Aplus.net Blog

Just how big has YouTube become? Well, in the three and a half (!) short years since it was introduced to the public, it has become a serious venue for political ads and a legitimate rival to television itself in the number of viewers it attracts (especially of the younger generation). Millions of people worldwide now dream of getting famous via YouTube videos, skipping the traditional Hollywood route altogether. (The site has even propelled one struggling young actress to a role in a major Hollywood film

An announcement this week, however, drives home just how big a cultural force YouTube has become. Major film studio MGM has decided to start featuring full-length movies on YouTube. So, the site best known for user-driven amateur video content and five-minute “video diaries” is getting the full Hollywood treatment.

It’s a testament to just how far the company has come in a few short years. Nobody could have predicted this level of success back in the early months of 2005; and it’s a safe bet that we’re only seeing the beginning.

For those of us in the online business, attention must be paid to YouTube and its ability to attract the attention of so many people. Unique marketing opportunities are waiting to be unleashed by the public’s thirst for online content — it just takes the right innovator to figure out how to harness this powerful new trend. As usual, Google, who purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion two years ago, was ahead of the curve. But in a market growing this rapidly, there’s still plenty of room for other up-and-comers.

The video revolution has begun, but it’s far from over.