"Val's Art Diary" & The Road to Building Your Brand Online

Above: Valentina Trevino, founder of Val's Video Diary. She infact "made friends on YouTube," and turned a personal hobby into an annual six figure income.
Image Credit: World News 

I think Valentina Trevino, the girl behind Val's Art Diary is an absolute genius. I thought about her when I read chapters 8 and 9 in our textbook this week. She started a viral buzz around HER. People like her art because they like her. Additionally, since consumers are able to watch Val construct her artwork and understand her thoughts and why she's doing it, they are probably more inclined to purchase work from her. She does in fact offer rich content, and by posting videos and being on social media web sites, she's providing the content in a way younger people want it delivered. She even has a free iPhone Application! Furthermore, she incorporates various aspects of pop culture into her videos, and links them to her artwork. You don't really hear about people comparing their art/constructing art while discussing Britney Spears' custody battle, or Lady Gaga, or high-end fashion designers like Christian Dior. She's a very intelligent young woman by connecting with her audience via facebook, as she can receive direct feedback, and learn what her audience wants to see- for free! 

I'm not surprised that Val has achieved all this success. She had a great idea and ran with it. Her videos offer humor, entertainment, value, and are free to watch! By adding new videos and art, she has developed a fan base. She is the perfect example that an ordinary person can take a hobby, go viral with it, and earn a large, steady income from it. From researching Val I have learned that with the right idea, YouTube is definitely a place for small businesses to thrive. Furthermore, people might not even realize that their idea has the capability to be a business when it really does. Val has a great personality and brings key elements to her videos, thus she's marketable. I also learned that video web sites have awesome benefits. Most of them allow you to upload your content and communicate with your audience for free. Uploading a video to the internet could be the start of something huge. One idea can blow up into something huge. If users know how to effectively market themselves as a brand within their videos, they can build a fan base and generate revenue. Videos are such a great way to reel people in, and get them to obtain more information. As said in Val's Wall Street Journal article, 43% of the 59% of people who watched an online video in February 2007 went onto another web site to further explore as a result of watching the video. 

I think pretty much anybody can use the same approach Val took. For aspiring singers looking to make connections within the music industry and develop a fan base, the internet has become a great place to do so. Creating videos of you singing/performing and uploading them to YouTube is a great way to get recognized. Additionally, it's a good idea to have a social media profile to communicate with people who like what they see. They may have questions, song requests, and just personally communicating with them is a great way to sustain a relationship. If they feel like they know you, they're more inclined to be the ones buying your music, going to your concerts, etc. Many stars were discovered on YouTube, including Colbie Caillat and Justin Bieber. A&R people and record labels are always looking for the next big thing, and are looking towards the internet. For anyone looking to follow in the footsteps of those two, Val, and thousands of other people, I would suggest creating a YouTube (or other video) account and upload videos regularly that showcase what you want to "sell." Giving a glimpse of your personality and vulnerability is good too....don't be a robot. Additionally, facebook and twitter are also good means to alert your audience of new videos, news, etc, and keep in touch with them. They also allow you to be your own publicist. All these services are free of charge too!