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What's This Sh*t All About?
January 17, 2012
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Sammy Simpson is full of it.
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I'm sure you've noticed that every day seems to reveal a new version of the "Sh*t (insert) says" video.
It has officially become, according to YouTube, the first big trend of 2012.
The series launched on December 12th with the "Sh*t Girls Say" series, which has over 10 million views. YouTube says overall the videos on the channel have over 17 million total views.
It has spawned all manner of parodies and remakes. YouTube estimates that there are well over 500 instances of these videos on YouTube from the past month. The topics vary from ethnicity to career to other social commentaries.
Some people have been using them to promote their businesses as well. The playlist below contains a handful of diverse examples, some popular, some controversial.
I believe what makes the video series engaging is the following:
- A great title or intro thesis statement that grabs you instantly. The simplicity of this approach allows users to sum up the content quickly, to decide if it's worth their precious time without making a commitment.
- It speaks to individual interests and lifestyles. Everyone seeks "like-minded" folks to share similar experiences and knowledge with, and these videos speak to these groups perfectly in a fun, entertaining way.
- Forrester Technographics research has uncovered that most users are simply "spectators," and this short series really plays to that strategy because they are interactive without a user even participating - what I call the Jeopardy effect. You can listen, watch and enjoy with no heavy lifting required.
- It builds social currency. The videos are easy to share, as witnessed by the number of people who post them again and again, and offer a fun way to allow others to uncover your interests as they see your Timeline declaration or Tweet about the "Sh*t New Age Girls Say" or "Sh*t Skiers Say" posts.
The current list of "Sh*t (insert) Say" videos I found so far include:
- Sh*t Nobody Says
- Sh*t Austinites Say
- Sh*t New Age Girls Say
- Sh*t Mormons Say
- Sh*t Gay Guys Say To Straight Guys
- Sh*t Fat People Say
- Sh*t Vegans Say
- Sh*t Skiers Say
- Sh*t Women Say To Personal Trainers
- Sh*t Girls Say To Gay Guys
Now, how can you make it work for you? Here are some of my ideas to get you started thinking about this angle.
Start a conversation, a call-in, or some interactive forum to ask listeners/users which one-liners should have been added/or left out of a particular series.
Create a Facebook question (using the Questions Tool) to ask what series should be next?
Start a "Sh*t People Say on the Radio" version to feature your personality(ies), call-ins, request lines phoners, etc.
Do a "Sh*t People Say at a famous local establishment."
How about "Sh*t People Tweet When They Are Drunk."
You get the idea.
Have fun and use your expertise in maximizing the "Sh*t People Say" to build something entertaining, local, and very social for you.
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