Friday, May 9, 2014

Can Internet Marketing Companies Look At Audiences And Fanbases?

By Robert Sutter


On the surface, it doesn't seem like there is much of any difference between "fanbases" and "audiences." After all, the both of them entail groups of people that are interested in one form of media over another, which is a point that cannot be argued against. With that said, though, there seems to be differences, if a recent article about YouTube is anything to go by. It might signal a shift in terms of how viewers are appealed to but will Internet marketing companies agree with such a point?

According to a publication on the Guardian, YouTube is stressing to its content creators that they should build "fanbases" as opposed to the audiences, the reason being that fanbases choose what it is that they would like to watch. Audiences, on the other hand, apparently tune in whenever it is that they are told to. While it is a fair point to make, I do not know if it is entirely accurate. However, when you look at the ways in which a group of fans interact, it might more accurate than any of us imagine.

Speaking as someone who considers himself a Tumblr aficionado of sorts, I have seen events like live-blogging done in tremendous amounts. For example, whenever a new episode of a TV show comes on the air, it's not out of the question to see people continually blog about poignant events during every episode. Even though TV shows end in terms of episodes, it's not like they ever truly see conclusions. After all, fanbases keep various forms of media alive, as Internet marketing companies can attest to.

One of the concerns that I have seen with the article in question, though, is that it seems like content that is supposedly similar to what people like will be geared to them more often. This can come across as rather intrusive, which is a point that I am sure any and all Internet marketing companies can attest to. Firms along the lines of fishbat understand the importance of organic growth and interaction. Simply ushering content into the faces of YouTube users does not appear to be the best course of action.

This endeavor by YouTube seems like it is going to be promoted quite a bit and I hope that there will be positive results to come from it. My only concern is whether or not people will actually engage with the content that they view on YouTube. After all, it is important to note that not everyone likes the same kinds of things. "Fanbases" versus "audiences" seems to possess many more differences than originally expected but one can only hope that this will be for the better.




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