The massive, and occassionally copyright infringing, user content of YouTube makes advertisers nervous if not downright confused how to reach users. So here is My Pitch for YouTube to attract advertisers without allienating its independently minded users.

Have a company, or several companies, sponsor biweekly or monthly contests where users are to create their own commercials for these companies. The commercials, or short films, must feature that company’s product. The company(ies) then offer prizes: money, video equipment, coupons. Users then vote on their favorite videos, providing constant views who will watch several “commercials” featuring said product. The company will also pay YouTube a certain amount, in a sense, paying to advertise the contest. One contest can be the “Featured” contest of the month with two or three smaller ones for additional revenue (and fun).

Users keep control of the content while advertises get very inexpensive yet addictively interactive commercials.

My Pitch is a semi-regular column where I propose a possible solution or idea for evolving media and business in the new media.