Last Monday I was watching WWE Monday Raw and they was talking about this social networking platform called “Tout”. The basic idea behind it is that you upload a 15 second video saying whatever you have to say. Pretty much like a video status update. This idea may seem silly but this could be something special. I now have a Tout account and you can follow me at “NellyPlayz” which is also my personal twitter handle. I will use it to cover videos for MyNerdblog, GamerMotion and random personal updates of what I’m doing. Its gonna be fun.
Tout Vs Youtube
Tout is not a youtube killer just like how twitter is not a facebook killer. Tout is for micro vlogs and youtube is for longer videos. When I do a vlog I aim not to go over 5min but what if I just want to say a few words? This is where Tout comes into play. Making a 15 second video is way more easier than making a 5 min vlog. Lets not forget that on youtube most people expect high quality videos that need to be edited.
Originality
Tout only lets you upload video from your webcam, phone’s camera or videos saved on your camera roll. This means that you can’t upload another person’s video or a movie clip. Then again, That is not what Tout is for. It is for YOUR original videos. On youtube, You can pretty much upload anything you want. From my perspective, The youtube community likes to copy from each other to get more views. Example: How many Call of Duty videos do you see online? Its too much and I don’t care about that. I want to see REAL videos from REAL people who have a REAL personality.
Those stupid youtube intros
The gaming community on youtube is a bit silly. Most of them have intros that last of 20 seconds. Think about it, Do you need a 20 second intro for a 3min video and on top of that most of them as 30 second ads so that is about 1min to wait before you can watch a video. This is a problem with the youtube community and is a turn off from me. I like my videos straight to the point and interesting.
Easy to get hooked.
Twitter was made popular because of its short updates. Instead of writing a paragraph on facebook you have to be creative and think of a way to express yourself with less words. It might feel limited at first but it forces you to make ever word count.
Might be the easiest tool for celebrities
celebrities don’t have time to blog or make long youtube videos….they actually have a life. celebrities made twitter famous because they can connect with their fans with just a few words. They can answer questions, make announcements, clear up rumors and more. Same thing goes with Tout but since it is in a video forum, It is more personal.
Is 15 seconds enough?
YES. In 15 seconds you can say about 2-3 sentences. Thats all you need most of the time. Think about what you right on twitter and facebook, Most of what you write can be said in 15 seconds or less, right?
Ads
So far Tout has no ads. They obviously may change in the future as they get bigger. Maybe they make their money just like twitter does with sponsored posts. On youtube almost anyone can put annoying 5-30 ads on their videos. How many times have you seen a 30 second ad for a 40 second video? Its stupid.
The bottom line
We all have our problems with youtube but we still love it at the end of the day. Tout will not kill youtube any time soon but it does make it a lot easier to put out those quick video updates to your followers. That is what it is all about, We have these smart phones and they are a tool to get and send information out as soon as possible.
Update:
I have not posted any videos yet cause this Tout app does not work on my Android phone so I can not use it as often as I thought but I will still use it very soon for upcoming events and updates.
