Zhang Chaoyang: Short videos will affect people's lifestyles, and the content-first business model is still relevant

The so-called self-media that rely on plagiarism and rewriting articles will have a hard time surviving.

Yesterday, Baidu's "Baijiahao" carried out the largest account ban operation in history, removing more than 200,000 self-media accounts that were taking advantage of the situation.

At the same time, at the "Fourth Sohu Video Producer Conference" held on the same day, Zhang Chaoyang put forward new views on the phenomenon of plagiarism in the short video self-media industry.

In response to the new trend of online content in current video self-media, we will use the new strategy of the self-media industry chain to provide the most influential industry platform for the majority of producers and help PGC producers "evolve", thereby leading the new trend of online content in video self-media.

Taking the opportunity to eliminate malicious behavior and purify the platform to pave the way for a new PGC pattern

Yesterday, Baidu banned a number of Baijiahao accounts that were involved in malicious bulk registration, account raising and selling, etc. Since the official did not disclose the specific list of banned accounts and the number of banned accounts, according to netizens, the number of banned accounts reached hundreds of thousands. Before that (as of March 31, 2017), the number of Baijiahao accounts released by the official was only more than 400,000, which shows how strong the measures are.

Since the birth of Baijiahao, a product that Baidu has placed great hopes on for new content distribution, plagiarism and rewriting have been rampant. The ban has been applauded by many self-media. The deterioration of content and accusations of plagiarism will inevitably affect the commercial value of Baijiahao. Baidu cannot sit idly by and watch the rampant number of account makers on Baijiahao.

The combination of Baidu and Sohu platforms has undoubtedly broadened the depth and breadth of video self-media content dissemination. Sohu Video and Baidu Video have integrated advantageous resources and technical empowerment such as big data, high commissions, user traffic and brand promotion, and will create a new pattern of PGC content ecology. In the long run, the importance of high-quality content will only be highlighted behind the account ban, which is undoubtedly more beneficial for self-media practitioners who focus on original and in-depth content.

Remove low-level dross and overcome content shortcomings to vigorously support high-quality short video output

2016 was a year of rapid growth for PGC in China, with a large amount of capital and producers entering the market. Major video websites and brands such as UC Toutiao and Miaopai launched relevant support plans, focusing on increasing investment in funds and resources in the PGC field.

However, despite the huge investment enthusiasm and market demand, the development shortcomings of short videos are worrying. Content creation is highly homogenized, and the old tricks of imitation, cute pets, and funny games lack new ideas; the platform only cares about short-term profits and lacks long-term planning; supervision is weak and copyright protection is absent, and vulgar content and creative plagiarism are rampant.

Zhang Chaoyang, Chairman and CEO of Sohu Inc. and CEO of Sohu Video, said: "The model of top online dramas represents the impact and changes that the Internet has brought to the entertainment industry, while the short video model is a change to the entire human lifestyle. It is a larger, more in-depth and detailed business model." Therefore, content is king and is still the core of the current and future business model.

From UGC to PGC, from shoddy production to huge investment, to the current boutique strategy under the integration of the ecological industry chain, whether PGC can bring differentiated competition to video websites and get rid of the quagmire of copyright is a topic worth discussing. Sohu Video is in the "revolutionary" stage of the video industry. By leading two anti-piracy campaigns, the problem of long video piracy has been basically solved. In the face of the rapidly developing short video field. Sohu Video will integrate multiple systems, insist on strategic investment in original self-media producers, produce content and accumulate fans, and cultivate and incubate high-quality IP.

It is foreseeable that the Matthew effect in the future market will be further intensified, user subscription plus algorithm distribution will become the mainstream, and the refinement, verticalization and diversified monetization of PGC will be the key to market development and the core force driving the upgrading of the entire industry chain.

Zhang Chaoyang said: "The future will be a high-touch society. With the advancement of the Internet and technology, communication between people is no longer limited to mobile phone screens. Everyone will transcend time and space to enjoy 24-hour happiness. Sohu Video will also strive to be a promoter and practitioner of this."

Currently, Sohu Video has more than 6,100 self-media, 36,000 columns, more than 2.3 million videos, an average daily audience of 30 million, and a monthly platform playback volume of 3 billion.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.