Category Archives: Viral Video

book, Future of Online Video, google video, Online Video, Video Advertising, Video Business, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Google Video: Advertisers Bid for Space on Select Videos

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Well, I couldn't have seen this coming if I had a Deep Throat at Google… In a  test, Google Video will serve ads for about 2,000 videos from 8 providers. Advertisers will select the videos on which to advertise their products through a combination of banner ads and 15-second video ads (at the end of a video). Google will split advertising revenue with the content owners, but no percentage has been identified yet. For full details see this PCWorld story. 

So why do we care, and why don't we care?

  • We care because this is an interesting model. The way ads are served is interesting and non-intrusive. More importantly, the bidder's market (which is how Google sells keyword inventory) is very clever.
  • We don't care because amateur content is not included in the pilot. According to Adotas, the test will include videos including The Charlie Rose Show and Mr. Magoo. For the online video viewers that were born after 1960, these shows are both about a senile old man who can't see.

copy_of_mr-magoo1.gifHere's the thing that has me scratching my head like Magoo. Is the bidder's market sustainable (beyond a pilot) for the HUGE amount of content with rapidly changing viral video content? Imagine the media person working for the advertising agency that has to surf each day's content and decide whether to bid. Aside from the fact that I want that guy's job, that doesn't seem very practical. I would imagine Google Video would offer other solutions to advertise on sporadic, amateur content.  

Bidding prevents an advertiser from being associated with objectional content, but it's also a lot of work. 

book, Killer Video, Making Videos, Online Video, Video Advertising, Video Business, Video Contests, Video Sites, Viral Video, Web 2.0

An Incentive to Post Comments

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To encourage reader comments, I'm offering links to related sites from this blog — which gets as high as 300 people per day. All you have to do is comment frequently, and if your site is related I'll throw in a link on the right column. I'll also do a post covering your site if it's relevant to the readers of WillVideoForFood.

The blogs I'd like to identify (for myself and readers) are the following. Those that discuss:cricket.gif

  • Tips and software for amateur video makers
  • Online video websites and trends
  • Onine advertising- especially pertaining to video ads
  • Sites identifying video contests
  • Killer viral videos  (like those that identify a good viral video each day)
  • Other ways to make money through online videos

The only thing that won't get covered is a site or blog that's self serving (trying to sell stuff as opposed to being educational and helpful) or sites that really aren't related to this area. If you read this blog regularly, please let us know what else you read that's complementary. I want to update my RSS feeds so I'm reading related blogs, and I'm sure your fellow WillVideoForFood readers will benefit as well.

book, Future of Online Video, Killer Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Video Business, Video Sites, Viral Video

A Message to Online Video Sites- What Do You Need?

Dear online video sites. Thanks for giving us free access to online videos, as well as absorbing the costs of hosting and serving the videos. Unfortunately, that's become a commodity. I think you know this, but in case you don't… what attributes do you need to ensure that you're not a "Pets.com" of the online video space? Don't read ahead… name a few. Now scroll down.

If you want to succeed in this space, you need most of the following attributes:

  • Lots of traffic and viewer loyalty
  • Nice organization of content, and community/social networking doesn't hurt
  • Partnerships with content creators- content is still king
  • Relationships with large media players- they're going to eventually buy you
  • Transparent revenue sharing with content owners- amateurs or media houses
  • An attractive offering to advertisers (who will demand traffic)
  • Something to differentiate from the increasingly crowded space
  • Distribution channels beyond your site (like cable, networks or cell providers)
  • Deep pockets (venture capital) to get out of the Catch 22 most won't escape: you need visitors for ad revenue, and ad revenue to support visitor generation

You know what I just realized? Some jackass consultant is going to rip this off and make money on a white paper about this rapidly growing industry. Oh well. At least I'm not making any money from this blog.

book, Future of Online Video, Making Videos, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Video Business, Video Sites, Viral Video, Web 2.0

How Will Amateurs Make Money from Online Videos in 2007?

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Right now there are only two ways for an amateur to make money on short online videos, but this will soon change.

  1. Provide a website or network exclusive rights and get a one-time payment. We've seen certain amateur content creators already stop producing content for YouTube because they've been presumably approached by "content scouts." Remember MadV? He said good-bye and I would expect to see him appear somewhere else. I've seen celebrity YouTube stars also vanish with ambiguous plans about entering into a different arrangement. money-large.jpgI've been contacted by such content scouts, but the financial transparency isn't clear so I haven't done anything.
  2. Serve videos through a revenue-sharing site (usually non-exclusive that allows for ongoing income based on view volume). Eepy Bird's $15K plus income on their Coke/Mentos is a good example of this. They opted to run their videos through Revver and opted to post them exclusively even though Revver doens't require that.

As 2006 continues, we're going to see some new models emerge, providing more options to amateur artists. These will require some serious trade-offs for content owners because we'll have to weigh options without knowing exactly which will be most profitable.

For instance, some online video sites are developing "exclusive revenue-sharing models" whereby you'd turn over exclusive rights to your video for ongoing revenue based on views. This only makes sense if you expect to get dramatically more views in exchange for giving up your video forever.

But if you apply proven media models to the online space, it makes sense that this will be an option. A website can't sell its content upstream (to cell phone providers, for instance) if most of their content is non exclusive and violating copyrights. So the future for a value-added intermediary depends on garnering traffic, getting good content, and then distributing that more broadly.

In any event, there are three things that are critical. 1) Good content (defined as funny, sexy, short and viral). 2) Traffic (there's no advertising revenue without traffic), and 3) Distribution and promotion (someone has to market the videos… more on that soon).

Killer Video, Making Videos, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Contests, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Help Starving Video Blogger Win Prize

Okay, the competition for the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang contest is better than I expected. Which means I need to blog a desperate plea for votes. If you have a second, please give the following three short videos "5 stars." You don't even have to suffer through them or click the ads. And if I win, I'll let you borrow the iPod whenever you want…

Bar Scene- my wife and me

My kids do Apology scene (mostly bloopers)

EvilFist's entry

Thanks!

book, Future of Online Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Video Business, Video Sites, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Sprint and Verizon Stalk Film-Festival Circuit

tvoncellphone.gifIt would appear that the Howard Stern & XM Radio deal has scared the hell out of cell-phone providers. Cingular has partnered with HBO, and Sprint and Verizon are hunting for "short films suitable for the size-challenged cell-hone screen," according to Newsweek. Nokia is setting up a tent at the Los Angeles Film Festival to show off its mobile-video phones and technology, Newsweek reports.

Is there anyone else that finds this a bit ridiculous? Naturally we'll be using cell phones as a primary media-consumption device in years ahead. Finland and Japan have proven this. But I find it weird that some phone providers are going directly to film festivals for two reasons:

  1. This stretches these cell-phone providers well beyond their core competency. Ultimately, they'll need an intermediary familiar with media and with the ability to broker deals. Credit to Cingular for recognizing this. Verizon or Sprint should connect with MTV.
  2. Right idea, but wrong place. In the short term, we're not going to watch even 5-10 minute clips. Cell providers should be looking at partnerships with Atom Films, Break.com or any owner of stupid, funny, short clips. Then worry about longer form and tasteful content.
  3. If the cell providers really want to get "bleeding edge" they should go directly (short term) to viral-video creators like ZeFrank or EvilFist.*

Note: The writer of this blog is friends with EvilFist (even though the feeling isn't mutual). Since this blog produces zero revenue, it's not above self promotion.

AOL, Killer Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Cancelling AOL (video version)

Here's my video version of the AOL Cancellation (click to see it on YouTube).
A guy tries to call and cancel his AOL account and runs into an aggressive call-center employee who wants to talk him out of it. And it's all caught on audio for everyone to enjoy! Here's the blog entry about this event. Here's the recording of Vincent Ferrari trying to cancel his AOL subscription. We can all appreciate this because it's happened to all of us.

"Cancel the account. I don't know how to make it more clear… you're annoying the shit out of me."

"And that goes both ways," responds the call center employee. "If you want me to cancel this account… you're going to listen to me."

Apparently the call center employee has been fired from AOL. This just goes to show- see what happens when you outsource your call center (see video)?

Killer Video, Uncategorized, Viral Video

Britney Spears Child-Dropping Video

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spears.jpgTraffic was low for WillVideoForFood.com so I decided to write about Britney Spears. It's almost a guarantee that you'll get visitors. In fact, I'm setting up a category for Britney Spears just for this post. 

So here's the latest video of her almost dropping her child. At least she didn't spill her tasty drink.

Oh- the photo of her and the snake was taken long bfeore she had a baby. And it has nothing to do with the video. It's just eye candy for you video fans that are pigs (and you know who you are)