Just received an e-mail from Melvin Perry that I found useful. Here is a shortened version:
"This is a principle that governs a large majority of my business strategy. Every day, I am making an attempt to add more content to my business by either:
1. Writing an article
2. Posting a blog entry
3. Posting to a forum
4. Posting a blog comment
5. Creating a free online video tutorial 6. Writing a viral report 7. Submitting a press release
Everyday, I am trying to do at least 2 of the 7 content building methods I mentioned above. And as a result, I have seen trackable improvements to my traffic and business every week.
Therefore, if you do not have a workable marketing strategy, I highly encourage you to focus on building content in order to market and build your business."
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Most popular Browsers on the Web
The most popular browsers on the web are:
November 2006
1. Microsoft IE 85.24%
2. Mozilla Firefox 12.15%
3. Apple Safari 1.61%
4. Opera 0.69%
5. Netscape 0.11%
The global usage share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 is 3.06 percent. At this moment 3.6 percent of all IE users is using IE 7. The total usage share of Internet Explorer decreased 0.61 percent since the beginning of October 2006.
Mozilla Firefox's 2.0 has a global usage share of 2.38 percent. At this moment 19.5 percent of all Mozilla users is using Firefox 2.0. The total global usage share of Mozilla browsers is 12.15 percent. The total usage share of Mozilla Firefox increased 0.66 percent since the beginning of October 2006.
The total global usage share of Apple's Safari is 1.61 percent which is the same as the beginning of October 2006.
Source: OneStat.com
November 2006
1. Microsoft IE 85.24%
2. Mozilla Firefox 12.15%
3. Apple Safari 1.61%
4. Opera 0.69%
5. Netscape 0.11%
The global usage share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 is 3.06 percent. At this moment 3.6 percent of all IE users is using IE 7. The total usage share of Internet Explorer decreased 0.61 percent since the beginning of October 2006.
Mozilla Firefox's 2.0 has a global usage share of 2.38 percent. At this moment 19.5 percent of all Mozilla users is using Firefox 2.0. The total global usage share of Mozilla browsers is 12.15 percent. The total usage share of Mozilla Firefox increased 0.66 percent since the beginning of October 2006.
The total global usage share of Apple's Safari is 1.61 percent which is the same as the beginning of October 2006.
Source: OneStat.com
Monday, November 20, 2006
‘Watch & chat’ video site launched
Online portal Lycos has launched a new site that lets users watch video content and chat with other users at the same time.
Initially available as a beta test, Lycos Cinema uses a patent-pending video platform which allows users to view and chat in real-time.
The site lets users host their own Screening Rooms, inviting others to watch high-quality video content, while the host of the room controls the video experience.
Screening Room hosts can pause, rewind and fast-forward video streams, and most importantly, chat with other Screening Room viewers. Users can view profiles of other guests in the Screening Room audience and build buddy lists for future watch and chat sessions. Users may also congregate in ‘virtual lobbies’, browsing lists of available screenings, conversing with other users with whom they can watch and chat. Screening Room hosts can password-protect screenings, making watch and chat sessions available by invitation only.
Digital rights owners, artists and content managers can release content to a VIP or general audience with direct interaction, providing screening and sampling opportunities, marketing and promotion and innovative opportunities for new revenue streams. Content is wrapped in Microsoft's DRM technology provided by Microsoft's Windows Media Rights Manager, to protect artists’ rights.
Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer of LYCOS, said: “Viewing video online becomes much more engaging and enjoyable when you can create a social experience involving friends and family."
Initially available as a beta test, Lycos Cinema uses a patent-pending video platform which allows users to view and chat in real-time.
The site lets users host their own Screening Rooms, inviting others to watch high-quality video content, while the host of the room controls the video experience.
Screening Room hosts can pause, rewind and fast-forward video streams, and most importantly, chat with other Screening Room viewers. Users can view profiles of other guests in the Screening Room audience and build buddy lists for future watch and chat sessions. Users may also congregate in ‘virtual lobbies’, browsing lists of available screenings, conversing with other users with whom they can watch and chat. Screening Room hosts can password-protect screenings, making watch and chat sessions available by invitation only.
Digital rights owners, artists and content managers can release content to a VIP or general audience with direct interaction, providing screening and sampling opportunities, marketing and promotion and innovative opportunities for new revenue streams. Content is wrapped in Microsoft's DRM technology provided by Microsoft's Windows Media Rights Manager, to protect artists’ rights.
Brian Kalinowski, chief operating officer of LYCOS, said: “Viewing video online becomes much more engaging and enjoyable when you can create a social experience involving friends and family."
Saturday, November 18, 2006
First interactive viral video released
Agent Provocateur releases first interactive viral video using coull.tv
New Miss X campaign featuring Kate Moss ad enables viewers to click on desired objects in video and be directed to commerce area
The new Kate Moss Agent Provocateur film, using coull.tv technology, is set to be the first viral film that allows viewers to click on objects within a moving video and be directed straight to the relevant sales website.
The viral trailer is being distributed this week by NovaRising via interactive video email, which opens directly within the receiver’s email application. Initial click through rates of up to 56% have been recorded so far in the campaign.
Viewers will be able to click on Agent Provocateur lingerie being worn by Kate Moss within the film to be forwarded directly to purchase the item.
New Miss X campaign featuring Kate Moss ad enables viewers to click on desired objects in video and be directed to commerce area
The new Kate Moss Agent Provocateur film, using coull.tv technology, is set to be the first viral film that allows viewers to click on objects within a moving video and be directed straight to the relevant sales website.
The viral trailer is being distributed this week by NovaRising via interactive video email, which opens directly within the receiver’s email application. Initial click through rates of up to 56% have been recorded so far in the campaign.
Viewers will be able to click on Agent Provocateur lingerie being worn by Kate Moss within the film to be forwarded directly to purchase the item.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
WOW: Building a Brand
Building an Image for a New (Online) Brand.
I recently got offered a ticket for a branding seminar. The price seemed pretty reasonable since branding can be a pretty expensive exercise and usually is targeted at the 'heavy hitters'. (It did cost the ‘big guys’ millions to build their brands.)
However it just made me recap what I understand the essential in building a new brand to be. And I thought you might enjoy this brief recap too. So here it is:
I believe, in building a new (online) brand your ads, you should:
1. use the brand name within the first words (or ten seconds in a video)
2. repeat the name as much as possible without irritating the reader/viewer and
3. play with the name, spell it etc., make it memorable
The brand image or ‘personality’ of a product is a mix of the following: It’s name, it’s packaging, it’s price, the style of advertising, and above all, the nature of the product itself.
When you build a brand image – build quality!
Most people don’t choose products; they choose an image, even if we wouldn’t admit it ;-)
I recently got offered a ticket for a branding seminar. The price seemed pretty reasonable since branding can be a pretty expensive exercise and usually is targeted at the 'heavy hitters'. (It did cost the ‘big guys’ millions to build their brands.)
However it just made me recap what I understand the essential in building a new brand to be. And I thought you might enjoy this brief recap too. So here it is:
I believe, in building a new (online) brand your ads, you should:
1. use the brand name within the first words (or ten seconds in a video)
2. repeat the name as much as possible without irritating the reader/viewer and
3. play with the name, spell it etc., make it memorable
The brand image or ‘personality’ of a product is a mix of the following: It’s name, it’s packaging, it’s price, the style of advertising, and above all, the nature of the product itself.
When you build a brand image – build quality!
Most people don’t choose products; they choose an image, even if we wouldn’t admit it ;-)
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Google = 78% of all UK searches
"Google accounts for 78% of all UK searches - and it's market share is growing."
Google and Yahoo!’s share of the search market is growing and driving up the share of referrals from search engines to retail websites, according to new research.
Data from Internet research firm Hitwsie indicates that Google powered 78% of UK internet searches in the four weeks to 21 October 2006, up 9% year-on-year. Yahoo! took the number 2 rank based on share of executed UK searches with 7.7% of the search market.
Together Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN Search and Ask.com powered 96.6% of all UK internet searches, up 2% year-on-year.
Google and Yahoo!’s share of the search market is growing and driving up the share of referrals from search engines to retail websites, according to new research.
Data from Internet research firm Hitwsie indicates that Google powered 78% of UK internet searches in the four weeks to 21 October 2006, up 9% year-on-year. Yahoo! took the number 2 rank based on share of executed UK searches with 7.7% of the search market.
Together Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN Search and Ask.com powered 96.6% of all UK internet searches, up 2% year-on-year.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Increasing Traffic with FireFox
I recently stumbled upon a great tool to increase your site traffic with a FireFox extension. (Some will by now already know what I mean ...)
Several 'experts' I trust swear by this tool and apparently it works differently from traditional social booking (like Del.icio.us ) and many report it will drive consistent traffic to your website.
What is this great free tool? Let me do a bit of promotion here: "Come and find out at my next Website Optimization Workshop in London on Sat the 11th of November." If you want to find out more how to get your site optimized, for traffic, list and sales, have a look at the workshop page by clicking here.
Several 'experts' I trust swear by this tool and apparently it works differently from traditional social booking (like Del.icio.us ) and many report it will drive consistent traffic to your website.
What is this great free tool? Let me do a bit of promotion here: "Come and find out at my next Website Optimization Workshop in London on Sat the 11th of November." If you want to find out more how to get your site optimized, for traffic, list and sales, have a look at the workshop page by clicking here.
Meta Tags and Titles
A few hours spent writing unique titles and descriptions for each page of your site is insignificant compared to the increase in traffic that results.
Page titles tell the search engines what your site is about, and meta descriptions give searchers something compelling to click on in the search engine results pages.
Additionally, using keywords in your '<'Title'>' tags further boosts each page’s calculated relevance to a particular subject.
You haven’t done any keyword research yet? That’s no excuse. Do the exercise anyway and use your best judgment based on each page’s existing content. This is where writing for the “long tail” comes in handy. If you are unfamiliar with this subject, check out Matt Bailey’s article, Keyword Strategies – The Long Tail.
By the way, if your web developer proudly shows you a long list of keywords typed into the keyword meta tag, well, you know what I always say in these situations: Take your money and run.
Keyword meta tags were used and abused for years. As a result, most search engines don’t put much stock into them. Time is precious. Spend it on something useful.
Posted by Kar.ri Flat.la
Page titles tell the search engines what your site is about, and meta descriptions give searchers something compelling to click on in the search engine results pages.
Additionally, using keywords in your '<'Title'>' tags further boosts each page’s calculated relevance to a particular subject.
You haven’t done any keyword research yet? That’s no excuse. Do the exercise anyway and use your best judgment based on each page’s existing content. This is where writing for the “long tail” comes in handy. If you are unfamiliar with this subject, check out Matt Bailey’s article, Keyword Strategies – The Long Tail.
By the way, if your web developer proudly shows you a long list of keywords typed into the keyword meta tag, well, you know what I always say in these situations: Take your money and run.
Keyword meta tags were used and abused for years. As a result, most search engines don’t put much stock into them. Time is precious. Spend it on something useful.
Posted by Kar.ri Flat.la
Hyperlink Your Calls to Action
Hyperlink Your Calls to Action
The only reason I can think of that most websites don’t capitalize on this tactic is that it just seems too easy. Yet the simple act of hyperlinking a call to action helps you accomplish two very important goals:
(1) It increases interaction between your site and your visitor.
(2) It gives the search engines one more tip-off as to what your site is all about.
When visitors see a link that contains keyword rich text—text that is hopefully underlined or bolded in a contrasting color—they feel compelled to click on it. People on the web are searching for answers, solutions, or information. Make it as easy as possible for them to find those things.
So, instead of waiting until the end of your amazing sales copy to tell the visitor to “click here,” why not hyperlink the whole thing?
Posted by Karri Flat.la
The only reason I can think of that most websites don’t capitalize on this tactic is that it just seems too easy. Yet the simple act of hyperlinking a call to action helps you accomplish two very important goals:
(1) It increases interaction between your site and your visitor.
(2) It gives the search engines one more tip-off as to what your site is all about.
When visitors see a link that contains keyword rich text—text that is hopefully underlined or bolded in a contrasting color—they feel compelled to click on it. People on the web are searching for answers, solutions, or information. Make it as easy as possible for them to find those things.
So, instead of waiting until the end of your amazing sales copy to tell the visitor to “click here,” why not hyperlink the whole thing?
Posted by Karri Flat.la
Think you got it sussed?
Think you got it all sussed out?
Maybe yes - maybe no(t). I just developed a business card for a new product and I was pretty pleased with the result - until I asked some trusted friends what they thought of it... Really great feedback - I got which changed the face of that new card entirely.
Now why am I bringing this up? To reiterate the online marketers mantra: "Test everything." There really is no substitute for it. There is no better way of finding out than asking the 'the marketplace' (or some friends).
Wishing you insightful testing!
Karl
Maybe yes - maybe no(t). I just developed a business card for a new product and I was pretty pleased with the result - until I asked some trusted friends what they thought of it... Really great feedback - I got which changed the face of that new card entirely.
Now why am I bringing this up? To reiterate the online marketers mantra: "Test everything." There really is no substitute for it. There is no better way of finding out than asking the 'the marketplace' (or some friends).
Wishing you insightful testing!
Karl
Monday, November 06, 2006
Watch 'The Secret' free
Hi everyone,
great inspiration for the week. Don't judge from the intro part - it's worth hanging on to get to the good stuff:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1713414398006481796&q=movie+by+prime+time+production
Below are a couple of bullet points from The Secret, hope they trigger your interest, too.
Make a list of things you are grateful for and go through that list everyday. Don't just repeat it – feel it.
Take a gratitude rock with you.
Visualise to materialise, dwell on the end result.
The how will show up in the commitment to the what.
Put up your vision boards.
Close your eyes for a couple of minutes and feel it. Then go out into the world and let it materialise.
Set the goal so big, that it would blow your mind if you would achieve it.
Declare it, believe it, release it.
When you have an inspired thought trust it and act on it.
Dis-ease.
Energy flows where attention goes.
If you believe it, you see it, you work on it, it will show up for you.
Everything in the universe is energy.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can't you are right.” Henry Ford
enjoy, Karl
great inspiration for the week. Don't judge from the intro part - it's worth hanging on to get to the good stuff:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1713414398006481796&q=movie+by+prime+time+production
Below are a couple of bullet points from The Secret, hope they trigger your interest, too.
Make a list of things you are grateful for and go through that list everyday. Don't just repeat it – feel it.
Take a gratitude rock with you.
Visualise to materialise, dwell on the end result.
The how will show up in the commitment to the what.
Put up your vision boards.
Close your eyes for a couple of minutes and feel it. Then go out into the world and let it materialise.
Set the goal so big, that it would blow your mind if you would achieve it.
Declare it, believe it, release it.
When you have an inspired thought trust it and act on it.
Dis-ease.
Energy flows where attention goes.
If you believe it, you see it, you work on it, it will show up for you.
Everything in the universe is energy.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can't you are right.” Henry Ford
enjoy, Karl
Viral Video Chart
'Unruly Media' Launches First Independent Viral Video Chart
The first chart to compile data from YouTube, MySpace and Google Video, Viral Video Chart lets web users catch the hottest online videos at the very moment their popurlarity begins to skyrocket.
[ClickPress, Wed Sep 13 2006] Today sees the launch of the world's first comprehensive and independent online video chart, www.viralvideochart.com.
The brainchild of London-based company, Unruly Media, www.viralvideochart.com is an independent chart of the most popular videos on the world's top three video-sharing sites, YouTube, MySpace and Google Video.
While Google, YouTube and MySpace all publish lists of the videos most popular with their own users - rather like HMV, Virgin or Walmart might publish music charts based on their own sales data - no chart has, until now, attempted to combine data from all three sites in a credible way."
The first chart to compile data from YouTube, MySpace and Google Video, Viral Video Chart lets web users catch the hottest online videos at the very moment their popurlarity begins to skyrocket.
[ClickPress, Wed Sep 13 2006] Today sees the launch of the world's first comprehensive and independent online video chart, www.viralvideochart.com.
The brainchild of London-based company, Unruly Media, www.viralvideochart.com is an independent chart of the most popular videos on the world's top three video-sharing sites, YouTube, MySpace and Google Video.
While Google, YouTube and MySpace all publish lists of the videos most popular with their own users - rather like HMV, Virgin or Walmart might publish music charts based on their own sales data - no chart has, until now, attempted to combine data from all three sites in a credible way."
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Top of the Blogs
The popularity of online video sites is growing - video content on sites such as MySpace continues to expand and YouTube sold to Google for $1.65 billion earlier this month.
Now a new video chart is set to launch, www.ViralVideoChart.com, compiled by monitoring the ‘most blogged about’ videos on the internet.
Creator Unruly Media anticipate the chart will become an important tool for creative artists trying to generate a fan base, as well as advertising and marketing execs.
Scott Button, MD, Unruly Media, says: “We believe that the Viral Video Chart will offer the most up-to-date information possible on the videos that are generating the most interest on the internet. We aim to continue to expand our data sources to ensure that the chart becomes the definitive run-down of video blog buzz and offers a vital monitoring service.”
The service promises the most comprehensive chart of video footage ever to be gathered online. The independently compiled chart is intended to reproduce for online videos what the Billboard Hot 100 does for music.
Over 2 million blogs are checked daily for videos that bloggers have linked to or embedded as part of their latest entries. Instead of being an after-the-fact look at the most watched videos online, the Viral Video Chart monitors the videos that are generating the most ‘buzz’ in cyberspace in order to uncover the clips that are likely to be the next big thing.
This is achieved by regular data updates from weblogs.com, a monitoring service that tracks which blogs have been updated within the last five minutes.
Netimperative [article shortened]
Now a new video chart is set to launch, www.ViralVideoChart.com, compiled by monitoring the ‘most blogged about’ videos on the internet.
Creator Unruly Media anticipate the chart will become an important tool for creative artists trying to generate a fan base, as well as advertising and marketing execs.
Scott Button, MD, Unruly Media, says: “We believe that the Viral Video Chart will offer the most up-to-date information possible on the videos that are generating the most interest on the internet. We aim to continue to expand our data sources to ensure that the chart becomes the definitive run-down of video blog buzz and offers a vital monitoring service.”
The service promises the most comprehensive chart of video footage ever to be gathered online. The independently compiled chart is intended to reproduce for online videos what the Billboard Hot 100 does for music.
Over 2 million blogs are checked daily for videos that bloggers have linked to or embedded as part of their latest entries. Instead of being an after-the-fact look at the most watched videos online, the Viral Video Chart monitors the videos that are generating the most ‘buzz’ in cyberspace in order to uncover the clips that are likely to be the next big thing.
This is achieved by regular data updates from weblogs.com, a monitoring service that tracks which blogs have been updated within the last five minutes.
Netimperative [article shortened]
Microsoft names Vista launch day
Microsoft has been showing off Vista for months.
Microsoft has announced the date on which Windows Vista will be made available to businesses.
From 30 November corporate customers of the software giant will be able to get their hands on the next version of the operating system.
Also on that date Microsoft will make available Office 2007 - its suite of business programs.
Home users will have to wait until January 2007 to get hold of a copy of the Vista software. "
Microsoft has announced the date on which Windows Vista will be made available to businesses.
From 30 November corporate customers of the software giant will be able to get their hands on the next version of the operating system.
Also on that date Microsoft will make available Office 2007 - its suite of business programs.
Home users will have to wait until January 2007 to get hold of a copy of the Vista software. "
"TV topples to Google"
It was only a matter of time.
In a landmark milestone of multi-channel media marketing, the word is out that advertising revenue at Google Towers has surpassed that of UK conventional terrestrial TV network provider, Channel 4.
With a staggering $1.6 billion in advertising revenues for 2006 (that's about £800 million) analysts now expect ITV to fall next, probably in early 2008.
Google's third quarter revenues topped over £390 million, despite an all-share acquisition of YouTube earlier this summer, which receives over 72 million hits a month to view its online video content.
The move away from conventional advertising media has been predicted for some considerable time, but as the wickets fall in reality, it comes as one of those seminal moments when we all stand for a moment to take stock and to realise that we are now in unchartered territory.
Many of the former newspaper media titles have ditched subscription-based services in favour of online advertising instruments, and, whilst some premium-content organs retain subscription for key areas, most of the attention is turning to where eyeballs are gazing - and that's no longer the 42" plasma or LCD picture frame device in the corner. That, it would seem, is being used for watching DVD movies and as a big screen add-on to the desktop or laptop monitoring device.
So, it makes rational sense that if eyeballs are averting from Big Brother reality TV and Countdown to Google, eBay, Amazon and the rest of interactive online virtual reality, that the advertising and marketing worlds should surely follow.
No rocket science there, in that respect. But what is odd, is the time it has taken for TV execs to wake up and smell the latté - they've been in virtual business denial for nigh on a decade and it comes as some surprise that they haven't made their moves a long time ago.
Paul Quigley, Internet World [article shortened]
In a landmark milestone of multi-channel media marketing, the word is out that advertising revenue at Google Towers has surpassed that of UK conventional terrestrial TV network provider, Channel 4.
With a staggering $1.6 billion in advertising revenues for 2006 (that's about £800 million) analysts now expect ITV to fall next, probably in early 2008.
Google's third quarter revenues topped over £390 million, despite an all-share acquisition of YouTube earlier this summer, which receives over 72 million hits a month to view its online video content.
The move away from conventional advertising media has been predicted for some considerable time, but as the wickets fall in reality, it comes as one of those seminal moments when we all stand for a moment to take stock and to realise that we are now in unchartered territory.
Many of the former newspaper media titles have ditched subscription-based services in favour of online advertising instruments, and, whilst some premium-content organs retain subscription for key areas, most of the attention is turning to where eyeballs are gazing - and that's no longer the 42" plasma or LCD picture frame device in the corner. That, it would seem, is being used for watching DVD movies and as a big screen add-on to the desktop or laptop monitoring device.
So, it makes rational sense that if eyeballs are averting from Big Brother reality TV and Countdown to Google, eBay, Amazon and the rest of interactive online virtual reality, that the advertising and marketing worlds should surely follow.
No rocket science there, in that respect. But what is odd, is the time it has taken for TV execs to wake up and smell the latté - they've been in virtual business denial for nigh on a decade and it comes as some surprise that they haven't made their moves a long time ago.
Paul Quigley, Internet World [article shortened]
YouTube goes 'moblogging'
YouTube goes 'moblogging'
The future Google unit has big plans to help consumers create and share video with their cell phones. But so do a lot of competitors.
First news broke that Cingular Wireless will launch a new music service on its cell phone network. Then YouTube said it would bring video-sharing to mobile phones.
That's two big announcements from two big companies. But which company is likely to have more success? YouTube, for reasons that have little to do with the company's $1.65 billion sale to Internet goliath Google.
Here's the reason: Consumers want to share content more than they want to listen to songs on their cell phones. At least that's what they told In-Stat, a technology research firm, this summer. Sending a clip of Junior's soccer match to Grandma, it seems, is much cooler than watching the latest 'mobisode' of "Desperate Housewives" on a two-inch scr! een.
At the tone, leave a video-mail
"It was striking to see how strongly people feel about using video to communicate," says David Chamberlain, the In-Stat principal analyst who conducted the consumer study.
On Wednesday, YouTube CEO Chad Hurley told attendees at an advertising conference that the video-sharing site will allow users to send clips to other YouTube members within a year, according to a Reuters report. YouTube users already can upload clips from their phones to the company's site and then watch from their personal computers.
Hurley told the advertising execs that video-sharing via mobile phones is an obvious next step for the company. "[I]t's going to be a huge market," he said.
'Moblogging' - the industry term for the nascent mobile user-generated market - is expected to reap $13 billion a year in advertising and subscription revenues come 2011, according to Informa Telecoms & M! edia, a research firm.
YouTube's push into the mobile market is both good and bad news for entrepreneurs like Alex Kelly, the CEO of San Francisco startup Veeker.
On the one hand, it validated Kelly's vision. So far mobile operators have had a hard time offering inexpensive, easy-to-use and fast services that consumers can use to share images and videos captured with their cameraphones. Only about 50 percent of U.S. mobile phone subscribers with built-in cameras actually snap photos. Even worse, a meager 3 percent shoot videos.
In late October, Veeker rolled out a free service that lets users publish short video clips, which the company calls "Veeks," taken with their cell phones. Registered users can then send their output, via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), to Veeker.com and other sites that accept HTML embed codes, including MySpace and Blogger.
Veeker members have used the service to leave "video voicemails" for friends and to create personal video diaries.
"Mobile video is very immediate, and that's what people are looking for," says Kelly, who's betting the advertising revenues, both on Veeker's website and embedded in videos, will sustain it. "I think [demand] is going to grow a lot faster than people predicted."
YouTube: the kiss of death?
YouTube's move into mobile video could be a boon for startups like Veeker. Rivals could start scouting for their own mobile video service - and that's always good news for smaller players looking to be acquired.
The biggest risk of all? Mobile video will never live up to expectations. That's the prediction from Ken Hyers, an ABI Research senior analyst. Hyers estimates there will be a scant 655,000 mobloggers worldwide at year-end. He expects that number to quadruple to 2.7 million by 2011. That's just a fraction of the estimated 3 billion mobile phone users around the world.
By Michal Lev-Ram, Business 2.0 Magazine writer-reporter
The future Google unit has big plans to help consumers create and share video with their cell phones. But so do a lot of competitors.
First news broke that Cingular Wireless will launch a new music service on its cell phone network. Then YouTube said it would bring video-sharing to mobile phones.
That's two big announcements from two big companies. But which company is likely to have more success? YouTube, for reasons that have little to do with the company's $1.65 billion sale to Internet goliath Google.
Here's the reason: Consumers want to share content more than they want to listen to songs on their cell phones. At least that's what they told In-Stat, a technology research firm, this summer. Sending a clip of Junior's soccer match to Grandma, it seems, is much cooler than watching the latest 'mobisode' of "Desperate Housewives" on a two-inch scr! een.
At the tone, leave a video-mail
"It was striking to see how strongly people feel about using video to communicate," says David Chamberlain, the In-Stat principal analyst who conducted the consumer study.
On Wednesday, YouTube CEO Chad Hurley told attendees at an advertising conference that the video-sharing site will allow users to send clips to other YouTube members within a year, according to a Reuters report. YouTube users already can upload clips from their phones to the company's site and then watch from their personal computers.
Hurley told the advertising execs that video-sharing via mobile phones is an obvious next step for the company. "[I]t's going to be a huge market," he said.
'Moblogging' - the industry term for the nascent mobile user-generated market - is expected to reap $13 billion a year in advertising and subscription revenues come 2011, according to Informa Telecoms & M! edia, a research firm.
YouTube's push into the mobile market is both good and bad news for entrepreneurs like Alex Kelly, the CEO of San Francisco startup Veeker.
On the one hand, it validated Kelly's vision. So far mobile operators have had a hard time offering inexpensive, easy-to-use and fast services that consumers can use to share images and videos captured with their cameraphones. Only about 50 percent of U.S. mobile phone subscribers with built-in cameras actually snap photos. Even worse, a meager 3 percent shoot videos.
In late October, Veeker rolled out a free service that lets users publish short video clips, which the company calls "Veeks," taken with their cell phones. Registered users can then send their output, via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), to Veeker.com and other sites that accept HTML embed codes, including MySpace and Blogger.
Veeker members have used the service to leave "video voicemails" for friends and to create personal video diaries.
"Mobile video is very immediate, and that's what people are looking for," says Kelly, who's betting the advertising revenues, both on Veeker's website and embedded in videos, will sustain it. "I think [demand] is going to grow a lot faster than people predicted."
YouTube: the kiss of death?
YouTube's move into mobile video could be a boon for startups like Veeker. Rivals could start scouting for their own mobile video service - and that's always good news for smaller players looking to be acquired.
The biggest risk of all? Mobile video will never live up to expectations. That's the prediction from Ken Hyers, an ABI Research senior analyst. Hyers estimates there will be a scant 655,000 mobloggers worldwide at year-end. He expects that number to quadruple to 2.7 million by 2011. That's just a fraction of the estimated 3 billion mobile phone users around the world.
By Michal Lev-Ram, Business 2.0 Magazine writer-reporter
Friday, November 03, 2006
BLACKOUT LONDON
"BLACKOUT LONDON" - 4th November 2006, Starting at Sunset, 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm.
Hi everyone! Once in a while I am putting some - I believe - important issues into this blog, that have hardly to do anything with Internet Marketing. So please bear with me if this is of little interest to you.
"You are invited ...
to take part in a demonstration of People Power in London, UK on Saturday 4th November 2006, by turning off all your lights, and switching off all your non-essential electrical equipment at Sunset.
CLIMATE CHANGE is already compromising the water supply, crops, habitat and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide, and threatens to undermine the Global Economy within a few decades, as well as creating waves of Climate Refugees, and driving countless animals and
plants to extinction.
The principal cause of Global Warming is the rising Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from the burning of Fossil Fuels, for electricity generation, transport, manufacturing, industry, space heating and air conditioning.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, THE FOURTH OF NOVEMBER !
For one day in November, we are asking everyone who receives this message to think about what they can turn off, switch off and unplug, to show support.
We want the power demand in the United Kingdom to reduce so much that the newspapers are obliged to report it.
We want the lights to go out in London, so that on the evening of 4th November 2006, the dimming effect will be visible from space."
And if you don't live in London please take this as an invitation to start a 'blackout initiative' in the area where you live. Let's see which city or area can make the biggest difference, shall we?
For more info please click on this link.
Hi everyone! Once in a while I am putting some - I believe - important issues into this blog, that have hardly to do anything with Internet Marketing. So please bear with me if this is of little interest to you.
"You are invited ...
to take part in a demonstration of People Power in London, UK on Saturday 4th November 2006, by turning off all your lights, and switching off all your non-essential electrical equipment at Sunset.
CLIMATE CHANGE is already compromising the water supply, crops, habitat and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide, and threatens to undermine the Global Economy within a few decades, as well as creating waves of Climate Refugees, and driving countless animals and
plants to extinction.
The principal cause of Global Warming is the rising Carbon Dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from the burning of Fossil Fuels, for electricity generation, transport, manufacturing, industry, space heating and air conditioning.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, THE FOURTH OF NOVEMBER !
For one day in November, we are asking everyone who receives this message to think about what they can turn off, switch off and unplug, to show support.
We want the power demand in the United Kingdom to reduce so much that the newspapers are obliged to report it.
We want the lights to go out in London, so that on the evening of 4th November 2006, the dimming effect will be visible from space."
And if you don't live in London please take this as an invitation to start a 'blackout initiative' in the area where you live. Let's see which city or area can make the biggest difference, shall we?
For more info please click on this link.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
New UEFA online video service
"UEFA launches online video service"
European football body UEFA has launched a video service for broadcasters providing live Internet coverage of Champions League matches.
Available in 96 countries, UEFA Video Service (UVS), has been developed to enable its broadcast partners to extend their rights and provide live match coverage on the Internet.
Over 20 broadcasters around the world are using UVS to make every UEFA Champions League match from the 2006/07season and every UEFA Cup match from the quarter-final stage in April 2007 available live on the Internet.
As a result, more than 125 matches will be offered in over 100 countries. As well as the live coverage, UVS also provides an archive of over 5,000 videos and 1,000 matches from UEFA competitions dating back over ten years.
The archive features a search function that allows users to find videos by season, club and player. Fans can access live coverage by visiting uefa.com at http://video.uefa.com. Based on their geographic location, users will be served with the live matches available in their territory."
European football body UEFA has launched a video service for broadcasters providing live Internet coverage of Champions League matches.
Available in 96 countries, UEFA Video Service (UVS), has been developed to enable its broadcast partners to extend their rights and provide live match coverage on the Internet.
Over 20 broadcasters around the world are using UVS to make every UEFA Champions League match from the 2006/07season and every UEFA Cup match from the quarter-final stage in April 2007 available live on the Internet.
As a result, more than 125 matches will be offered in over 100 countries. As well as the live coverage, UVS also provides an archive of over 5,000 videos and 1,000 matches from UEFA competitions dating back over ten years.
The archive features a search function that allows users to find videos by season, club and player. Fans can access live coverage by visiting uefa.com at http://video.uefa.com. Based on their geographic location, users will be served with the live matches available in their territory."
AOL drives searches to video sites
"AOL drives high proportion of searches to video sites."
AOL drives the highest proportion of its UK search engine users to online video sites, according to Internet research firm Nielsen/NetRatings.
The research indicates that AOL Search is 39% more likely to be responsible for a click-through to a video/movie site (11%) than it is for a click-through across the entire Internet (7.9%).
MSN/Windows Live Search however is 64% less likely to be responsible for a click-through to a video/movie site (1.5%) than for a click-through across the entire Internet (4.2%).
AOL drives the highest proportion of its UK search engine users to online video sites, according to Internet research firm Nielsen/NetRatings.
The research indicates that AOL Search is 39% more likely to be responsible for a click-through to a video/movie site (11%) than it is for a click-through across the entire Internet (7.9%).
MSN/Windows Live Search however is 64% less likely to be responsible for a click-through to a video/movie site (1.5%) than for a click-through across the entire Internet (4.2%).
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