John Houghton's New Media Blog » Online Video

You Don’t Have To Be A Big Company To Leverage Online Video To Increase Sales

John — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:35:42 +0000

I just came across a great article in the NY Times, talking about how companies are using online video to reach customers. ”At a time when other categories of advertising dollars are shrinking, video ads are booming.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/business/media/11adco.html?_r=1

Big media are using online video, but you don’t have to be a big company to take advantage of it in your particular market. For example, The Wall Street Journal sells pre-roll ads for its news stories and the thinking is a 20 second pre-roll is worth it for the user to get 3 – 5 minutes of well produced video. WSJ incidentally is sold of its ad inventory.

A company can use this on a much smaller scale. One of the most popular search phrases on the internet is “how to.” People turn to the internet to find out how to all kinds of things. If you are a detergent company, you can produce a video about how to remove certain stains from fabric. If you are a motor oil manufacturer, you can produce videos on how to change the oil on 10 of the most popular vehicles. Put a 20 second pre-roll on the video. Learn how to promote video so that many thousands of people see it.

Best Practices for Online Video

John — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:11:05 +0000

We just published a podcasts talking about how Salesforce.com uses online video to improve brand loyalty and increase sales.

http://www.newmediacurrents.com/10_NMC_10.13.09.mp3

It’s always great to see a case study of someone who is using the technology, talking about numbers and speaking openly about their practices. Podcast features the head of the video group as he talks about how they produce video, YouTube integration, and techniques to get the most bang for the buck. In the next day or two, we’ll be publishing a podcast with the person who heads up Oracle’s Facebook and Twitter initiatives. Check back regularly with New Media Currents.

Communicating With Online Video

John — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:40:18 +0000

A friend forwarded me an interesting article on using video to show impatient prospects what your company does. This article points out and I underscore the fact that just as in any medium, one must be very clear, concise and creative with video. I work with a lot of tech companies and frequently run across marketing techies who think because their camera records with the latest technology, that their video is going to be great. Often times these folks turn out a home made video that looks like it was shot by a teenager.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/11/the-underutilized-power-of-the-video-demo-to-explain-what-the-hell-you-actually-do/

Online Video Builds Brand

John — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:04:40 +0000

Interactive websites carry more impact and get better response than those that are not interactive. This, according to a study published in Science Daily, May 27, 2008. The use of video on websites was tested and found to have a large impact on outcomes. Users “are likely to buy into whatever is being advocated” if the site is interactive as such sites “shape positive perceptions.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080526000349.htm

This confirms something that we’ve known. Video on websites is effective at making emotional connections and that helps build brand. Source of the study is the Penn State Media Lab.

Great WSJ Article “How to Be a Star in a YouTube World” (5/14/07)

John — Tue, 15 May 2007 06:33:58 +0000

In this new media world the ways of getting noticed as an advertiser (and an individual) have changed and that was nicely summed up in today’s Wall Street Journal article, “How to Be a Star in a YouTube World.” The first header in the article is “Be Consistent,” in other words, release your content consistently. A lot of companies want to try out new media such as podcasting and video podcasting and expect big returns after one or two episodes, but a lot of new media establishes itself over time. You can’t expect to be popular after one or two blog posts, nor can you have a large following after one or two podcasts. If you release weekly, you must stick to it; monthly, that’s not as frequent but you may see results in 9 months. If you release episodes daily, you’ll grow quickly, but make sure you have a staff to support you.

The article also exhorts us to “Act Like a Pro” and advises against “amateur” production values but that “the most popular material is definitely more polished than the rest of the pack.” Programs need to be well produced, thought out in advance, and depending on the subject matter, they require a lot of research.

Disney Predicts Mobile and Web TV Are the Future

John — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:59:12 +0000

As Disney lays out its plans for the future, they see mobile content delivery as a key compontent of their roadmap calling it a $27 billion dollar market by 2010.

http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=112443

Mobile phones are being used in innovative ways. I talked to a Japanese businessman a few weeks ago who pays for his dinner in Tokyo with his cell phone.

Online Video Taking Off

John — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:48:27 +0000

As if it wasn’t already big, thanks to YouTube and friends, video is increasingly getting traction. According to Media Metrix, which measures such things, YouTube broke into the Media Metrix Top 50 for the first time, “debuting at number 40 with 16 million visitors, a 20 percent increase versus June.” I’ve noticed this trend in my own company – big demand for video.

According to Jack Flanagan of Media Metrix, “the trends we’re witnessing indicate that online video is emerging from its infancy and entering the mainstream. Many publishers and advertisers are responding to this trend, which means advertising dollars will continue to migrate online where consumers can be targeted with efficiency.”

As for how I like to consume content, YouTube is a bit cumbersome. In my company I get paid to survey the market and I can’t waste time doing so. I can traverse more content more quickly with other engines. I like Google Video because if I like something I can download it to my video iPod fairly seamlessly and in the correct format. I can also watch Charlie Rose at full length and without advertising. Apparently Yahoo has the most user adoption with video, however, with Yahoo you cannot download in mpeg-4 format for the iPod. Only windows media player or flash.