notsit around and tweak and hone and make it the best itcan be. If you’ve got a good idea, put together a pilotand get it out there. In the end, it doesn’t matter howsmart you think it is—the audience is going to tell youwhat they like."

To one of YouTube’s most-loved self-promoters: "Themillion-dollar question is the sustainability of the amateur.Some days, I’m almost taunting bigger media that amateurshave cracked the code, and big media’s still stumbling,"says Nalty. "But the reality is that their efforts are maturing,and [the] whole pie will continue growing. I do still thinkindependent producers have an early-mover advantagethough, and we also have the luxury of economics. Youreally can’t, if you’re a big network, depend on this, as youhave to wait for the model to form. So I think we’re at leastgood for a couple of years, and I’ll ride that as long as Ican. Whatever happens with amateurs, there’ll always bemarketers who need help to figure out this space. I’m notthe greatest creator in the world or the best marketer, butnot many people can bring the two together, so that’swhere I think I have an advantage."

To one of the top independent earners in online video:"There are those times when I knew something wasgoing to be a blockbuster, like the laser flashlight. I didn’tknow it was going to become as popular as it hasbecome, but it was such a cool idea. It burns things, andpeople are going to like it if it burns something. It has thatdanger factor, so people are going to call me irresponsible.You think it’s a good idea, you put it out there, and justhope it does well," says Kedersha. And since he’s takenup a regular gig with MAKE Magazine and his onlineearnings are no longer tied directly to viewer numbers,"I find myself wanting to please the audience more thancaring about views. Not just because the views don’tcount from a financial point of view but because myfuture doing the videos could be determined by if theaudience enjoys the videos," he says.

One thing’s for certain: This is an exciting, uncertaintime for online video producers. They are faced withinfinite possibilities and an audience that’s rapidlygrowing and hungry for content. So take note of thelessons being learned by your peers and go out thereto create some great new content that showcases ourfavorite new medium.