Becoming Internet Famous

TV is moving online, or so it seems. Most younger demographics consume TV content through the internet, legally, or unfortunately for content providers, illegally. Youtube and Netflix are famously paying huge money for original content, with the latter's House of Cards rivaling primetime content from premium cable channels.

Similarly, original web content is an exploding market. Websites like CollegeHumor are thriving, producing new comedic content every day, occasionally nabbing an A-list celebrity for a cameo.

With so many people making content for the internet, how is one to discover quality and separate the good from the bad? Thus is the problem. Without millions in funding or a big name attached, months, if not years of hard work can disappear in the black hole that is the internet.

I worked on a web series last semester called John and Kyle Do Everything (which you can find here), and while I am thrilled with the reception we got, it took us months to understand how exactly to get people to watch the show. We did a condom handout in the on-campus dining halls, with our logo emblazoned on the wrappers. Classic.

In an environment as expansive and impersonal as the Internet, web marketing really boils down to establishing person-to-person connections. How many times have you received an email telling you to check out a website and immediately deleted it? Thus is the problem... or at least another problem. Try to market too broadly and people will think you are a robot (and you will most likely get your accounts suspended).

If you want to get big on the internet, you need to get small first. Build your empire from the ground up, person by person.