The once bold dividing line between television and web content is rapidly becoming blurred.
More and more people are replacing there television watching habits with the convenience of online options.
A large number of companies have new offerings of hardware gadgets that enable you to watch online video on your television.
Sezmi, Boxee, Roku, and Kylo are all companies introducing innovative products that enable users to take advantage of the convenience and affordability of web video, right on their flat screen.
For those interested in reaching a broad audience, video marketing on the internet seems to be a bright-future option.
For some time now I've been stating that it will get to a point where every business will need at a minimum an "about us" video on the home page of their website to compete (now I actually think it's more like a video on every page that has a major topic or offering). I ran across this article by Mark Robertson from ReelSEO that featured an online video that speaks to the fact that Google is now being aggressive about indexing the videos on your website making more than ever a need for marketers to jump over the "we don't need video" line.
For you non-internet "geeky talk" folks, this means that the king of SEO is trying to help people find your videos easier and will reward those that do it right by pushing your relevant videos "up" on the search page. But, it's only for those companies that actually have videos on their web site along with some know how on how to publish them with the correct sitemap.
We produce lots of web videos, and we are very proud of them. Each week we will showcase one. Sometimes they will be funny, feature compelling characters, showcase best practices for online video marketing, and hopefully even be entertaining.
What makes this web video interesting is the 'behind the scenes' look at firefighter gear. I personally had no idea any of this may be an issue until I went to shoot the video. From an internet marketing standpoint, it does a great job of hiding the 'product demo' into a story about these firemen.
How am I supposed to maintain a good work ethic during the World Cup? It's hard enough simply knowing that there are games being played. Games with an intensity that comes along once every four years. Games on DAILY.
With people realizing the importance of online video production and the fact that I work for a company like Cantaloupe TV... I am able to stream these daily matches. Watching them right at my desk, live nonetheless.
I came across a great source of futuristist projections: Cisco's Visual Networking Index Forecast. Their press release, just released June 2nd, is a great summary of all of Cisco's predictions about the explosion of IP traffic in the future, and the role web video will play.
Fun forecast facts:
IP traffic will grow over 30% per year through 2010
The growth in traffic will continue to be dominated by video
Online video will surpass 55% of consumer internet traffic by 2014
The amount of video that will cross global IP networks in 2014 every second would take two years for one of us to watch!
So, still not sure about the important role of online video for your business, read more here, and check out Cisco's hightlights video too. Want to know how to make online video work for you? Give us a call!
And check out how Cisco is using video in their own online marketing efforts on their website home page.
The World Cup kicks off in 4 days! Adidas has put together a great web video to promote themselves. It features soccer players in the famous "Cantina Scene" from Star Wars. The editing is done really well, and fans of the movie or soccer should enjoy it.
This is a great example of good internet marketing. Adidas could talk about shoes, but instead they just decide to entertain you. All I have to say is Snoop Dog with a lightsaber, what else could you want?
I have had many conversations with people who suggest online endeavors are great for the younger demographics, but the senior citizen community shouldn't be a big consideration.
Not so fast.
A recent Nielson report proves otherwise. According to Nielson, the number of active internet users ages 65 and older has increased 55% in the past five years. The amount of active seniors online is growing rapidly. The more surprising thing, however, is what seniors are doing online. The top four websites visited by seniors, listed in order are:
1) Google 2) Windows Media Player 3) Facebook 4) Youtube
Google isn't much of a surprise, but the other three are. Facebook and other social networking sites are an increasingly popular destination for seniors. 8.2% of all social network and blog visitors are over 65; surprisingly, this is only 0.1% less than the number of teenagers who frequent these sites.
The number two and number four most popular sites for seniors is the most intriguing. This is proof that senior citizens don't behave any differently than the rest of the internet demographics when it comes to web video. When we suggest that video is the currency by which people are communicating online, this does not exclude senior citizens; so do not discount their importance when planning your video marketing strategy.
OK, this is a little scary. My 7 year old daughter met a boy at a wedding of a dear friend. They danced the night away and she insisted it was love. Because we all know 7-year-olds know a lot about love. Anyway, "the boy" lives about 2 hours from out home. For months she has talked about him and vice versa. Finally, after much prodding the two talked, with the parents sitting on the other end of the respective lines. No, they didn't talk on the phone they insisted on Skyping. It was kind of cute. So, what does this mean about online video production or video marketing? It shows the power of video and what it brings to the table. Video, when pulled off well (very important phrase), brings a lot of things together that simply cannot be done as well in text or photographs. Video allows one to experience an emotion better than any other medium. Pictures, while they can be moving, are merely a snapshot in time. Video pulls the viewer into a more rich experience. Text, while it can also be impactful, does not bring the emotion of the moment or the character into account. Internet video marketing has the power to do all of that in one 'experience.' Subtly pepper in marketing messages, showing a visually compelling scene and getting the viewer to feel something are integral in the success of any marketing video, especially when it is on the internet. These are the three ingredients I continually 'preach' to Cantaloupe TV clients. That's why my daughter opted for Skyping over talking on the telephone. She wanted to hear AND see her "little boyfriend." Video accommodated that. It was a much more enriching and memorable experience for her...and me! And, no she will not be doing this regularly and is not allowed to go on a date until she is at least 25! Rock on.
One common mistake that marketers make with their web videos is believing that a server is a server is a server. If you want your site visitors or employees to be able to access something - a video, a document, pages of content - all you have to do is post it /somewhere/ on the Internet and viola! Right? Well, not so much.
Most web servers are not optimized for video playback. Additionally, the bandwidth required to play a video - especially a popular or viral one - can put a strain on your website. As we've touched on before, your offline and online marketing materials represent your company.
Make sure that your web videos are hosted with a reliable source who is ready to handle the unique demands video brings to the technical environment. The cost of doing this right is small, but the stakes are high when it comes to delivering a quality experience to your video viewers.
Simply doing internet videos may not be enough... video marketing can be much more successful if you produce stories rather than videos. At Cantaloupe TV we produce online video stories because stories are entertaining and that's what people want to see.
Below is a quick, poor-quality, uninteresting story about my wife and I going to a cookout. I think that the majority of the people that click on the story will watch all the way through, regardless of my warning about the quality, non-entertaining subject matter, etc... Take a look.
Did you watch all the way through? Was it because you were interested in how the STORY ended?
Another lesson, or reminder, was when Mitch Joel stepped up to the mic. The author of Six Pixels of Separation reminded us of another important paradigm in viral marketing:
Content is King. He mentioned that most marketers are doing what they've always done, just on the web. Banner ads = billboards; email = direct marketing; etc. He challenged us to think beyond that. The internet is not a broadcast tool; it's about having the right conversations with the right people. Content, not broadcasting mediums, is king . . . in video marketing and otherwise.
My time in Boston at the Marketing Profs B2B Conference was a truly positive experience. There was one fantastic reminder that bears repeating.
Transparency Reigns in Viral Marketing:David Weinberger, senior researcher at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, reminded us how important transparency is in this new age of marketing. He made a fantastic illustration using a castle. He called in "Ft. Business." This was the old school way of filtering messaging, content, behavior, brand and feedback that an organization handles. He argued that in this information age we live in now, it's impossible to propagate and spin our messages. I happen to agree. So instead of overly controlling your brand, embrace the mess. Don't be afraid of exposing your company's fallacies and don't squelch negative feedback from customers; embrace it. This is 100% applicable to web video and video marketing.
My husband, being a "man's man," loves these kinds of silly, quasi-perverse rhetorical questions. And the age-old querry, "does size really matter?" always gets a smirk from him. But, really it does apply to video marketing on the internet.
Online video storytelling, in any capacity, is much more labor intensive and costly than writing an essay, article, or a blog. So, often times those who purchase videos believe they must be scripted epics that cover every single marketing message their team of managers, assistants, and directors can concoct. Whereas I truly appreciate their efforts, a well-rounded web video strategy looks at each individual video as a simple part of a more well-crafted branding image. Instead of having an executive spend 20 minutes on a video telling me how great his/her people are at XYZ Company, I'd rather hear from and see the individuals in short and impactful video stories.
In my experience, successful online videos have several key components- they are visually interesting, convey an emotion, and do not drag on and on for the sake of dragging on and on. The last thing any marketer wants is to spend a ton of money on a video nobody can stomach to watch.
In my tenure at Cantaloupe, I can't tell you how many times I have told folks that we are not like a lot of traditional website video firms. With our style of web video production, we don't price on the basis of how long a video is (unless it is a 20 minute epic- I wouldn't recommend that anyway), rather we price based on the number of videos and the style. So...does size really matter? You can interpret the question however you want, but sometimes (to my husband's delight) smaller is better.
By now, you may have realized that online video marketing is something your organization needs to do. The problem is, you're probably not completely sure how that web video campaign should look and how is should fit in with the rest of your online marketing.
What kind of video works online? Where should I put my videos? How many videos should I have on my website? What kind of online video platform should I use? How do I distribute my web video?
You may have researched various website video firms and online video platform companies, but if you still need a little direction I encourage you to register for one of Cantaloupe TV's ongoing webinars entitled, Eloupe: Engage your Audience the Cantaloupe Way.
In this 45 min webinar, you will learn:
How influential your web presence is How powerful online video is What kind of video works on the internet The five "must haves" of a well-rounded online video campaign How Cantaloupe TV provides a full service video marketing solution that is a proven opportunity increaser
Marketers tend to suffer from what I call, "The Wizard of Oz Complex." They are standing behind the curtain trying to make you believe something that isn't exactly true. Lots of bells, whistles, smoke and spins that try to hide their flaws and insecurities as a company.
What they don't seem to realize is that their customers are like Dorothy strolling down the yellow brick road to Transparency City singing "If I Only Had Some Truth." It's what they want, and they will get it from "Somewhere over the Internet" with the help of their "Google-slippers."
You may think your marketing mumbo jumbo is an Iron Curtain you can hide behind, but I promise that your web video curtain is just as flimsy and obvious as the Wizard's. And, just like Toto, viewers know that it's all just a show, and someone is behind the curtain. Web video is about honest, transparent information that is entertaining.
If you are going to brave the world of web video (which you will have to sooner or later) be brave enough to follow the yellow brick road to Transparency City and avoid the Wicked Witch of Marketing Mumbo Jumbo.
President of Cantaloupe.tv, Stacy Billanti, takes time to stop by IndyStar's "Bizz Buzz". Watch as Stacy discusses Cantaloupe's progression in online video production, video content management software, and the future of internet video marketing. Stacy answers the question of "why" you need online video and how Cantaloupe offers an A-Z solution for online video. She even mentions that you should "stay tuned" for a new product offering to be released at the beginning of the year.
I was driving southbound on interstate 465 here in Indianapolis the other day after a tiring day at work. As I was weaving in and out of traffic, I happened to notice a billboard. This particular billboard was vacant, and the company who owned it had a catchy little saying to entice people to occupy it. You know the kind . . . "made you look," "your customers could be looking at this," stuff like that. This billboard, however, had something I've never seen written before. It said, "Why whisper when you can shout?" Clever. Point well made. Makes sense. But, as I continued to fight my way through mini vans and semi trucks, I began to think more about this rhetorical question. Why WOULD I whisper if I could shout? It was almost as if it were a riddle I HAD to answer. Then it hit me like a house load of bricks . . .
With the advent of technologies like broadband internet, the world has evolved from being a billion, tiny microcosms to one gigantic monster. With it's evolution has come a certain change in how we communicate. In this new, never-sleep, global society; glitz, flash, superlatives and techno music are working overtime just to catch our attention. There are thousands of entertainment and broadcast mediums, millions of websites, XM gave us hundreds of specific radio stations, there are cable stations galore . . . and the more they grow, the more THEY shout. Pulling us to and fro with enticing words and attractive choreography. Back and forth, over and over, they shout. Buy this! Come in here! Watch me! Listen to this! Read me! Subscribe here! Travel there! Wear this! Order now! A deafening chorus of shouting. But, here's the point . . . If everyone is shouting, who is really being heard? A whisper is rare. A whisper grabs your attention. Ever been at a table, and someone leans over to whisper your neighbor a secret? What do you typically do? You stop. You pay attention. You naturally want to know what the secret is. If you're close enough, you may pry to find out what it was. You completely grab one's attention if you whisper, and in a world of loud mouths and yodelers, people crave the intimate, and personalized delivery of a whisper. Yes, technology has brought us many great things . . . but, boy has it numbed certain aesthetic human subtleties. Email is wonderful, and fast, and convenient, but do you remember the appreciation and self value you felt when you received a handwritten letter? Sure, getting flair or a "poke" on Facebook is kind of nice, but how does it compare to someone firmly holding your hand, looking you in the eyes and saying with sincerity, "I appreciate you." You see . . . we've gotten away from that. As marketing gurus, we must understand that our job is not necessarily to shout as loud as we can so as many people can hear us. No . . . it's more about having the right conversations with the right people. Sincere video is an excellent alternative to the "loud mouth" methods being used out there today. We've gotten away from what, in many ways, makes us human. "Why whisper when you can shout?" ANSWER: Because a well placed whisper is louder.
Could online video become the new way to feature your products on your website? I think so. I have recently seen two different ecommerce sites use online video to showcase products. Although done in completely different styles I think they both go to show how online video and internet video marketing are changing the landscape of the internet. enveme.com has implemented short video clips of their products on each individual products page. By showing models with the product actually on, you can see how the material flows and looks when worn. I know that some product pages allow you to rotate the product and even zoom in on it, but does this really tell you what you want?
The second company that I have seen using online video for their produtcs is WilliamRast.com and should be of no surprise since it is co-owned by Justin Timberlake and features him in the videos. The key to this example is that it's not models walking around or spinning with the product on. The videos are shot in a short film format and feature the companies clothing within each video. This approach is completely outside the box of product showcase but the ability to share the videos gives William Rast a free and quick way for their consumers to share their brand with others.
With the price of online video production and distribution continually dropping I look forward to seeing more and more products being presentd to the consumer in this fashion. The creativeness is endless!
As I'm sure the price to do this will be untouchable in the beginning, it's still something to watch for. Internet video marketing was not the cheapest thing to get accomplished 3-4 years ago either, but if you aren't using video on your website now you're missing out on a proven and engaging marketing and sales tool.
I look forward to learn more about this technology as more becomes available in the future. I would venture to say that as this technology becomes more readily available and cheaper it will add another avenue of marketing for your existing online video content.
What is your favorite story from your childhood? I don't mean what's your favorite book, or your favorite movie, or your favorite tv show. I mean STORY truly. Perhaps it's a story your grandfather told you, or your mother, or a story your deceiving older brother told you which you later found out was a lie.
Do you have your story yet?
Mine is a story my grandfather used to tell about growing up on a pancake farm and growing Arkansas pancakes. (a close second was the story about the sometimes mean ghost Matilda that lived in his attic).
Why is this my favorite? Probably because I remember it so well. Why do I remember it so well...
Because he told it ALL the time. Every time we had pancakes for breakfast, and even sometimes when we didn't, he'd tell us this story.
The biggest mistake I see with marketers trying to use internet video isn't that they don't tell a story, it's that they tell one story. Once. And then they're done.
Seth Godin gets it spot on today with "The long tale":
"The hard part is getting a little bit of permission to start telling your tale. The overlooked part, the part that wastes all that permission, is that you forget to keep telling your story."
Most marketers only tell their story once with internet video because they THINK they don't have the time or resources or dollars to do it more often, but that's because they haven't embraced internet video. They're still producing video like it's for tv.
It's time to take advantage of the biggest benefit of online video marketing - the ease of telling your story on an ongoing basis with close to zero distribution costs.
The once bold dividing line between television and web content is rapidly becoming blurred.
It was kind of cute. 
Marketers tend to suffer from what I call, "The Wizard of Oz Complex." They are standing behind the curtain trying to make you believe something that isn't exactly true. Lots of bells, whistles, smoke and spins that try to hide their flaws and insecurities as a company.
With online video creating quite a buzz around the internet at the moment 
What is your favorite story from your childhood? I don't mean what's your favorite book, or your favorite movie, or your favorite tv show. I mean STORY truly. Perhaps it's a story your grandfather told you, or your mother, or a story your deceiving older brother told you which you later found out was a lie.
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