Using YouTube the right way: How one media company takes it to a new level

A crucial element of today’s media world is video sharing.

Media networks are transitioning from static print, radio or television news services to being able to use online videos to enhance their platform. Online readers can now use videos to accompany stories, or can also use videos as the lone method of telling a story. They can also be used for entertainment purposes, or for marketing stories.

One site that the world’s top media companies have begun to cultivate for their own gain is YouTube, which Keith Quesenberry discusses in chapter eight of his book Social Media Strategy.

YouTube was founded in 2005, but it started as a place for underground entertainment. Very little news was circulated on the medium and ‘reputable sources’ still did not grasp the capabilities of the network (or even the importance of using video in general). 13 years later, YouTube is an essential cog in the modern media machine.

One media network that utilizes YouTube in brilliant ways is The Ringer, who I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts (I know, I’ll chill with them here soon). The Ringer is, in my eyes, leading the online media industry in its innovative and entertaining ways of using the medium. Here are a few ways in which the media corporation uses YouTube to engage followers and enhance its brand:

Visual podcasts

As discussed in previous blog posts, one thing that The Ringer takes pride in are exceptionally produced podcasts. They take that production to the next level on their YouTube channel, where they place visuals around their pods and will even occasionally do live podcasts. The shows are funny and this visual representation of them allows listeners/viewers/readers to further engage with the company’s dynamic personalities (another element discussed in previous blog posts).

By seeing the hosts faces and watching them work, consumers can become even more attached to their product.

Funny spoofs

The Ringer will also put out spoofs that are funny and dramatic, playing with the ‘fun’ side of their brand that was discussed in previous blog posts. They will preview the NBA Playoffs with a movie spoof, using their staff’s enigmatic personalities and production skills to make something that will not only make their followers laugh, but also draw them closer to the company’s brand. This visual representation of the brand’s ‘fun’ side is extremely effective by virtue of the fact that people love spending time on YouTube watching funny spoofs. It fits right into the medium.

Millions of other original ideas

Aside from certain podcasts and regular entertainment shows that The Ringer will put on its YouTube channel, they also will simply come up with random, original video ideas and post them without any precedent or prior context. If a staff member wants to make a video where he is literally sitting on the toilet talking about sports news that day, and he wants to call it ‘Slow News Day,’ Bill Simmons will give it the go-ahead. The company’s creative, hungry staff is constantly thinking of new ways to use YouTube to put their brand ahead and to engage with their followers, and Simmons’ willingness to let it happen makes their channel great.