Archive | December 2009

Digital Content Monetization: How Should You Charge?

Monetizing your digital content might be one of the main reasons you started creating the stuff. So how do you do it. How do you do it right? I came across a post by Marcelo Lewin of the Center for New Media Studies with some great stuff you’ll want to absorb.

I’ve listed out the 10 items from that post, but you definitely need to click through and read the additional information that’s been written on each list item. Definitely well worth your time.

Top 10 Monetization Tips or Why It’s Ok To Charge For Your Digital Content

Don’t Be Afraid To Charge
Approach Sponsors
Track Everything!
Price Your Content Accordingly
Try Out All Revenue Models
Identify Your Audience
Identify All Your Media
Produce Content That People Will Like
Build Your Audience
Think And Act Like A Media Company

YouTube money available to more videographers (news.cnet.com)
Sharify.it – Monetizing Adobe AIR Applications (killerstartups.com)
How Would You Monetize this Food Blog (problogger.net)

December 14, 2009

Video Monetization Space Should Heat Up with Vidli.com in the Mix

Clearly there are a ton of companies that are trying to monetize your video for you. While they’re at it, they hope to take a piece of that transaction and keep themselves in the black.

Proper video licensing and video monetization is no easy prospect. Take a look at the excerpt from the post below on Youtube’s attempt to monetize over a billion videos that are streamed EVERY DAY! It’s not easy, even for almighty Google.

And that brings me to Vidli.com and their desire to jump into the video money making machine. With their self proclaimed title as The Official Licensor of online video, Vidli.com is plans to provide content owners with the ability to sell, buy and rent their copyrighted video content.

And I’m attempting to get hired by Vidli to become their next Social Media Person. Should you find this post interesting perhaps you could take 37 seconds or so, and help Vidli hire James D Kirk (that’s me, BTW )

Presenting the XPlayer

The All Access Live XPlayer is an affordable way for you to control how your video and live broadcasts appear on the Internet. Using the advanced features and customizable tools of The XPlayer, your content is presented to a world wide audience in perfect form. The XPlayer is more than a fancy player, it is a video management and monetization system. Each player is wrapped with an in-stream ad system and serves ads from companies like Frontier Airlines, Lysol, Game Crazy, Miller Light, and many more. The XPlayer is a turn-key solution to start making money with your content today.

Pop Warner Selects Monetize Media for Live Video Streaming of their Events

Monetize Media Inc., the leading online video platform, today announced that Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. has selected Monetize Media as its exclusive provider for live and on-demand video webcasting of its regional and national events covering both Pop Warner’s 2009 Superbowl Football championships and National Cheer and Dance competition. Pop Warner is pleased to utilize all the features of Monetize Media’s Online Video Platform which includes online video management, encoding, customized video players, publishing, syndication, aggregation, analytics, and advanced monetization capabilities.

Partner content at the heart of YouTube monetization strategy

This means the vast majority of videos on YouTube have absolutely no advertising at all, because the company is only comfortable serving advertising against what it calls partner content. According to the partnerships qualifications and FAQ, people or organisations applying to be a YouTube partner they must meet the following requirements:

You create original videos suitable for online streaming.
You own or have express permission to use and monetise all audio and video content that you upload – no exceptions.
You regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users.

YouTube cashes in on one billion weekly views (telegraph.co.uk)
Online Video Round-up: 16 Posts About Marketing with Video (biztipsblog.com)
Madison Avenue’s Frustration with Online Video: Quality is “Complete Crap,” top WPP Exec (beet.tv)

December 10, 2009

Marketing: Events vs. Processes

You know what I love about Seth Godin’s posts? They are quick, to the point, unusually poignant, and short reads (mostly). His post today, The reason social media is so difficult for most organizations, really brought it home today for what I’m doing in my career pursuit right now.

Hopefully you are aware that I’m attempting to get an interview with Vidli.com, The Official Video Licensor. They are a new startup that is offering free beta invites through the previous link. By clicking through and signing up for their no cost account, you’ll be helping get me closer to an interview with them for a new Social Media Marketing position they are offering.

The reason Seth’s post interested me so much is how it relates to what I’m doing in my approach to this contest. I’m doing my best to actually use a number of facets of social media to make my case to you, my friends and occasional readers. By creating what I hope to be genuine content that will benefit you and casually inserting a link and request the favor of having you sign up, I am focusing on the “process marketing” angle.

Some others attempting to get invited to interview with Vidli.com are effectively using Twitter and/or Facebook. From my perspective those attempts however amount to “event marketing”.

By that I mean those messages are all about the contest itself, the contestant, and not really about the longer tail advantages of creating quality content that could continue to drive traffic and interested users to Vidli in the long term future.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with pleading on Facebook and Twitter to help a lad (or lass!) out. I’m also inserting variations of those messages into my stream as well. My hope is that by attempting to do more than just beg for your action on my behalf, you’ll be more willing to take the 37 seconds or so and click through to the Vidli.com beta invite sign up form.

You would be helping me out tremendously. And if you told just 3 of your friends or family members about the good you did, that would help out 3X as much! Oh, did I mention that I’ll be buying beverages if/when I get hired by Vidli when this is all done (disclosure: you actually have to have signed up for me to qualify for this offer )

Thanks for your time!

Are Facebook, Twitter and Blogging Right For Your Business? Free Webinar Offered August 20, 2009 (prweb.com)
Good grief, I’m one of the smartest people in social media! (brendancooper.com)
The ROI Of Social Media (chainringaction.blogspot.com)
Will Social Media Pay Off? (ariwriter.com)
Businesses Measuring Impact of Social Media (weatherby.net)
Content marketing with Squidoo (opencircle.co.za)

December 9, 2009

How Could Vidli.com have Helped PBS NewsHour

As reported on The Official Google Blog today, YouTube is now hosting daily news reports from the (amazingly great!) PBS NewsHour. All very cool and a great way to get the content when you’re not in front of your television.

But what if PBS had simply used a service like Vidli.com, The Official Video Licensor?

If you go to the NewsHour page on YouTube, you’ll immediately notice there are no advertisements on the page. Maybe they plan to have in roll spots in an attempt at their video monetization, however, it is unclear how they are going to support their business mode.

With the amazing video licensing that Vidli plans on providing content owners, it would seem to be a no brainer for a company that is generating this much content to consider using their services. Add to this mix the fact that Vidli has some amazing marketing efforts that will virtually ensure somebody like PBS NewsHour would be able to turn a nice profit by promoting their video online.

After nearly 35 years on air, PBS NewsHour recently re-launched its broadcast program and website in an effort to provide viewers with NewsHour content wherever, whenever, and however they want to access it. As part of this transformation, the nightly news program is starting a major new initiative with YouTube.