Month: July 2006

Example of a long form Internet video

I’ve decided to remove the word "infomercial" from my vocabulary when it comes to Internet video. (I’ll explain why in future posts.)

Instead I’m using the phrase "long form Internet videos." This is to contrast them with the webcam "talking heads" videos and short demonstration and testimonial reels.

Is it worth it to invest the time and money necessary to make a 20 to 30 minute video?

I think so especially for mature companies. It’s not the first thing I’d recommend that a new company do, but if you’ve been around for a while and you’ve already got a strong lead generation and sales system, the long form video makes sense for three reasons:

1. It can strengthen your connection with existing customers. ALWAYS a good idea.
2. It can help you convert prospects who are "on the fence" and have not made the intial buying decision yet.
3. It can help you reach folks who don’t read. Fact of life: The majority of today’s prospects and customers are NOT readers.  The ONLY way you’re going to reach them is through video.

Here’s a video I made recently which explains the System Seminar to people who’ve never been to one.

In future posts, I’ll talk about what went into making it and why I made it the way I did. Meanwhile, let me know what you think. (I hate this still picture, but it’s the one Google picked.)


      

Ken McCarthy

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Searching video

Howie Jacobson sent me this article about a new company called Dabble that`s aspiring to create a new kind of search service for video and other multimedia.

Part of the company`s strategy is to include social networking info to help people find and identify videos to watch.

It`s early on this topic, but they`re doing some interesting things that bear watching.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?p=3368

Ken McCarthy

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Refresher course…

I  just published a short article that`s a basic overview and tutorial for people who are coming late to the Internet video party.

It covers a lot of the fundamentals that are easy to overlook once you find yourself deep in the complexities of technical issues. I`m glad I wrote it, just to help remind myself of the critical issues.

You might find it to be a worthwhile read:

http://kenmccarthy.blogs.com/ken_mccarthy/2006/07/video_on_the_in.html

Ken McCarthy

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Monetizing viral video

The commercial potential of the viral qualities of Internet video is interesting, but overrated.

It’s an appealing idea – sort of like buying a lottery ticket for a $1 and making $1 million – but there are several major gaps between the fantasy of viral video marketing and the reality.

The rapid spread of ideas in the form of e-mails and videos is a reality. It happens…

How can this power be harnessed?

Continue reading “Monetizing viral video”

Is it bunker time for Microsoft?

One way to get your point across is to scream it.

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer is one of the great "screamers" of the computer industry.

(Historical trivia for folks interested in the intricacies of history: Ballmer’s Dad was  a "neutral" Swiss during WWII who got a great job with Ford in the US right after the war. His job right before that was translator for Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials. True story. Look it up.)

There may be more to this than just interesting historical trivia…

 

Continue reading “Is it bunker time for Microsoft?”

Don’t ask “the experts”

I love collecting quotes about the future from "experts."

Here’s what one of the most powerful men in Holywood had to say about  television in its early years:

"Television won’t be able to hold onto any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box."

– Darryl F. Zanuck, head 20th Century Fox

Today, there are still a lot of people who think Internet video isn’t a serious threat to televsion.  I just met a bunch of them at an advertising conference in New York. All I can say is "dream on."

Ken McCarthy

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