Web Video Marketing
05-18-2006, 10:08 PM
If you didn't realize that video will take over online this
year, you haven't been paying attention.
Everything from video blogs to full-blown website
infomercials keep cropping up all across the Internet.
http://www.seeitonwebtv.com/video
The driving force behind this video explosion is a
combination of cheap bandwidth, easy-to-use authoring tools,
and Flash video (a video format that works on both PC and
MAC).
With the sudden increase in homemade videos about everything
from "how-to break dance" to infomercials about real estate
products, it seems only natural that another explosion
should follow: the appearance of numerous websites that
showcase these homegrown Steven Spielberg's.
In fact, these online videos have gained so much popularity
some have even crossed over into mainstream television.
Of the three main online video hosting services I looked at,
they all shared the following characteristics.
They all allow you to upload your video and host it free of
charge, making it super easy for even the most technically
challenged videographer.
They all allow visitors to search their sites using
keywords, so describing your video and choosing a good title
(with keywords people search for) will help increase your
exposure.
One of the most exciting features common to these sites is
that they allow you and others to get copy-and-paste code
that you can place on a blog or website (or anywhere else
you can paste html code) and display a video without hosting
it yourself.
This one feature can cause an explosive "viral" effect if
you create a video that appeals to a mass audience because
people can not only pass it along, but post it in additional
locations for everyone to see.
Video.Google.com - Google's video service makes it possible
to upload and play your videos for people searching through
their growing catalog of homegrown video.
You'll find everything from web-cam karaoke to infomercials
and "live" seminars. One of the best things about Google
video is the daily report about how many pages views your
video got during the previous day or week.
Also, Google allows you to charge for your videos if you
want, something the other sites don't yet offer.
A disadvantage of the service is that, of the three, Google
Video takes the longest to approve your videos and make them
available, sometimes taking 48 hours or longer to make a
video "live."
YouTube.com - YouTube seems to want to foster a feeling of
community with its video portal.
Unlike Google Video, which requires a separate software
program to upload video, YouTube allows users to upload
video right through their website interface. Of the three
sites profiled here, YouTube's embedded player makes it
easiest to share and pass along video from a blog.
They also approved my video and had it live online in less
than 10-minutes.
IFilm.com - The coolest thing about IFilm.com is the fact
that they have a show on VH1 every Friday called "Web Junk
20" which features the funniest web videos of the week on
real television.
They also actively promote the concept of "viral videos"
with a separate category in their directory profiling videos
you want to share.
The only negative was that their pass-along player forces
viewers to watch a short ad about IFilm at the beginning,
something the other two don't do.
year, you haven't been paying attention.
Everything from video blogs to full-blown website
infomercials keep cropping up all across the Internet.
http://www.seeitonwebtv.com/video
The driving force behind this video explosion is a
combination of cheap bandwidth, easy-to-use authoring tools,
and Flash video (a video format that works on both PC and
MAC).
With the sudden increase in homemade videos about everything
from "how-to break dance" to infomercials about real estate
products, it seems only natural that another explosion
should follow: the appearance of numerous websites that
showcase these homegrown Steven Spielberg's.
In fact, these online videos have gained so much popularity
some have even crossed over into mainstream television.
Of the three main online video hosting services I looked at,
they all shared the following characteristics.
They all allow you to upload your video and host it free of
charge, making it super easy for even the most technically
challenged videographer.
They all allow visitors to search their sites using
keywords, so describing your video and choosing a good title
(with keywords people search for) will help increase your
exposure.
One of the most exciting features common to these sites is
that they allow you and others to get copy-and-paste code
that you can place on a blog or website (or anywhere else
you can paste html code) and display a video without hosting
it yourself.
This one feature can cause an explosive "viral" effect if
you create a video that appeals to a mass audience because
people can not only pass it along, but post it in additional
locations for everyone to see.
Video.Google.com - Google's video service makes it possible
to upload and play your videos for people searching through
their growing catalog of homegrown video.
You'll find everything from web-cam karaoke to infomercials
and "live" seminars. One of the best things about Google
video is the daily report about how many pages views your
video got during the previous day or week.
Also, Google allows you to charge for your videos if you
want, something the other sites don't yet offer.
A disadvantage of the service is that, of the three, Google
Video takes the longest to approve your videos and make them
available, sometimes taking 48 hours or longer to make a
video "live."
YouTube.com - YouTube seems to want to foster a feeling of
community with its video portal.
Unlike Google Video, which requires a separate software
program to upload video, YouTube allows users to upload
video right through their website interface. Of the three
sites profiled here, YouTube's embedded player makes it
easiest to share and pass along video from a blog.
They also approved my video and had it live online in less
than 10-minutes.
IFilm.com - The coolest thing about IFilm.com is the fact
that they have a show on VH1 every Friday called "Web Junk
20" which features the funniest web videos of the week on
real television.
They also actively promote the concept of "viral videos"
with a separate category in their directory profiling videos
you want to share.
The only negative was that their pass-along player forces
viewers to watch a short ad about IFilm at the beginning,
something the other two don't do.