Techno//Marketer

Video week on Techno//Marketer

[Note: If you can't see the video that is right up here ^, don't worry! Just click back to the post and you will be able to see it just fine.]

I use a lot of video on this site to help educate and inform you, my community. Due to that fact I get a lot of questions about video from production to editing. Next week on this blog I am going to produce a series of posts and videos that show how I shoot, manage and publish my video content.

Top level topics include:

• Monday: Equipment and software
  
• Tuesday: How I shoot my video tutorials (the most frequently asked question that I get)
  
• Wednesday: How I edit and produce the final product
  
• Thursday: How and where I distribute the videos
  
• Friday: Reader questions
  

On Friday I will answer any questions that you have. To stay in the theme of the week it would be excellent if you provided your questions in video (either on Facebook or on YouTube) and I will stream them in and link back to your site. I will, however accept any questions you have by email or by commenting on this post.

So start thinking and let me know what's on your mind. I can't wait to hear from you!

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Technorati Tags:
conversations, marketing, Matt Dickman, Techno//Marketer, video, tips

The scalability of language; the role of video

In today's post on the scalability of language, I want to talk about video. Video (as many of you know) is a passion of mine and I've found it a great way to communicate ideas to a broad audience.

The problem with video is that the language is harder to get at. With copy, you can, at a minimum, use a translation service to get a high-level overview of the content. With video that baseline doesn't exist.

Enter dotSub. This is a service that I learned about at the WeMedia Conference in Miami earlier this year. dotSub allows anyone to upload a video to the service and then add native language subtitles to the video. This starts with a solid English translation and then people can add new languages.

The community then validates the translation, adapts it and finally accepts it as an official version of the content. This is a great use of the crowdsourcing principle to add value to a diverse group of people. I do wish that dotSub accepted videos from other services, but they are still pretty new.

Here is a video overview:

[Feed readers please click through to the post if you cannot see the video.]

Services like dotSub allow native speakers to effectively translate content and share it with people in their community.

Tomorrow I will wrap up this series taking a look at the role design plays in language and communicating ideas across networks.

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To help you stay on top of what is happening and to filter the myriad options, you can now subscribe to the Techno//Marketer podcast on iTunes. Get updates in real time when new videos become available.

If you use another podcatcher you can grab my podcast RSS feed here.

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You can watch this and other Techno//Marketer videos on your video channel of choice:

   
   

Technorati Tags:
communications, conversations, language, marketing, Matt Dickman, social networks, strategy, Techno//Marketer, video, dotSub

First//Look: BrightKite

In a world of shiny new things, BrightKite is the current top of the list. Beta invites are hard to get and new ones go quickly. So what is BrightKite all about? BrightKite is a social network that hinges on one key differentiating factor. It knows where you are. Users of the site update their locations (manually for now, but I could see GPS updates in the future) and share information with friends as well as other people in the same location.

The content on the site includes Twitter-esque messages about where you are/what you're doing and photography. One very limiting factor at this point is that BrightKite doesn't integrate with the content users are already creating on sites like Twitter and Flickr. BrightKite will push your updates to Twitter, and has a cool way of co-updating your Twitter location, but it still means that you have to create content twice. That's not going to happen in large numbers.

The idea of social, location-based networks aim to close the gap on contextual relevancy that has resulted in irrelevant information overload. I have found that proximity adds context and makes things more relevant to me. This is BrightKite's beta so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they evolve this and bring out more mobile consumption elements (iPhone app, BlackBerry app, proximity alerts, etc.). Advertisers will undoubtedly be perking up at the targeting ability that location brings. That's for another post. If you're on BrightKite make sure you add me.

[Feed readers please click through to the post if you cannot see the video.]

Key takeaways:

• Location-based social networks are growing in number and will be standard in the near future
  
• Location is manually updated, but will move to real-time, GPS-based updates when the technology catches up
  
• BrightKite has good privacy filters in place which is crucial for the promise of this level of off-line connectedness
  
• BrightKite does a good job of pushing its content out, but needs to do a better job of pulling it in
  
• Social media overlap (creating the same content more than once) is a growing problem and needs to be planned before sites get to launch stage
  
• Location-based ad targeting is a way to monetize this very quickly, but has to be in balance and aim to add value (like if I am standing in line at Wendy's it could offer me an immediate coupon)
  
• Mobile plays a large part in the success of this network and will for all social networks in the near-term
  
• Would love more consumption options on the phone (not just publishing) to get the most benefit from the service
  

If you know of a new service that you think I should take a look at drop me an email or leave a comment.

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To help you stay on top of what is happening and to filter the myriad options, you can now subscribe to the Techno//Marketer podcast on iTunes. Get updates in real time when new videos become available.

If you use another podcatcher you can grab my podcast RSS feed here.

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You can watch this and other Techno//Marketer videos on your video channel of choice:

   
   

Inside//Out: FriendFeed

I'm finally set up again to do more video for you guys and this is the first one on the new equipment. Thanks again for your patience.

FriendFeed stormed onto the social media scene a couple of weeks ago and has received a lot of buzz. To break it down into the simplest terms, FriendFeed allows users to create one RSS feed that combines all of their social media touch points. You can then subscribe to your friend's feeds and have one single feed that combines all of their feeds. In the end, you can consume a lot of information in one stream instead of going to 8-10 disparate places to do the same thing. You can add me here.

Information overload is a real problem with social media, especially for those who are new to the space and could become easily overwhelmed. Services like this one are popping up to solve the information overload problem. The service is entirely opt-in so you follow who you like and you can remove somebody at any time.

[Feed readers please click through to the post if you cannot see the video.]

Key takeaways:

• Information overload is a real problem as social media outlets grow daily
  
• RSS is the technology that enables FriendFeed to scale and grow
  
• RSS feeds can be combined, shared, redistributed and consumed in a number of helpful ways
  
• FriendFeed allows users full control over who they follow and they can un-follow people at any time
  

If you know of a service that you would like to see me cover in a future post, just let me know by email or by leaving a comment on this post.

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To help you stay on top of what is happening and to filter the myriad options, you can now subscribe to the Techno//Marketer podcast on iTunes. Get updates in real time when new videos become available.

If you use another podcatcher you can grab my podcast RSS feed here.

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You can watch this and other Techno//Marketer videos on your video channel of choice:

   
   

Technorati Tags:
marketing, Matt Dickman, Techno//Marketer, video, Inside//Out, RSS, FriendFeed, technology

New hardware = more video

I walked into the office this morning thinking it would be like most other Monday mornings when low and behold my new Macbook had finally arrived. Along side it sat a new 23 inch Apple Cinema Display. I felt like a kid at Christmas.

So why am I telling you this? Well, it's certainly not to brag. Since I transitioned to my new role at Fleishman I have been using a PC and also using my personal MacBook to do the blog/videos. (Neither of which could really handle much video.) This new setup gives me the real estate and horsepower to do a LOT more video which benefits you in the end.

I wanted to thank you for your readership and patience with me as I get things situated. Stay tuned for a lot more video content really, really soon.

Technorati Tags:
Matt Dickman, Techno//Marketer, video, marketing

03 is the new 30

So, here's a premise I've been working on this for a while now. The 3 second ad is the new 30. Don't laugh, I did say three seconds. This is a micro-messaging world and 5, 15, 30 and (god forbid) 60 second spots are too long when paired with nearly instant-on content. Three seconds is about as much advertising as I will take and not have an adverse reaction to the message.

Yesterday on my blog I wrote about marketers who know the price for interruption and pay it anyway. Another problem that dovetails with interruption based advertising (and is equally frustrating to web users) is ads that get moved over from TV to the web. You've all seen this happen. You go to a site, click to the content you're interested in and viola! A 30 second spot stands between you and your content.

Read the rest of the post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog.

Knowing (and paying) the price for interruption

Interruptive advertising is one of the building blocks of most traditional marketer's communications plan. TV ads break up 20 minutes of actual programming (unless you Tivo your content). Radio ads moan on and on while you trudge through traffic. Pre-roll ads on web video make you wait patiently for 15 to 60 seconds. Everywhere you turn, you are accosted by advertising.

There are consequences to doing this, especially in the digital space. I enjoyed reading this article on the New York Times site points to a Burst Media survey of 2,600 online video viewers. In the survey responses, 53.6% of people recalled seeing some type of interruption-based advertising (pre-, mid- and post-roll). 78.4% of those people said that in-stream ads are intrusive with 50.4% saying the ads disrupt their time. (This means the subtraction of value, not the addition of value.)

The in-stream, or mid-roll, ads (a trend that is rapidly growing and is particularly user un-friendly) had the most negative reaction by far. 50.7% of respondents said to have stopped watching the video when they saw an mid-roll ad and 15.3% were so angry they left the site all together.

While people ages 18-24 are slightly more likely to stay through a mid-roll ad, the worst finding for advertisers was around the recall of the ads. Only 21.4% of people who recalled the ad said they pay more attention to mid-roll versus other ad formats. 

If you're a content creator, does it really make sense to run mid-roll ads if people are abandoning your content? You have to ask yourself where you place your value, ad dollars or content distribution. Moreover, if 1/3 of people leave your site altogether, you're hurting revenue from sponsors and other advertisers not to mention your reputation.

From an advertiser's view point of view, why would you do this? The negative impression of the ad's placement is weighing on your brand. If your goal is to have people take action or remember your product/service, this is definitely going to work.

There are, however, better options. Create a "skin" for the video where your branding surrounds the content, but doesn't encroach on it. Align your ads with content that makes sense and is in your audience's focus. The worst thing you can do is take a 30 and plop it in the path of web users who are trying to get the content they value. You're not adding anything to that situation. The 30 second spot is dead online as well (just in case you were wondering). 

What other advice would you give to advertisers lining up for these placements? What ads have you appreciated or received value from and how have they been placed?

This all leads up to a post I have been working on for a while that will premiere tomorrow. "3 is the new 30".

Keeping tabs on the pulse of the Net

One of the reasons that I include different types of media in my Buzz Friday posts (which I'll post soon) is that it allows you, my readers, to see trends emerge. It also lets you see what kinds of content and what topics take off to the level of superstardom.

Take this example. A photographer named Noah Kalina took a picture of himself every day for six years and stitched them together into a video. The writers at the Simpsons were paying attention when the clip took off and created a parody in their show.

Here is the original by Noah:

And the remake on the Simpsons:

At the root of the original clips is a very personal, voyeur-esque connection seeing him through six years of his life. Trends like this emerge quickly and you have to be on top of things to spot them. How easy do you make it to parody your brand?

So, are you looking around at what's popular? Do you dismiss it or think of ways to weave it into your fabric?

Technorati Tags:
marketing, Matt Dickman, photography, Techno//Marketer, video

First//Look: Hulu (beta)

Well, it was a long time coming, but NBC finally has Hulu (their YouTube/iTunes competitor) up and running. I will tell you that I came into this First//Look with a skeptical eye. Hulu, on the contrary, really stood out as a great online video experience. The primary downside to this site is that you cannot take the clips with you on an iPod nor can you see them on a mobile device (for the meantime) as it requires the newest Flash plugin.

Here is the video tour of Hulu:

[Feed readers, please click through to the post if you cannot see the video.]

Key takeaways:

• The model for displaying and interacting with video online is in its infancy.
  
• Big brands are looking at what's working and coming up with new models to leverage technology to provide advertiser and user value.
  
• Hulu tries to balance content with advertising (30 second spots with banner ad combos).
  
• Hulu allows users to engage with the content in very minimal, controlled ways. Commenting and rating clips is permitted.
  
• Video still is not portable. You cannot take it with you on an iPod nor when you're offline.
  

Now that you have a bit more knowledge about Hulu, what advice would you give to NBC before they roll this out? Is it social enough? Are there features you think they're missing? Let me know what you think in the comments.

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To help you stay on top of what is happening and to filter the myriad options, you can now subscribe to the Techno//Marketer podcast on iTunes. Get updates in real time when new videos become available.

If you use another podcatcher you can grab my podcast RSS feed here.

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You can watch this and future Techno//Marketer videos on your video channel of choice:

   
   

Technorati Tags:
marketing, Matt Dickman, mobile, NBC, Techno//Marketer, User Interface Design, video, Hulu

First//Look: Seesmic (pre-alpha)

What do you get when you combine video, social networking, micromedia and a very savvy French entrepreneur? You get Seesmic. Seesmic is the brainchild of French blog-star Loïc LeMeur and aims to do to video conversations what Twitter did to text-based conversations. The site is a social network where the primary content is video. Users record video, post it to the site and other users reply in video.

The site is in pre-alpha (only about 300 users testing right now) and a lot will change over the course of the next couple of months and I'll re-post when it goes into beta. Enjoy the video:

[Feed readers please click through to the post if you cannot see the video.]

Here is an example of the user-side of the video experience from Seesmic:

Key takeaways for marketers:

• The move toward video as an intimate, personal form of communicating is here
  
• Technology has caught up to consumers and video is easy to record on Seesmic right through the browser
  
• Conversations will be mobile on this site down the road so you can create, send and reply to videos from a mobile device
  
• Content created by the users is re-mixed into a daily video best-of video that is then shared with everyone
  
• Hooks into YouTube, Twitter and Skype help auto-promote content to larger, external networks
  
• The company is asking for suggestions and proactive responding to them in video
  
• The openness that the company is providing as they share how they are growing is a model more companies should follow
  

Through the videos they've created I have found myself becoming attached to the company and the model they are using to build a company. I will keep an eye on this in the future and let you know when more invites become available.

If you have a site that you would like me to look at and possibly do a post like this on, drop me an email or leave a comment on the post.

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To help you stay on top of what is happening and to filter the myriad options, you can now subscribe to the Techno//Marketer podcast on iTunes. Get updates in real time when new videos become available.

If you use another podcatcher you can grab my podcast RSS feed here.

---

You can watch this and other Techno//Marketer videos on your video channel of choice:

   
   

Technorati Tags:
First//Look, marketing, Matt Dickman, social media, social networks, Techno//Marketer, technology, trends, video, Seesmic, Loic LeMeur