Every Monday, I talk about individuals or companies promoting themselves in a neat way online. Feel free to contact me to nominate yourself or a friend; I’m always looking for new ideas.
It’s almost a sure thing to say that video is the next big internet thing.
Alright, that came out wrong. I am certainly not saying that people aren’t using video effectively now but I think that in the next few years, just like now most everyone has a website, in a few years most everyone will have video on their website. And as cameras get more affordable and videos get more search engine friendly, there will be more of a reason then ever to finally get in front of a camera.
Having recently begun to appreciate Youtube more myself, I have begun checking out cool videos. Among my favorite ‘series’ is Garfunkel and Oates.
Now I’ve seen thirteen year old girls with their own makeup shows (and yes, they know more than I do!). I understand the concept of having a show on Youtube isn’t something difficult. You set up a channel, upload in about two steps and you’re in business. What I like about Garfunkel and Oates is how they use their show.
Their show is their portfolio.
It’s got to be hard to make it as an actress. How can you make yourself stand out? Demonstrate that you’re clever and have musical talent? Good idea!
Both Kate and Riki book individual acting jobs but their Youtube series gives them a chance to create new material, collaborate with a colleague, and demonstrate musical and acting talent. They are differentiating themselves from the majority of people out there, and creating a marketable product at the same time.
They have each individual websites and one group site.
Kate’s website is more graphic and Riki’s has a more standard look but there is also a Garfunkel and Oates website. Why?
I think it’s great how, while Kate and Riki clearly enjoy being Garfunkel and Oates, they are separating who they are as actresses from the brand. While it’s great to have a super successful video series with almost 14,000 subscribers, it’s important to also be more than that. And they are!
At the same time, there is a connection between the individual sites.
It is easy to navigate from one site to another, as they all link to each other. Separate but related, smart!
They let you know (and not in a pushy way) that you can buy stuff on their websites.
You can not only buy individual songs off the Youtube and other sites, you can also buy t-shirts. Based on their web structure, it looks like they’ll also expand into other products but this is a start.
So if you are looking for a way to break into a tough industry or just build some good resume skills like video editing, a Youtube series plus a website can be a great way to do it.
And besides being great examples of building a video following online, Garfunkel and Oates are hilarious. Go watch a few of their videos and if someone catches you, say you’re doing research on viral videos. That’s what I tell myself anyway!