There can’t be many people on the planet that haven’t heard of YouTube and what it’s all about. I don’t want to go in to all the facts and figures about millions of hours of uploads as you’ve heard all that before.
Most people use it for entertainment. So they understand the advantages of maybe uploading a silly video talking to their pet dog for friends and relatives to view. If it is extremely funny or outrageous in some way it may attract a high number of visitors in general.
For many it is just a form of entertainment where they can view videos on practically any subject they search for. For others it can be searching for a tutorial video to help them solve a particular problem they have or a job that needs doing.
It’s popularity is clearly helped by the fact that it is completely free to use. You can log on to the site and start watching videos without creating an account. You must go that one stage further and create an account if you want to post videos. You can then also rate different videos and are able to leave comments.
Registering for an account is completely free and will only take you a few moments.
Uploading a video is a very straightforward process so anyone with basic computer skills will find it easy to do. You can use your mobile phone, a webcam or go that one stage further and invest in a camcorder. It is all down to how professional your video needs to be.
For editing purposes you can use your computers own editing software or invest in a programme such as Camtasia or Sony Vegas. I haven’t used it but Camstudio is free and I have heard some excellent reports on this software.
Once you have shot your video and edited it if required, you can upload it, and within a matter of minutes it is live on YouTube.
There is an unlimited number of videos to choose from and view. You can search for a comedy sketch you remember from the 70’s and somehow, someone has got the footage and uploaded it for all to see. It is amazing what you can find that you thought you would never see again.
If you haven’t even taken a look at YouTube yet then you are urged to do so. But beware you may find a few hours have passed without you knowing.
YouTube is now also being used for a way for business owners to market their products. All that is needed is a short video showcasing their product and a link under the video which take the viewer direct to their website. More on how you can use YouTube for business in another article. youtube watch time