While online video is nothing new, there have been several developments in the space over the past few months that have convinced me it’s never been more important than right now for every comedian to embrace videos and develop your own personal video strategy.

In light of this belief, I’ve decided to put together a couple posts to help you better understand why now is a moment of incredible opportunity and how you can best take advantage of it. In a couple days, I’ll offer some suggestions about how to develop an effective video strategy, but before I get to that I want to outline why I think now is the time that you have to put effort and resources into creating online videos.

Production Costs Have Dropped And Audiences Have Grown

It’s likely you’ve already posted at least a handful of videos online, but it’s just as likely you haven’t had the time, resources, or production knowledge necessary to commit to an ongoing video strategy. But, thanks to rapidly improving technology and the fact that just about every phone has a built in camera at this point, it’s never been cheaper or easier to produce high quality video content.

At the same time, the audience for online video continues to grow rapidly and the viewing experience has been dramatically improved as the technology has gotten better and broadband and wi-fi have become ubiquitous. On top of all of that, the growth of social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have made it easier than ever before for audiences who like what you create to subscribe or connect to your creations, which makes distribution of your creations easier than ever before as well.

This all has combined to create a perfect storm in which it’s never been easier to create video content and get it seen by lots of people.

Money Is Pouring Into The Online Video Space

Another of the big reasons that you may not have put much effort into creating videos is the belief that there’s ultimately no money in it. While that may have been true a few years ago, it’s not any more.

Money is pouring into the online video space from all kinds of different sources including major video distributors like YouTube, brands and advertisers, traditional networks and studios, and assorted other entertainment industry players who are seeking content they can monetize in one way or another. And this isn’t even counting the potential for you to monetize your own videos through merchandise, increased ticket sales, and other means.

YouTube recently invested over more than $100 million to various content producers to create new channels on YouTube and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not uncommon for popular YouTube channels to make more than $1 million a year, and all of these numbers are growing fast.

I’m not saying you’re going to get rich as soon as you upload a video to YouTube, but there is no doubt we are in the midst of an online video gold rush and many of the “pioneers” who invest their time and effort in the space will reap huge rewards as more money continues to shift from traditional media to online video.

This Is Where Talent Is Being Discovered

You can spend all the time you want in comedy clubs and on festival stages, but if you really want a career as a writer or performer in Hollywood then the quickest way to get there is through online video.

I’ve had multiple meetings in the past month with some major traditional media companies in the entertainment industry and even I was blown away by the extent to which people who came out of the digital comedy world (specifically online video) are now at the center of that universe.

Hollywood executives have come a long way from the days when they wrote off YouTube and online video as second-rate crap – now, when they want something funny often the first place they go to look is online. That’s where comedy talent is being discovered and if you’re not living in that world, you’re drastically reducing your chances of being found.

Online Video Will Be The Same As TV Within Five Years

Just about every comedian has a goal of being on TV, but here’s what most of you don’t realize – online video is going to be the same as TV within five years (or less). If you’ve ever used an Apple TV or accessed YouTube through an Internet-connected TV, it will instantly change the way you think about what online video is and what it isn’t.

Within five years (probably sooner), there will be no difference between what is considered TV programming and what is considered online programming. This means that the best way for you to get yourself on TV isn’t to spend your time chasing down representation and auditions, but to spend your time producing your own videos and putting them on “TV” yourself by uploading them online. Create your own show, your own channel, etc., and carve out a spot for yourself that people will be able to watch on their TV sets from the comfort of  their couch sooner than you may realize.

There’s a war shaping up between the traditional TV companies and tech companies like Apple and Google for what happens on your television set and trust me, the traditional companies are going to lose. And when they do, people will be able to watch your YouTube channel just as easily as they watch NBC – but they’ll only be able to do so if you actually have a YouTube channel. That’s yet another reason you need to start embracing video now.

The Longer You Wait, The More Behind You Will Be

You may not think you’re ready to start producing and posting videos online, but here’s something to keep in mind: the longer you wait to do so, the more behind you will get.

As with just about everything online, there’s a learning curve and the best way to learn what works or doesn’t is by doing it. You have to experiment to find your voice in much the same way you need stage time to hone your stand up comedy act. At some point, you’re going to need to make videos and no matter when that moment comes, it’s going to take you time to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

That’s why I’d recommend you start now – we’re at a moment in time where new opportunities are being created every day and the longer you wait to start, the less likely you are to be able to take advantage of them.

What To Do Next…

Hopefully, this has at least convinced you that now is the right time to start seriously thinking about what your video strategy will be. But, assuming that’s the case, it leads to a much bigger question – how do you figure out a video strategy that will work?

I’ll tackle that question in a post in a couple days, but in the meantime if you’ve got some specific questions you’d like me to address in it feel free to leave them in the comments below…

The comedy business is a difficult one and it’s very tempting to compare every aspect of your career – your act, your fanbase, your pay, your bookings, your representation, etc. – to that of other comedians who you may believe are comparable to you (or even better/worse than you are).

But while it’s tempting to judge your progress in comparison to other comics, it’s actually not very helpful and can probably do you more harm than good. Here’s a few reasons why…

1. It’s Counter-Productive.

Every moment you spend trying to figure out why another comedian has more opportunities or success than you do is a moment that could be better spent working on your own career. The reality is that comparing yourself to other comedians will often result in more frustration than inspiration, and that frustration will block you from doing what you need to do to succeed.

There’s a million factors that go into building a successful comedy career and many of them are out of your control. Try to spend time focusing on the things you can control as opposed to spending time thinking about why things are happening for other people instead of you.

2. You’re Probably Comparing The Wrong Metrics Anyway.

I’m always amazed when I talk to comics how they can often get hung up on little things that ultimately will have little or no impact on your career. A comic that has 1,000 more Twitter followers than you do doesn’t matter if those “followers” aren’t actually paying attention to his tweets – something you have no way of knowing as an outsider. And just because a comic you know seems to get better set times at your local open mic, does that really mean he’s any closer to actually building a successful long term career than you are? No, he’s not.

If your goal is to ultimately get a job as a comedy writer, then why do you care if another comic is getting more acting auditions than you are? I know this seems a little obvious, but it’s amazing how often comedians get sucked into comparing the state of their career to their peers based on metrics that are meaningless to your own actual career goals.

3. Comedy Success Is Not An Either/Or Career Path.

One of the biggest reasons it’s meaningless to compare yourself to other comedians is because in comedy there’s no limit to how many comedians can be successful. Just because the comedian you may be comparing yourself to has succeeded, doesn’t mean that you can’t.

Sure, there are elements of the comedy business that are competitive, but for the most part success is available for as many people who work to get it. It’s not like the NBA, where there’s only a certain number of roster spots and you have to beat out the competition. In comedy, all you have to do is attract a fanbase – and your fans are welcome to support as many comics as they choose.

So who cares if some other comedians are succeeding (or failing for that matter)? Their success has absolutely zero impact on your ability to succeed.

4. It’s A Sure Way To Lose Your Unique Voice

What’s going to make you succeed ultimately is how unique you are. But the more time you spend comparing yourself to other comedians and trying to figure out why they’re succeeding and you’re not, the more likely you are to try to adapt some of their ways.

It may seem like a good idea (and I’m certainly not saying that you shouldn’t learn from the experts), but ultimately you want to make sure that you maintain your unique perspective in your comedy. Don’t try to do what other people do in the hopes that it will bring you fame and fortune. It won’t.

I’m as big a believer in the power of the Internet to change the comedy business as anybody, but I recently had a bit of a revelation. Since technology now allows you to reach the entire world with the click of a button, I think many comics are attempting to expand the reach of their career before they should.

Whether it’s spending lots of time trying to get out of town clubs to book you, or packing up your stuff and hitting the road to go on your own self-promoted “tour,” or investing a ton of time and effort into building a national fanbase, I think in many cases these things are actually distracting you from a more likely path to success.

I recently came across a video featuring a number of successful musicians discussing what they think it takes to get noticed. I’m not sure when the video was originally recorded, but it seems a little dated (I can’t imagine a lot of people are interviewing Fred Durst these days about the secret to his success).

But, that aside, I definitely think it’s worth watching. Here, check it out…

There’s a lot of great insights in the video, but one of the themes that really jumped out at me was the emphasis that so many of these artists and music industry execs put on their local scene. Repeatedly, they encourage up and coming artists to focus on their hometown, to grow their fanbase in that market, and essentially to ignore everything outside of their local base.

While I don’t agree with all of it, I do think there’s a lesson to be had here.

As a comedian, it’s easy to be seduced by the dream of performing in different cities and getting booked in far away venues. But it’s likely your time is better spent conquering your home turf first – something many comics never bother to do.

And it’s worth mentioning here that I don’t just mean succeeding in your home town to the point that you can regularly get stage time at your local club, but rather that you actually develop a real fan base in your city.

How many true fans do you think the average road comic actually has in his own home town? I’m guessing not that many.

If you’re hustling in your local market, shouldn’t you have the ability to draw more fans to a show than most out of town headliners who swoop in for a weekend? You have the advantage of having 365 days to “own” your city, whereas the out of towner who comes in has probably only been on the marquee for a couple weeks.

Why should they be able to draw more fans than you?

Yes, I understand you may not be able to compete with the “celebrity” status of a major TV star or headliner, but let’s be honest – most headliners don’t have that kind of pull. In your market, you should be able to outdraw the typical headliner if you actually put your time and effort into doing so on an ongoing basis.

And just imagine what would happen if you did…

Don’t you think your local club would notice if whenever they booked you (even as an opener) more people showed up than when they booked other local comics? Wouldn’t they book you more and possibly pay you more?

Don’t you think you’d have a better chance of selling albums to a local fanbase who’s seen you often than to a national fanbase who doesn’t really know you?

Don’t you think you’d get more industry attention by being the “King” of your local scene than you would by being just another good comic who came to Los Angeles or New York with no fanbase and just a belief that you were good enough to get discovered there?

I’m not saying you should stay in your town forever, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever go on the road.

But, I do think there’s a value to concentrating on your own local market and building a real fanbase there before you chase other things.

And that’s probably something that gets overlooked too often. Do you agree?

I spoke at a stand up comedy seminar in Los Angeles this past weekend where I delivered a 40-minute talk about What Comedians Need To Know About Social Media.

I’ve heard from many of you who live outside Los Angeles who were interested in hearing what I had to say but unable to attend, so I recorded my presentation and am now making it available for you to purchase as an MP3 audio track.

In the talk, I touch on a number of universal approaches to all forms of social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, your website, etc.) that will help you grow your fanbase and career. You’ll also hear me answer some questions from the comedians in the audience as well.

To give you a taste of what you can expect from the talk, here’s a sample clip featuring the opening 2 minutes of my presentation:

FREE SAMPLE CLIP: You No Longer Need Permission To Have A Career

To purchase the entire 40-minute talk for just $10, please click the buy button below and you’ll receive it as an instant MP3 download which you can listen to on your computer, iPod, or anywhere else you choose.

And if you’ve got any questions about how to purchase it or what you hear in the talk, you’re welcome to email me to discuss further. Thanks for your interest!

As you can imagine, I follow a LOT of comedians on social media because I’m always interested to see how they use it to interact with their fanbase, promote themselves, and grow their career. But I find myself growing tired of the majority of comedians’ social media updates and I think I’ve finally realized why.

Too many comedians treat social media like a performance.

This may not be a popular opinion, and it may not be one that many of you want to hear, but it’s true. Your social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. – are not intended to be an extension of the stage. They’re not a glorified open mic where you get unlimited time and they’re not a bringer show where you don’t have to bring any people to see you perform.

But as I scroll through my Facebook and Twitter news feeds, that’s what it seems many of you think these things are for. My feeds are full of comedians cracking jokes and trying to be funny with every single thing they post. But here’s what you’re missing…

People don’t want you to be funny on social media, they want you to be interesting.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with posting jokes or funny observations, but not everything you post should be intended to get a laugh. When somebody sees you perform on stage, they’re expecting you to make them laugh – that’s why they’re there.

But that’s NOT why they’re following you on social media.

On social media, they’re following you because they want to get to know you, because they want to interact with you, and because they want you to get to know them. They don’t want you to just keep tossing jokes at them like grenades.

But from what I see, most comedians don’t understand this. A laptop or iPhone isn’t a stage and Facebook and Twitter are not microphones. They’re tools that allow you to connect and speak with people, not just “perform” for them.

If you think about the people you follow on social media that you genuinely care about, I guarantee you it’s not just people who only use the medium to perform. You want to know what people are really like and you don’t want them to just crack jokes constantly.

So, why are you flooding your own accounts with jokes – many of which are just glorified brainstorming exercises? Wouldn’t you be better served to share things of value, to be real, and to connect with people? Won’t that ultimately build you a following of people who pay attention and genuinely care about you?

Again, there’s nothing wrong with using Facebook and Twitter to be funny and share your humor with the world. But it can be used for so much more…

Do you agree?

Besides social networks like Facebook and Twitter, there’s a lot of other online tools (most of which are free) that can really help comedians with everything from writing to merchandise. Here’s a breakdown of several tools that I’ve used myself and I think you’ll find very helpful.

1. Workflowy

If you find yourself making lists in order to organize your thoughts and other things that you need to do, then I can’t recommend Workflowy highly enough. It’s an simple web-based list maker that’s free and very flexible. Whether you want to use it for brainstorming material, managing lists of bookers you want to call, or just to have one place to keep track of your thoughts, it’s really a great tool.

2. Instapaper

If you surf the web a lot like I do and are constantly coming across things that you want to read but don’t necessarily have the time to in that moment, then Instapaper is a must-have tool. Again, it’s a free tool and it allows you to save any page on the web to “read later” with just the click of a button once you’ve installed it in your web browser.

I could really see it coming in handy for you if you come across articles and things online that you think could inspire jokes and want to be able to collect them all in one place where you can go back to them when it comes to time to write.

3. CustomInk

There’s certainly no shortage of online outlets where you can design t-shirts and other merchandise that you may want to sell, but I’m going to mention CustomInk in particular here because I’ve used it for years and have found it to be a great service. The site offers you a ton of options to design your own merch – even if you have no design skills yourself – and they’ve got great customer service. Everything I’ve ordered from CustomInk has always been delivered on time and looked great. It’s worth a look if you’re thinking of creating some merch to sell.

4. AWeber

I’ve written extensively about why I think you should use AWeber to power your email mailing list, but I figured I’d include it in this list as well. I’ve worked with many comedians who use other services, and I can tell you from my own first-hand work with them that AWeber is a LOT better than the competitors. It’s what I use and it’s what I recommend – here’s why.

5. Tweetdeck

If you’re a big Twitter user then you’re definitely going to want to check out Tweetdeck, an app which was recently purchased by Twitter. Tweetdeck will change the way you use Twitter, as it gives you the ability to separate users, lists, and searches into columns that you can view simultaneously. It’s tremendously powerful and I highly recommend you download it for free and see what you’re missing.

6. Tinyletter

If you’re looking to publish a newsletter and want to charge for it – even if you only charge $1 a week like I do for my Comedy Business Digest – then you may want to try out Tinyletter. It’s a free newsletter publisher that integrates with Paypal and makes it incredibly easy to manage your subscribers, publish your newsletter, and collect payment for it. You can also use Tinyletter to publish a free newsletter and while it may be a little simpler than AWeber, it’s not quite as powerful so I’d recommend sticking with AWeber for a free newsletter but using Tinyletter if you decide you want to charge for your newsletter.

I love (and use) all six of these tools, but they’re certainly not the only ones out there. Please leave a comment and let us know what other tools you use and why…

The Laugh Factory (which has a great YouTube channel that you should subscribe to by the way) just put out a new video that features a nice collection of advice from some established comedians to those of you that may be just getting started in your comedy careers. Check it out…

Whether it’s on Facebook or Twitter, comedians spend a lot of time posting status updates and a lot less time thinking about those updates before they actually post them. But, if you take a couple seconds to consider these three simple questions before you post your updates, the chances are your updates will become a whole lot more effective.

1. What’s The Purpose Of This Update?

There’s a lot of different reasons to post updates and all of them have value. But, if you take a second to consider what you’re hoping to accomplish with this particular update then you may find a better way to achieve that goal.

For example, if the purpose of your update is to get people to visit a blog post on your website then you should make sure that an image gets pulled with the link because that will increase the number of clicks you get.

If the purpose of your update is to get engagement to increase your page’s ability to get into your fans’ news feeds, then you want to make sure you phrase your update as a question and/or that it’s something designed to encourage interaction.

If the purpose of your update is to promote an upcoming show, then you better make sure the update includes the pertinent details about the show and that it gives a clear reason for people to care about and/or come to the show.

If the purpose of your update is just to give your followers a laugh, then you better make sure it’s funny.

This all may seem simplistic, but I bet if you check out the updates from some of the people you follow you’ll be surprised at how many people are posting updates that don’t really seem to have any actual purpose at all.

2. What Percentage Of Your Followers Are Going To Care About This Update?

It’s important to understand why people have chosen to follow you and what they’re looking for because the more you can deliver on what they want (and not spam them with what they don’t want), the more likely they will be to keep following you.

For example, people follow Connected Comedy on Facebook and Twitter because they want to hear my take on the marketing and business side of comedy. I find all kinds of other cool and interesting things to share with the world, but I don’t usually post them through Connected Comedy because I know that’s not what people were promised when they followed me. Instead, I share those things through my own personal website (and Facebook page) where people are interested in those things and not interested in my thoughts on the comedy business.

For comedians, this also extends to geographic locations. If you’re performing at a show in New York this week and I live in Los Angeles, I don’t care – so why are you sending me updates about it? Facebook allows you to post updates only to your fans that live in a particular area, so if only 25% of your fans live in New York, why are you posting updates about your New York shows to the other 75% who surely won’t care about them? All you’re doing is increasing the likelihood people will stop following you or hide your updates from their feed.

Any time you’re going to post an update, take a second to think about what percentage of your fans are likely to care about what you post. And if that number isn’t at least 50%, you probably shouldn’t be posting it as an update to them.

3. Is Your Update More For You Or Your Followers?

The vast majority of your updates should provide more value to your followers than it does to yourself. That value can come in the form of entertaining them, informing them, enabling them to interact with you and each other, or a number of other forms, but what’s important is that the value to them is there.

It’s ok to post the occasional update that provides more value to yourself than it does your followers (i.e., “vote for me in this contest,” “please share my video with your friends,” etc.), but if too many of your posts seem to be selfish you’ll wind up losing your followers. On the flipside, if every update you post does more for your followers than it does for yourself, you’ll wind up coming out way ahead in the long run.

As important as it is to get as much stage time as you can at comedy clubs and other performance venues, it’s just as important to spend time hanging out in these places when you’re not performing.

Here’s a couple reasons why it’s a good idea to try to spend some time just hanging out at your local comedy scene and some suggestions of what you can get from the time you spend off stage…

You Will Learn From What You See

When you’re not on stage, pay attention to the people that are on stage because you can learn a lot from them. Whether the comedians you’re watching are good or bad, there’s plenty of lessons to be learned about what they’re doing and why it’s working (or not working). Plus, when you watch a lot of comedy in a live venue, you will also start to learn more about what audiences expect, how they react, and how different types of crowds respond to different types of materials.

But watching the action on stage and studying audience reactions is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can learn from hanging out in comedy venues. You should also try to notice what goes on from a business perspective in the venue – how they manage the crowd, how they promote their shows, how they make their money, how they treat other comedians, what comedians they seem to favor (and why), and more. This can be especially helpful if you start to regularly hang out in multiple different venues, because it will allow you to compare and contrast the way different shows are run.

It’s Great For Networking

Like it or not, most opportunities for career advancement in comedy are tied to networking and who you know. And the hubs of comedy networking are the clubs and venues where comedians (and industry) hang out.

Most comedians think they’re going to be “discovered” performing on stage, but they don’t realize that they’re just as likely (maybe more) to make a valuable connection when they’re hanging out off stage. The more you hang out, the more comedians, bookers, managers, agents, and other industry types you’ll wind up meeting. And those casual meetings can eventually help your career in a lot of ways.

First, the more people you meet, the more connections you’ll have to people who can eventually help you by providing you opportunities to perform, connecting you to people who can help you out, etc. But beyond that, it also starts to get your name out there and you will start to become a known entity in your local comedy scene. This will usually lead to people paying more attention to you when you perform, which is obviously a good thing.

By viewing your off-stage time as an opportunity to learn as much as you do when you’re on stage, you’ll wind up learning some valuable lessons that will help you take both your performance and your career to the next level.

And One More Thing About Hanging Out…

Here’s one more thing I’ll mention that’s somewhat relevant to this topic. In addition to hanging out at comedy clubs in wherever your local comedy scene is, I would highly recommend that if you don’t live in Los Angeles or New York, you plan to visit those cities some time and spend a few days hanging out at comedy venues there.

If you’re going to have a career in comedy, the chances are you’re going to have to move to one of those cities at some point and I think it’s really important to see what they’re about well before you’re actually ready to make the move. Spending some time hanging out in comedy venues in LA or NY will likely be an eye-opening experience for you because you’ll see they are a completely different world from the comedy scene in just about any other city in the country.

Besides having the opportunity to see and connect with an incredible collection of talented comedians, you’ll gain a new perspective of your own standing in the comedy universe and recognize how far you’ll need to go in order to “make it.” But a visit to comedy’s meccas will likely inspire you to further commit to making your career work.