That’s billion with a “b.” In November 2006, Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion, though it has yet to turn a profit due to its monstrous server demands.
The oft-reported story of YouTube’s creation goes something like this: Co-founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim used to toss around ideas for startups while working together at PayPal. One of those ideas—for a video version of the website “Hot or Not” (quite the muse, that virtual beauty contest!)—came into clearer focus in early 2005, after Hurley and Chen had trouble sharing videos of a dinner party shot at Chen’s apartment in San Francisco. Karim did not attend the party and denied that it had occurred, while Hurley said that the idea that YouTube was founded after a dinner party “was probably very strengthened by marketing ideas around creating a story that was very digestible.”
Regardless of its origins, YouTube has profoundly changed the world we live in. If you have a story to tell, the world will watch. Your videos can spread across the globe and have a real impact on people’s lives. YouTube is arguably the biggest game-changer in social media, for two reasons: 1) Video is highly compelling media; it establishes emotional connections that can immediately impact the way people think and act. 2) Armed with a camera-enabled phone, YouTube grants anyone, anywhere with instant, worldwide distribution. For free. Think about that for a moment. Until just a few years ago, to broadcast video, you needed to be part of a news organization. Now, you are the news organization.
Success Story: “Moving Windmills”
Like any social platform, the inane and profane dominate much of YouTube. But—from “Evolution of Dance” and “Charlie Bit My Finger” to “The Girl Effect” and the only existing film images of Anne Frank—there are millions of inspirational, entertaining and important videos that display the rich tapestry of humanity.
One of my favorite YouTube videos is a less-heralded triumph titled “Moving Windmills: The William Kamkwamba Story,” which documents the accomplishments of a young man who lives in Mastala, Malawi, one of the planet’s poorest places. Kamkwamba’s parents did not have enough money to send him to school, but that didn’t deter him from making a difference. “We have enough wind in Malawi,” he says, “and, I was thinking, What can I do with that wind so that we can have something? That’s why I decided to read some books about the windmills.” Kamkwamba built his first windmill when he was 14. He says the villagers “…all thought that maybe I’m going mad and maybe that I am crazy.” But it became clear that Kamkwamba was helping the village, which soon had enough power for radios, wells and more.
“Moving Windmills” has been viewed over 360,000 times. That won’t win any records on YouTube but, judging from the comments, it has won people’s hearts. It’s everything good about YouTube and proves that one person can change the world. After a local newspaper featured Kamkwamba and his video went viral, he was invited to the wind farm in Palm Springs, California. Since then, he has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Bryan Mealer later wrote a book titled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (William Morrow, 2009), which has a stunning aggregate star review of five out of five on Amazon.com.
Ten years ago, Kamkwamba’s story would have stopped at the local newspaper—but YouTube helped him to inspire the world. YouTube was merely the tool; the story was the thing. It demonstrates that if you’ve got a story to tell, now is the time to tell it. Just make sure it’s worth telling—and well told.
Actionable insight (business): If your company doesn’t have a YouTube channel, set one up. Take the time to fill out the profile with a compelling why-driven brand statement and a link back to your website. Then search for videos related to your company and mark them as “favorites,” which will aggregate them on your YouTube channel. Over time, your company can add more of its own video content.
Actionable insight (personal): Create an account on YouTube and then, if you have a phone with a video camera, take a moment to shoot a short clip. Many phones allow you to one-click upload it to YouTube. If not, just download it to your desktop then go to YouTube, click “upload” and send your video to your new channel. Go on, indulge me here. You’ll likely get a thrill seeing yourself up there. Next, send an email to your closest friends and family with the link and ask them to share the video. You can track how many people viewed your video from the counter right on the page. This process will take roughly one hour, but it will be rewarding—and who knows where it could lead!
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