YouTube AND YOU

Before you pick up that camera and start creating your own
videos, consider some of the ways YouTube has altered the landscape
of our everyday lives. You’ll get some background, navigate
around the site, and receive a little bit of philosophy as you are
introduced to people who have paved the way for the rest of us to
achieve success on YouTube. Not only is YouTube a wonderful
source of entertainment but it is also a major breakthrough in
the way we share our experiences. Most important of all,
YouTube can be a powerful business tool. That’s no doubt why
you picked up this book—to learn how you can step onto the site
and use it to make money, directly or indirectly, for yourself or
your company.

You Tube Promises fun as soon as u arrive

YouTube defines itself as “a community where people are entertained,
informed, educated, and inspired through the sharing of
video.” Figure 1-1 shows you just what to expect from YouTube’s
home page. More than 200 million unique visitors arrive at this
page each month from all over the globe, according to the company.
Of those, 68 million are from the United States.Those 68 million U.S. viewers are evenly distributed across
the country. They split just about equally between male and female
viewers. The overall demographics skew somewhat young,
with 56 percent of registered users falling between the ages of 18
and 34—a prime advertising demographic. Kick in the fact that
73 percent of viewers say they don’t mind the discrete advertising
that now accompanies some videos, and you’ve got a willing
and prime market. They recognize that advertising is the means
for keeping the site free to users. As if this news weren’t good
enough for those of us looking to enhance our businesses, 68
percent of YouTube users report they have purchased something
online in the previous three months. We told you this would be
exciting!