Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

For nearly a century, PR types have been trying to curry favor with the folks who control the mass media in an effort to influence target audiences to adopt a particular world view or take a desired action. Although (as reported before) the ‘net is yet to deliver the sheer numbers of the mass media, it’s no longer necessary to rely solely on the mainstream media to build a client base.

Witness the success of online programs such as “Rocketboom,” “LonelyGirl15,” and “Ask a Ninja,” who all got their start on YouTube and have steadily grown into freestanding channels, capable of attracting relatively large numbers of viewers and possibly becoming media outlets in their own right.

While none of the above has yet begun accepting advertising from third parties, each attracts hundreds of thousands of loyal viewers each week and are rapidly challenging major media outlets in their ability to delivery highly targeted audiences.

Grammar Girl, which has more than 91,000 subscribers on YouTube and is also available in three-minute podcasts on iTunes, has become a mini-empire of similarly helpful topical vignettes under the “Quick and Dirty” banner.  It’s plausible that the quick and dirty collection, which includes Mr. Manners, Legal Lad, Mighty Mommy, Money Girl and The Traveling Avatar, could someday become its own online network (similar to cable networks such as HGTV or The Learning Channel), drawing high-value loyal (and trackable) viewers and the advertisers who seek to reach them.

Many failed cable television networks, such as The Black Family Channel are seeking new life on the Internet, where operating costs are lower and the ability to deliver a highly targeted audience offer advertisers greater bang for the buck.  The Journal had an interesting item on this phenomenon in their marketplace section last Friday.

Even the networks have gotten in on the act in an effort to promote new shows and grow viewership through viral marketing. Both CBS and NBC now have more than 50,000 “subscribers” on YouTube.

Marketers should consider creating their own media outlets, similar to the early days of radio, when the “Texaco Star Theater” ruled the airwaves. Well-crafted content, properly promoted, can attract a community of customers and viral marketing advocates.