Every time SMCLA thinks we’ve hit a peak with our panels, the next one seems to eclipse it. Coming off July’s tremendously successful “Sports in Social Media” panel, SMCLA upped the ante with an insightful, educational and forward thinking discussion “Social Media Made The Video Star.”Charlie Capen (Dir. of Online Engagement, 20th Century Fox TV) kept the panel on their toes, peppering them with questions about video content, business practices, audience creation and engagement and a glimpse towards the future, covering industry growth and next generation impact.Key takeaways from the panelists, in fewer than 140 characters:On developing a connected audience in a crowded marketplace:

• "You have to understand the community and have to be a part of the community to engage that community effectively." - Violet Mae Lim (Sr. Director of Marketing, Maker Studios, @violetmae)

• "You don't want to be a one hit wonder. You want to build a sustainable audience." –Lim

• “YouTube has an aspirational quality. If I'm watching the people I like to watch, it's someone who's not too far from who I am.” – Rob Jones ( VP of Digital Strategy, Edelman Digital LA, @stranger109)

• “When you try to speak to everyone, you speak to no one.” – Brendan Gahan (Fortune 100 YouTube consultant, @brendangahan)

On how brands and content creators can achieve more success:

• "When people can communicate with the brand through the channel itself is when people start paying attention." – Dylan Conroy (VP of Sales, Channel Factory, @dylanconroy)

• “YouTube is a perfect opportunity to prove content works in short form & prove concepts so the studios come looking for you.” – Conroy

What’s next?

• "Prediction: The future of video is going to be live." Jones

• “To go big, start small and specific. That's how you make something resonate.” - Gahan

The sold-out event was graciously hosted by Maker Studios (@makerstudios) and sponsored by Dogtown Coffee (@Dogtown Coffee).Keep following @SMC_LA or Facebook.com/SocialMediaClubLA for information and tickets to our September event.