The push to successfully monetize YouTube has been discussed at great length over the past few months, with Google CEO Eric Schmidt being the main person behind the effort.
After Schmidt first spoke about the problems Google is experiencing in making YouTube the money-making giant it should be, There were calls to just kill the site off, as it could forever be a revenue black hole.
More Than Pre & Post-Roll Ads
Just this month, we’ve seen pre-roll and post-roll adverts announced as being on their way to YouTube. Then there was discussion about possibly pre-vetting all videos in an effort to gain advertisers.
Now, Schmidt has spoken to CNET about future plans. In a conference call after Google reported disappointing second-quarter earnings, he told them:
“There will be new monetization forms. That is what we are seeking. That is the holy grail. When we find it, it (monetization) is likely to be very large because of the scope and scale of YouTube.”
“We’re working on revenue scenarios and newer product. I personally do not believe the perfect (YouTube) ad has been invented.”
The Perfect Fit
Schmidt also said that the company is most pleased with in-video ads that are embedded across the bottom of the video, but that there are going to be many more trials in an effort to find the perfect fit.
I’m not sure whether Google will ever find the perfect fit for YouTube, but there could be some happy compromises. What is clear is that Google won’t rest until YouTube actually starts paying back some of the $1.65 billion it paid for the video-sharing site.
