Is the Competition for Video Talent Heating Up?

It wasn’t that long ago that if you wanted to watch video content on the internet, you were pretty much stuck with YouTube. However with nearly every major social network offering some kind of video content, YouTube is no longer the only big player. This expansion of the video market has led to increased competition for high-quality content, and potentially higher demand for YouTube’s top talent. Krishna Subramanian, co-founder of influencer marketplace Captiv8, told Bloomberg: At the end of the day, content creators control engagement and control eyeballs. The more content they upload, the more engagement happens on Facebook. And if they split revenue with creators, that will solve a huge problem creators have with the platform. People will start to post more. Twitter recognized the power of having creators specifically making video content for its network, and it rolled out a beta version of monetization service Amplify. While Amplify is primarily aimed at large publishers, like TV networks, Twitter only keeps 30 percent of the ad revenue from this program, a source told Bloomberg. Provided that creators can build comparable audiences, a deal with Twitter and Amplify could be more lucrative for individual creators than one with YouTube. Bloomberg also noted that Fidji Simo, Facebook's product management director of video, has been scouting video talent, perhaps with an eye on offering deals to content creators. Simo spoke to creators at VidCon, an annual gathering of influential video bloggers and content creators, stating that Facebook would be experimenting in the future with revenue-sharing deals and different advertising models: We’re going to be experimenting with a bunch of different formats for creators in the coming months [...] It’s likely not going to be a one-size-fits-all. On other sites, like Instagram, there has been a wave of new influencers, which seems to be upsetting the new algorithm. Instagram wants to keep a tight leash on ads, and users creating sponsored posts outside of the company’s dedicated ad offerings could lead to negative user experiences. But Instagram may not be able to hold out long. In an interview with Bloomberg earlier this year, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom said: I’m both excited that influencers have the reach they have now on Instagram, and for brands to reach their fans [...] But that method of advertising is not nearly as effective as going through the Instagram system. With the growth in video across all social networks, it’s natural that social platforms would try to work leverage creatives in support of ad offerings. Influencer marketing may seem intangible right now, but its power is clear. In the future, we can probably expect that any site offering native video will have power users and creators, whether they are home-grown or poached from other sites. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Social Pro Daily

Is the Competition for Video Talent Heating Up?

YouTube used to be the place for video content and talent. Now more social platforms are offering video and vying for people to create high-quality video.

Kimberlee Morrison

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Kimberlee Morrison