Getting the message out via viral video

[Gray Adams]

Originally Posted by BigJ

Trying to manufacture a "viral" video hardly ever ends up with a good result. I know that's not really the intention, though.

There is a method to the madness. http://techcrunch.com/2007/11/22/the...-viral-videos/

[gyroscopeRaptor]

Could you go into YouTube Analytics and post the graph that shows how long people stay on this video?

[Nick Lawrence]

The comments on this video are rather disheartening.

Sigh.

-Nick

[jspatz1]

I belive there is a growing problem on Youtube with automated spambots trolling new videos, leaving dislikes and comments. I had a simlar situation this season when I posted some match video, and in a few hours it had 25,000 hits, dozens of dislikes, and several obcene comments. There are commercial users of Youtube who do real business with their videos and get paid based on their number if views, etc., so I would think this kind of trolling would be a serious issue for Youtube.

[jvriezen]

Originally Posted by gyroscopeRaptor

Could you go into YouTube Analytics and post the graph that shows how long people stay on this video?

The retention graph has a gradual mostly linear drop off in viewing from 100% at the start of the video down to about 30% when you get to the last 30 seconds of the match, it jumps up a bit there to 36% right near the end.

[gyroscopeRaptor]

^ That result seems to confirm that standard match videos aren't enough for getting the word out. You would have to either show off a massive video (think HOT's high-scoring runs) or switch between angles often, probably both.

[jvriezen]

Originally Posted by gyroscopeRaptor

^ That result seems to confirm that standard match videos aren't enough for getting the word out. You would have to either show off a massive video (think HOT's high-scoring runs) or switch between angles often, probably both.

Not sure that would help much. I see a couple of problems-- First, the 'standard' way of posting a match video is to show just the match, and the final score. This is probably because that's how TheBlueAlliance has always wanted it, to minimize storage requirements. For "in the know" FIRSTers, that's all you need.

For someone who is totally new to FIRST (or maybe has seen a previous year's game but not the current one) A raw match only video has no context. They don't know the rules, the don't have an appreciation for what is a phenomenal performance, etc. A basketball game where the points scored per minute per team is around 20-40 pts is totally foreign. What is considered an overly high scoring match? Until you see a few, you don't know.

For the most part, all our match videos only really appeal to ourselves-- notice that whenever you show a match video to someone who hasn't heard about FIRST, you spend a bunch of the match explaining the game and pointing out which elements of the match are highlights and why. It's not self evident.