The future of social video at #smw

By Steve Keenan

A very insightful chat about the future of video kicked off Livestream events at Social Media Week in London today.

Not least because Kevin Mathers, the UK managing director of YouTube, was on the panel of five. “We have had a 100% increase year-on-year in terms of minutes watched. There is too much out there.”

That set the tone for the discussion - how to make films that YouTubers will want to watch, and how to get them seen. And Mathers’ conclusion after 90 minutes of panel chat was this: “The core cut-through is focussing on what you and your audience is passionate about.”

There is no real surprise in the fact that good video will do better than bad. But the point was endorsed by Chris Quigley from RubberRepublic.com (which made that classic Bodyform Responds film) - “Create interest in verticals rather than demographics.”

In other words, an audience today responds to what they like rather than their age, location or income. Mathers illustrated the point, saying how he looked up a YB video yesterday on how to insert a micro-SIM card into a smartphone, while his kids watched a cartoon on another device. People watch what they want to watch.

A YB Livestream of a Samsung launch last week was watched by more people than watched a Livestream of the Royal Wedding, he added (although I think this is possibly more to do with tech-literate viewers than grannies choosing to watch a laptop than the TV).

But the point was again made: companies would do better to think about what their story is, then work out how to create film that will appeal to people who are interested in that story.

Getting the story out there is another matter. As Quigley pointed out, he started his company 12 years ago before YouTube, when any film could go viral. Now, it is impossible, he said, without the right approach.

The panel agreed that ‘good’ content is paramount - then it is a mix of better research, knowing where to launch the film and when, among other points. There are also multi-channel networks (MCNs) and other networks (Rubber Republic runs the Viral Ad Network) to help launch a film.

“Produce the best content you can,” said Mathers. “If you want to get to a target market in a certain time, try viral - but a paid strategy is the best way to get there.”

He added that 4G and faster broadband would change the way we consumer video, and accelerate the move towards reaching a targeted audience, rather than a mass market through TV advertising. Better collaboration among video makers and better sites/apps to help the community will also improve quality. Quigley cited MixBit, an app I referred to in a recent TP post.

It’s about agencies, brands and film makers - professional and amateur - starting to work together to produce quality of shareable content, he added. “If Part One of the future is making better content, Part Two is a network of support and collaboration for those makers so they can make better content. The final thing is support from technology, so those people in bedrooms can do things better.”