A twenty-three-year-old office worker with a degree in graphic arts has gained a following for her videos on YouTube, and a painting featured in one of her videos is finding bidders on eBay. Bryony, who calls herself Paperlilies, has posted 75 videos on YouTube, the social-networking site recently acquired by Google that allows users to post and watch videos online.
On Saturday, Bryony posted a videotape of herself painting a "blob" on YouTube, and after getting inquiries, listed the painting on eBay UK on Sunday in a 5-day auction.
Three videos later, Bryony talked about "ebaying the blob" and expressed surprise that the auction she listed for 1-pence is up to 50 pounds. An AuctionBytes reader who happened to see her video on YouTube and then stumbled across the eBay auction said, "Just thought it was neat that youtube appears to be helping this young artist sell on ebay. Thought it might make a good story for you."
Bryony is not new to the world of ecommerce. She operates a CafePress store, sells jewelry on Etsy.com (in addition to selling the jewelry in a market in London) and has several blogs, one featuring photographs of her jewelry.
The distinction between ecommerce and social networking is blurring. According to a recent Citigroup Investment Research report, retailers and large companies like Procter & Gamble are looking to social networking sites such as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook as marketing platforms. Bryony demonstrates how individuals can use these sites both as creative outlets and as promotional tools.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&item=170039614485
