Time, Conde Naste, Even Google Get This
We'll go back to our YouTube.com example: 4,000,000,000 page views per day, or about 1,000,000,000,000 page views per year. YouTube's own searches would be second behind only Google, if only Google didn't own YouTube. So the search is lumped into the Google network. But let's get more mainstream: Time or Conde Naste. For those not familiar with Conde Naste, they print Wired, Traveler, Ars Technica and a host of other web properties that feed each other. Of course, the content is interrelated but unique. Same thing with Time, Inc. Not convinced. Look at how many domains feed each other at General Electric, from NBC to CNBC to MSNBC.
ONCE AGAIN, IT STARTS WITH DOMAINS
Content development across a single domain is tough enough, but driving long-term traffic across a network can be a real challenge. The trick is making sure to identify established and emerging companies that have done the hard work for you; then you target the domain names related to the content, or close to it, and build.
As with any quality content development, the resources required to start and maintain content-driven sites and networks will be far greater than with simply identifying technology companies or specific category-killer domain names for your investment. But the key to a well-rounded technology portfolio will be hammering through the higher startup costs associated with a quality network, then getting user interactions to build upon the foundation you start.
EBAUMSWORLD.COM
An ideal example of a small network making expansion moves is EbaumsWorld.com, which is part of the Viumbe Network. EbaumsWorld.com went online in 2001. The next domain in the network, YourDailyMedia.com, went online in 2005. In May 2011, the third content-driven property, Celebremix.com, was added to the mix. Using EbaumsWorld.com to pump up the traffic, Celebremix.com is already generating about 25,000 visits per month. That is EbaumsWorld.com feeding traffic to it's celebrity photo mix site.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
Content development strategies involve more than just words and pictures. It means getting users involved into the script. One of the ways to do that quickly and effectively is with video streaming. Video is how YouTube became the gargantuan site it is today, and it's how EbaumsWorld.com is generating 62,000,000 page views each month.
