Category Archives: Profit

2 Year Anniversary of Online Videos

Almost every interview I do, someone asks how I got started in online video. The reality is that I’ve been making short videos since I was in highschool, and most of them are still sitting in the basement on deteriating VHS tapes. Except Attack of the Killer Slinky.

But online video for me started almost exactly two years ago today. I walked into the dark room of designers and programmers that worked with me in Johnson & Johnson’s global pharmaceutical web group (or whatever the heck our name was at that time). “Does anyone know where I can upload my videos and share in the ad revenue,” I asked. Derrick said YouTube was pretty popular, but it didn’t share ad revenue. Pinacki gave me a strange look and then farted. (Later I would cast them in Burger King Outsources, and only then did they take any interest in my hobby).

Later in December I picked up this copy of PCMagazine and discovered Revver. Finally on December 11 I uploaded “Baby Topples Over” (which was an older video) to test Revver. It wasn’t until more than a month later that I reluctantly decided to post on YouTube (and for the remaining 9 months my videos were getting 20-50 views max on YouTube).

I suppose I’ve got well more than 600 videos up if you include the 558 on YouTube and whatever ones I never bothered posting to YouTube (but are on Revver). If you counted my alternative channels and collaboration videos I’d guess we’re closer to 800. About one every other day for two years… what if I had exercised instead?

Some day I’ll sort out the best since  the vast majority are “throw aways” or inside jokes.

The Internet’s New “Viral Video Villain”

nalts-is-evil.jpgI’ve been called everything from a sellout to Satan (this video is the best hater video I’ve ever seen, and features me with a sign “Will Video for Souls” as I transform into Lucifer). So it gives me some relief to know that the online-video community has found a new Osama.

His name is Dan Ackerman Greenberg, and his lightening rod was a ‘guest post’ he wrote for TechCrunch that generated nearly 500 comments (mostly negative) and incensed me into writing this post about how to bust cheats.

dan ackerman greenberg: viral video villianI hereby dub him the “Most Despised Guy of Online Video Since ZeFrank,” and have parked www.ViralVideoVillain.com to redirect to his profile. My way of pouring oil on the fire that happens to not be burning me.

Favorite comments:

  1. What next, an article on how to make money from stock market scams and flogging dodgy pills?
  2. Idiot. The reason your trickery is necessary that your venal predecessors in advertising have burned their credibility in other media already. And now here you are, a leech on a new medium, feeding off the trust that other people have built up. Pathetic.
  3. I wonder how many of these comments are employees from his office “creating controversy”

At issue was the ethics of Greenberg’s strategies to get promotional videos a viral-video injection. While some techniques were legitimate (careful titling and selection of thumbnails), his piece boasted some bottom-feeder approaches like rigging comments via sock-puppet accounts. The backlash was so severe it prompted Greenberg to convince TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington to give him a “another word” in this post that has already generated about 150 comments.

  • Greenberg says: “The original post was framed quite differently, but after going through the TechCrunch editorial filter, it ended up sounding like a tell-all about our shady business practices.”
  • Arrington responds: “I am not aware of the edits that were made to his original post, but we are reviewing it now to see if any changes altered the original meaning. It is a fairly serious allegation, and we will follow up appropriately.”

(Insert screeching-cat sound effect here).

Meanwhile my less controversial but broadly distributed Advertising Age piece on “Ten Lessons for Marketers Using Viral Video” was either perfectly or horribly timed. I knew I should have advocated Lisa Nova spamming to get views.

Online Video Sites and Monetization Status

TubeMogul’s blog did a nice summary of the online-video sites it feeds, and provides user feedback about the site and monetization status (whether you can make money on the sites). You can also read the “Zagat’s”-like report as a PDF. Thanks to Mark from TubeMogul for bringing this to our attention.

“Must Read” Blogs & Websites on Online Video

baby-reading.jpgIn a recent WillVideoForFood Forum post, I invited people to submit their “must read” blogs and websites on the subject of online video. As you can imagine, it’s very difficult to find these on Google.

Here’s an initial list, and I’m going to be making a video featuring the best sources. So please let me know what else you read and find indispensable for learning about online-video: industry news, production tips, monetization methods, etc.

Note- some of you regular contributors have really interesting blogs (Marquis, Jan, FallofAutumn), but aren’t necessarily on the topic of online video or are niche. I’ll do a separate “shout out” for websites by my favorite readers and contributors to WillVideoForFood.com!

Here’s my draft list… If you have a related blog, don’t hesitate pimping your website in the comments below. Note that I also read many of the blogs done by online-video sites, but those are also a different category.

  1. Inside Online Video by Mike Abundo: Often the first to report on new trends and site features.
  2. OnlineVideoWatch (sorry I missed that site, which is now in my RSS).
  3. ReelPop by Steve Bryant, a columnist and editor living in New York, NY.
  4. Cinematech by Scott Kirsner, who wrote “The Future of Online Video.” CinemaTech focuses on how new technologies are changing cinema – the way movies get made, discovered, marketed, distributed, shown, and seen.
  5. Usertainment Blog, written by Lester Craft Jr., a veteran technology-business journalist.
  6. NewTeeVee– a few of you suggested adding that one.
  7. The Daily Reel has good coverage on the space and is developing a community.
  8. Fred Graver Blog, written by the guy that once helped ABC/Disney to explore “Telefusion.”
  9. Mashable, a site for social networking news.
  10. Web Video Doctor, for tips and tricks to help make better web videos.
  11. ViralBlog, collaborative team of bloggers haunt the globe for great virals.
  12. System Video Blog by Ken McCarthy
  13. StreamingMedia Blog is a bit “techie” for me, but has some nice info. Written by Dan Rayburn.
  14. Xlntads is a website that connects marketers, advertisers and amateurs, and has a nice relatively new blog written by Mark Schoneveld.
  15. WebVideoZone is a terrific resource by Joe Chapuis. Parts are “members only.”
  16. Less of a blog, but this “Online Video Industry Index” has a nice link of online video sites.
  17. WillVideoForFood (how can I not list myself? Note that I’m not here anymore.
  18. NewsVideographer for journalists looking to leverage online video.
  19. ReelSEO– how to optimize your videos for SEO.
  20. Gadget News: Lots of topics, including online video.
  21. Ronamok, by Ron the New Media Evangalist
  22. Hot Air, a new media conservative something or another that is really interesting. Founded by Michelle Malkin.
  23. Web Video Report: The bizzzness of online video
  24. MathewWingram: The intersection between web and media.
  25. Scobleizer.com: Not just about online video, but mentions it a lot.
  26. PandemicLabs
  27. Camcorder Info: More than you’d expect from a blog attached to a camcorder site.

16th Letter Post: Another good source for online-video blog fav’s.

Video Production Tips With a Humorous Flair: The Shirtless Apprentice

This blog has been too consumed with YouTube and Nalts lately, and I want to get back to WillVideoForFood’s roots. Finding ways to improve the production of online video, marketing via online video, and learning tips to promote amateur and promotional content.

shirtless.jpgYesterday I spoke with Paul Kontonis of For Your Imagination. I thought I was an expert in online-video marketing, but I was humbled by Paul’s knowledge of how to get views beyond YouTube. “For Your Imagination” produces a series of fairly high-quality serialized content (some of which has developed into television series). So it doesn’t all apply to us amateurs. But he’s partnered with sites like blip.tv and identified ways to distribute via iTunes and other outlets and still retain advertising revenue. I’m planning on doing a more indepth interview with him soon.

Paul has business partners and funding, and employees a team of production people as well as viral junkees (some freelance) that help promote and distribute the programs they produce. If there’s another business model like it, I haven’t seen it.

Check out this show to learn production while getting bits of humor. It’s “The Shirtless Apprentice.” The poor guy wears a lav stuck to his chest with gaffer tape, and there’s some comedy mixed with solid video-production tips. Personally, I’d love even more humor, but it certainly beats the majority of talking heads out there. I’m adding it to my RSS, and there are already more than 2-dozen episodes on these important topics:

  • Audio for Sit Down Interviews
  • Continuity
  • Sun Guns
  • White Balance
  • Shooting Tips – B-Roll
  • Keying in Final Cut Pro
  • Capturing Video
  • Post Production Equipment
  • Frame Rates for Online Video
  • Three Point Lighting
  • Basic Battery Info and Tips
  • Audio for Internet Video
  • Lighting a Green Screen
  • Selecting a Video Camera

Promoting Your Brand With Viral Video

I debated heavily before posting this, because this blog is supposed to be a review of the fun world of viral video and marketing (not an advertisement for my services). That being said, I think some of you readers may be interested in how I work with sponsors.

As you know, I advocate that brands participate in consumer-generated media, but many have invested hundreds of thousands, and have seen little in return. Here’s a presentation I recently gave for some clients of Atlanta-based interactive agency, Spunlogic. It takes you through a number of ways your brand can enter this space cost efficiently — from contests to partnering with known creators.

Background

Earlier this summer, I read The Secret. The big idea (while not being entirely new) is that you can attract things you want, if you ask for something and have an unwavering belief that it can happen. My day job as a Marketing Director pays well, but we live out of our means. So I decided to pursue an additional $4-$5,000 a month. And it’s been working. I’ve created several videos through XLNTAds and here’s a recent example for GPSManiac (it has nearly 40,000 views and was rated among the top videos of the day when it posted). I’m working on scheduling some promotional workshops because I believe most agencies and brands are still in the dark ages in this arena. October happens to be a slower month because a few of my promotional videos have been delayed to November and December.

So this month, I’m offering a “sale” for custom entertainment/promotional videos.

nalts-product-placement.jpgYou can promote your product or service for $2,000 flat fee (I’ve charged $1,500-$5,000). You’ll get a video you own for use on your own website, and a guarantee of no less than 20,000 views via my channels (I’m able to do that primarily thanks to YouTube). I perhaps should charge a higher premium because these are implied endorsements, and I don’t ever want to fatigue my kind, devoted viewers. But I enjoy making them and getting additional income. Two thousand dollars comes to no more than a dime a view, or $20 CPM (cost per thousand), which is the price YouTube charges for its new “InVideo” ads that appear briefly in the first 10 seconds of the video.

I hope you can appreciate that I tend to be selective about the brands I promote. I typically avoid unknown startups, brands that don’t fit my personality, or anything to do with healthcare marketing (since that’s a conflict of interest). My favorite sponsor is Mentos (see Mentos example that they ran as an ad on Google Video and Break) because they are very hands off the creative and it’s a great brand. If you’re interested, please send a note to kevinnalts at gmail.com with the subject header “PROMOTIONAL VIDEO.” That ensures it gets my attention among the myriad of spam I get.

Here’s how it works:

  1. You present your brand’s goal, and any ideas you have. GPSManiac actually provided a script for this video (What GPS Thinks), but typically I create the concept and script.
  2. I brainstorm some ideas (3-12), and you decide what makes sense. For this to work, the video has to be entertaining first. Promotion needs to be subtle. Otherwise it won’t get views or good ratings. Since I’ve made more than 500 short videos and work in marketing, I can usually find a good intersection between promotion and entertainment.
  3. Once we settle on an idea, we flesh it out via an outline. Only when that’s approved by the sponsor will I shoot footage.
  4. I edit a draft (usually 1-3 minutes with a promotional message at the end and links to your site). You can make up to 3 revisions of the video. Ultimately I won’t post the video until we both believe it’s funny and achieves your marketing goal.
  5. I’m always transparent when it’s a promotional video. People think I do “product placement,” but I’ve never been paid by a sponsor for subtly incorporating their brand. It’s always clear if it’s a promotion.
  6. I upload the video to YouTube, and several other sites. I track the views and ensure that you achieve at least 20,000 views (but often more). GPS Maniac is using the video referenced above on its own, and paid less than a nickel a view via my channels. Not a bad deal.
  7. Note that promotional videos have limitations. They’re good for brand building, but they need to be entertaining since viewers will skip them or give them poor ratings otherwise. They also don’t typically result in instant conversion, so they aren’t yet a good direct-marketing play. I’ve found that a small (under 5%) number of viewers will actually visit the site mentioned, but I’m working on ways to drive that up. I’ve created a microsite for a client called “Mr. Complicated,” that I think will result in more visits from a video I’m currently editing.

As I’ve always said, anyone can get into this space. It helps when you have a sizable audience (I’m fortunate to have large following via YouTube) because that increases the views to your videos. At the same time, I have to walk a careful balance, because I never want to violate the trust of my viewers or promote so frequently that they stop watching.

I know some of my fellow YouTubers have also begun to do promotional videos (see Charles Trippy’s recent video which has already been viewed more than 75K times), and some have charged more or less. A few are new at this, and are happy to promote a fun brand in exchange for free product.

I look forward to your feedback. Do you think this is a fair deal? Any advice about ensuring brands meet their goals without compromising viewers experience? I want to hear from you. We’re still working things out on the WillVideoForFood forum, but that will eventually be a place we can compare and debate approaches.

Interactive Agency “Eats Its Own Dogfood”

spunlogic viral video marketing naltsA lot of interactive agencies are now pitching clients on the value of online video to promote products and services. But how many of them are brave enough to throw themself in the mix?

At a recent “lunch and learn” for Atlanta-based “Spunlogic,” I spoke about online-video marketing to some major media and marketing companies. I’ve posted the presentation, titled “Online Video Marketing” publicly.

After the presentation, the Spunglogic founder helped me pull this prank video (Drunk Interviews) on some of the employees. Here are the outtakes.

Making of Sponsored Video

The folks that connected me with my recent sponsored video for GPSManiac did a blog entry that recounts the way the idea developed. Here’s the video, titled “Poor Man’s GPS.” It’s currently the third highest rated Comedy video of the day on YouTube, which is the highest rating I’ve yet received for a sponsored video.

This video was posted the day after a recent controversy, where I’ve been the target of a “YouTube Underground” operation. They don’t much care for my commercialism and marketing… which they believe perverts a site that’s about community. Ironic timing, but it seems the vast majority don’t mind a promotional video as long as it’s entertaining.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GsHnxykLok]

YouTube Finally Discovers Ad Format It Can Monetize

In a significant first, YouTube has decided to let advertisers inject their messages inside the video frame for select content on its site (see ClickZ or MediaPost). For an interesting piece that projects revenues for YouTube, see this post by Silicon Valley Insider.

For an example of the ad, see this Smosh video and watch Homer Simpson at 15 seconds in. To see another similar demo (unrelated to YouTube), check out this site by Adjustables (which allows you to drop in various embedded ads).

This is huge news, and here’s why:

  1. It’s a new ad format that I believe balances marketing needs with user experience. As a creator and marketer, I love them. And as a viewer, I can more than tolerate them. They’re not interruptions, and allow me to dig-in or continue with my viewing (as opposed to horrendously long pre-rolls). But they’re also not lost in left field: like basement-price banners that sit miles from a video and get few views much less clicks. Don’t get me wrong- these banner ads may still be worthwhile for marketers because the CPM (cost per thousand) is so cost-effective.
  2. This exponentially raises the revenue that YouTube can make per video view. Grant- I’m biased in this enthusiasm since I am a YouTube partner. $20 CPM is a fair price.
  3. Ultimately, it shows that YouTube/Google is turning the corner on this age-old debate about advertising vs. community. YouTube has always been about community not commercialization. And that’s not a bad thing, but they happen to be in business to make money. Google also tends to build new product/service solutions without considering the advertising implications. Then eventually they figure out how to monetize it.

Some of the community will, of course, object to any new ad format. But ultimately this increases the sustainability of online-video and is a good thing for those viewers who want to retain access to free, quality content.

Now for some key points about the ads — lifted directly from the ClickZ article:

  • The new offering, dubbed InVideo Ads, mimics the clickable ad overlays introduced in recent months on ad networks like VideoEgg and YuMe.
  • Ad product consists of animated bars that obscure the bottom 20 percent of the video frame for a given clip. They initiate 15 seconds after the beginning of a clip
  • InVideo overlays are “80 percent transparent” and remain visible for approximately 10 seconds before shrinking to a small button users can later click to view the marketing message again.
  • YouTube has set a $20 CPM for InVideo ad buys consisting of an InVideo ad accompanied by a tiny in-player companion ad and an adjacent in-page unit.
  • Clicking on an overlay ad pauses the current video and launches one of two experiences brands can choose between. One is a new clip superimposed over the video in progress via a player-within-a-player interface. When the paid clip ends or is closed, the original automatically picks up where it left off. Shiva Rajaraman, YouTube Product Manager, said 76 percent of those who click the overlay and watch the video ad viewed the entire trailer for NewLine’s “Hairspray.”
  • The other option is a Flash-based interactive experience in which the user is invited to navigate an interactive menu. Warner Bros. created such a unit where users can flip through selected album covers (click for example).

During YouTube’s research process, Rajaraman said, “One of the key things we found, not surprisingly, is that when a video is playing on YouTube their attention is [locked in to the video frame]. When we came up with an ad format, we realized that… it needs to be in the player.”

Yet when the Google-owned video portal tested pre-roll placements, YouTube users abandoned video clips at a more than 50 percent rate. The overlay, by contrast, results in an abandonment rate under 10 percent. Not only that, but click rates are five to 10 times greater than standard display click-to-video ads, according to Rajaraman.

Emerging Community for Serious Video Creators

kevin nalts daily reelThe Daily Reel‘s “REELED IN” seems to be growing as serious video creators post their online videos to gain visibility from the site and its every-so-networked partners. I’m also finding it’s a nice way to connect with other creators, and a few WVFF readers and YouTube buds have jumped in.

We’ve all been burned populating profiles to which we never return (like my silly MySpace account). But I’m hoping this was worth the 20 minutes. If no other reason I’m hoping to win points with the every-so-cool TDR team.

Don’t wait for a personal invite from ’em. Jump on in.

Oh- I’ve set up a “crew” for any other viral-video “sellouts” that actually hope to make money in this space. BTW I’ve been taking some criticism over this ambition and finally had to vlog about it today. Everyone has their own goal for participating in the online video community. Mine happens to be to cover my insanely high cost of living. Stone me, Ian.

nalts viral video sellout crew daily reel