As the Wall Street Journal rightly points out in its featured technology story today, “How to Be a Star in a YouTube World,” going from amateur to true online superstar requires more than just good talent:

Just as in Hollywood, becoming a hit takes talent, effort, timing and some luck. Sex appeal is just as valuable online as off. And getting noticed by the “mainstream” press also helps build buzz.

Here is the “magic formula for Web stardom” that author Michael Totty’s has created, with some of my own editorializing. See if you agree:

  1. Be consistent. If you’re a podcaster or a blogger, publish on a regular schedule. Grammar Girl host Mignon Fogarty, whom I interviewed about building a podcast audience and network on the New Comm Road podcast earlier this year, releases her show every Thursday. (Note to self: try and do the same for New Comm Road.)
  2. Get in early. Big advantage to those who are first.
  3. Find a niche. Think a show about dangling participles and predicate adjectives isn’t niched? Connect to an audience that is as interested as you are about a particular subject, and you could be on your way to superstardom.
  4. Work your network. Capitalize on the tools of new media to create a world-of-mouth sensation that spreads like wildfire.
  5. Act like a pro. While online consumers don’t expect or necessarily even want a podcast or video to have the same production values as mainstream media production, they’ll generally gravitate toward content that looks and sounds better. Yes, content may be king, but production values matter, too.
  6. Beauty sells. Certainly on the video side, it’s hard to argue this point in the article: “People who are unusually attractive stand a better chance of getting attention.”

    7. Here’s what I’d add to Totty’s list:

  7. Be passionate. When you as a blogger, podcasters, videoblogger, or Flickr artist exude passion in every piece of content you produce, we can feel it. And we’re compelled to come back for more of your content again and again.
  8. Tell a good story. We all enjoy telling and listening to interesting stories, whether it’s around a campfire, at the water cooler or pub, or over family dinner. What is the story behind your content, and how can you share it in a way that move people to hunger for the next chapter?

What are the other ingredients to becoming an online superstar?

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Share This