Archive for the ‘Digital Video’ Category
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
For the past decade, companies have been talking about getting serious about digital video. But now, the technology has gotten cheap enough and the software has gotten easy enough, where it’s actually doable.
In fact, 69% of marketers plan to increase their digital video advertising in the next 12 months. Rather than just TV commercials, this can be anything. YouTube banner overlays. Hulu interstitials. This world is still relatively new and growing. But everyone wants to be a part of it. Because they know that’s where their customer is. And it looks like they’re starting to put their money where their mouth is. In fact, those surveyed claim that 17% of their total online advertising budget will be video-based. Why? Video is engaging, and therefore, can be more cost-efficient to get the results you need. Plus, this advertising is trackable and targetable. So you know exactly what you’re getting out of your investment – much more so than with traditional television advertising.
It’s a brave new world. But it’s the crazy ones who stay where we used to be.
Tags: digital-video-advertising, google-advertising, internet-marketing-company
Posted in Digital Video, Google | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
Does it weird anyone else out that more and more mainstream media outlets are trying to become Web 2.0 friendly? Integrating social media within their programs and such. In fact, ESPN and YouTube have publicly made a call for your user-generated content, including children’s original sports highlights and more.
Will ESPN turn into Fail blog or America’s Funniest Home Videos? This “Your Highlight” promotion will consist of a winner picked from a selection of favorite entries, with the winning video shown on SportsCenter itself.
What are we to make of this evolution? Is this simply a way for mainstream media to vamp up their Web content, more than actually evolving their real content? Or are we seeing a cataclysmic evolution in the way users help create programming?
Tags: espn, Social Media, web-2.0, website-marketing, your-highlight, YouTube
Posted in Digital Video, YouTube | Comments Off
Monday, March 28th, 2011
Following the tsunami in Japan, YouTube has stepped up to help connect lost people with their family and friends. The YouTube Person Finder lets users update the most current information on those affected by the Japanese tsunami disaster.
A major Japanese television system, The Tokyo Broadcasting System has been shooting video at shelters around the affected areas of Japan. And these short video messages are being uploaded to the YouTube Person Finder. This search tool lets you search victims by name, home location or shelter. And although English is not supported, Kanji, Katakana and Hirgana character formats are.
Right now, user-submitted content is not integrated in the finder. Supposedly, the thought is that homeless victims wouldn’t have Internet access and web cams anyway. But, this is the start of something big. Imagine adoptees using this tool to find their birth parents. Romantic strangers looking for lost loves. And most importantly, as in the case here, victims and their families.
Way to go YouTube. Here’s to the future.
Tags: internet-consultant, japan, Search-Engine-Optimization, tokyo-broadcasting-system, tsunami, youtube-person-finder
Posted in Digital Video, YouTube | Comments Off
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
The online video rankings have been shaken. While Google sites are still strongly affixed among the top of the charts, Microsoft has jumped 5 spots, into the #2 position, gaining 10.7 million visitors between January and February, according to ComScore.
Microsoft has had quite a year or so with Bing and Windows 7 Mobile, and I’m becoming very glad they’re playing this strong underdog role to Google. Because it keeps Google on their toes. Makes them better.
And who knows? Perhaps Microsoft will come out with a game-changer that makes us rethink the #1 spot. After all, there’s plenty of undiscovered digital territory for the next-generation Magellan to discover. Google’s plans to move to professional-level HD video on YouTube are going to switch things up. We’ll see how Microsoft counters.
Tags: bing, Google, Microsoft, online-video, windows-7-mobile, YouTube
Posted in bing, Digital Video, Google, YouTube | Comments Off
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
The iPad, which beat all other tablets to market by a good distance, still beats out everything else on the market. And now, the 2nd evolution of the iPad has been announced for imminent release – the Apple iPad 2.
It’s significantly better than the iPad. Way better than anything else. And I’m still dissapointed.
Yes, I take complete blame for this hypocrisy. It’s not like I was expecting anything that the iPad 2 doesn’t offer. I don’t know what my problem is. It’s lighter. Thinner. Faster. Has a front-facing camera for FaceTime. A rear-racing camera for taking pictures and HD video. And it’s the same price as the old iPad. I’m telling you, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I guess the problem is that better isn’t new. The iPad WAS the leap. Now, it’s just about holding the lead. Which the iPad 2 definitely does.
Tags: Apple, apple-iPad-2, FaceTime, HD-Video, ipad, mobile-marketing
Posted in Apple, Digital Video, ipad, mobile-marketing | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Now, video on demand from Amazon isn’t new. You’ve been able to stream television shows and movies from Amazon for a while now, a la carte, or by season. But that’s not the same thing, and not really a direct Netflix competitor. Until now.
Amazon has launched Amazon Prime, an unlimited, commercial-free, on-demand streaming provider of movies and television. A yearly subscription costs $79. Wait, Amazon Prime? I thought that’s what they called the membership where you get unlimited free 2-day shipping with your orders. Yup. That’s the one. For those people, this is a completely free bonus. For new customers, the shipping might act as that “bonus”.
Now, this on-demand access to 5,000 movies and shows is only a part of Amazon’s 90,000 offering collection of Instant Video. And doesn’t really compare to Netflix’s online streaming catalog. But, there’s a competitor in the making here. And it’s exciting.
Tags: Amazon, amazon-prime, internet-marketing-consulting, netflix, on-demand-video
Posted in Amazon, Digital Video | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
We’ve been saying it for years now. This is the year that businesses are going to start effectively utilizing online video in their e-commerce persuasion. And it still hasn’t happened yet.
Not that it’s not out there. But simply that it’s not mainstream. And those who are utilizing it aren’t necessarily utilizing it well.
What we have going behind our prediction this year is that it’s cheaper than ever to create video. So, ultra-specific page-centric video isn’t a pipe dream or a budget buster anymore. And a company can read case study after case study about how effect online videos are.
What factors are against our perpetual prediction coming to pass? New formats. Will this video be optimizing for iPads? iPhones? Not sure. Ok, we’re not doing it.
So, if you’re an in-house marketer, how do you get around this? Baby steps. Add video to things you’re already creating. A video from your CEO on your request more info page. It’ll stoke his ego. Increase your form conversion rate. And wet the wheels for your video future.
Tags: e-commerce, google-marketing, ipad, iphone, online-video, shopping-feed-management
Posted in Apple, Digital Video, Google, ipad | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
We’re using our phones more and more. But using our phone satellites less and less.
ABI Research estimates that over 7 trillion SMS messages will be sent in 2011, from 4.2 billion mobile phones. And as more and more customers move to smartphone capabilities, Internet browsing, multimedia viewing and e-mail messaging are becoming mainstream phone activities as well.
Note that none of these features actually use phone satellites, but rather, a wireless carrier’s data system. The evolution of our phone experience is creating a necessary evolution of our wireless infrastructure too.
But at least these phone satellites can still handle the calls we do make, right? Not if we decide to use Google Voice or Skype to save money. Those phone call systems use a data connection, too.
Tags: abi-research, google-voice, mobile-marketing, skype, sms-messages
Posted in Digital Video, Google, mobile-marketing, Smartphones | Comments Off
Thursday, December 30th, 2010
What’s the next step for broadband speed increases in the U.S.? Because as our imagination continues to grow with what’s possible online, we continue to want cooler and cooler entertainment streamed to us through the cloud.
So, the idea was that the nation would need to evolve to an all-fiber network in order to meet that demand. But, it turns out that cable broadband connections can handle most HD streaming. And the country moving to fiber looks like it’s a long far way away.
In fact, half of the U.S. currently doesn’t have access to 4mpbs download rates, according to the Communications Workers of America. And since 2007, not much has changed. In fact, if we continue to grow at our current rate, it will take us 60 years to catch up with South Korea – and that’s if their technology doesn’t improve at all.
So, Web technology has enabled us to do more with less than ever before. But perhaps once we dream of something new that really requires fiber will we decide to figure out how to get it.
Tags: broadband-speed, cloud-computing, Communications-Workers-of-America, internet-marketing, website-marketing
Posted in cloud-computing, Digital Video | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
With Hulu recently discounting their on-demand video service by 20% to $7.99 a month, Netflix has decided to match Hulu’s new monthly price and offer, for the first time in the U.S., a streaming only video service.
NetFlix’s monthly plans have always included some sort of DVD-by-mail plan. But now, with an ever-growing selection of both movies and TV entertainment, some customers don’t even want the mailing option anymore. More NetFlix content is currently being streamed instantly over the Internet than watched on DVDs. So NetFlix is starting a new, lower-priced plan for these customers.
I think it’s worth noting that NetFlix has been in business since 1999, and had the foresight to pre-fix their name with “net” despite the fact that their business would be done via mail for its first decade. It’s like they knew this was coming.
Tags: dvd, Hulu, internet-consulting, netflix, streaming-video
Posted in Digital Video | Comments Off
