Truth in Online Advertising

I'm not sure if you have seen the Jawbone internet video ads or not. I just stumbled across them yesterday. While I find them entertaining I'm not sure I believe that they are really going to wipe out all the noise as advertised.

SXSW Turned Me Down

So it looks like unless something changes I won't be going to SXSW this year. I sent in a request for a blogger pass but the deadline was last Friday and they turned me down.

Denied.

Last year SXSW was very interesting. It was where I got my first exposure to Twitter and saw it in action in real time. Someone would be at a party and twitter if they had free food and drinks and then we would all go to the party that had the best selection.

I think this year's SXSW will be more exciting than last year's even if I'm not there.

Beyond Revver

If no one buys Revver and Revver can't generate enough revenue to stay in business they will go out of business and many of us like Happy Slip who have enjoyed free video hosting and rev share monetization of our videos on Revver will need to look for new video hosting.

Revver is great because I can post my videos and watch them make money. I've not yet found a site that works the same way as Revver but I have started looking.

Blip.TV is a great video hosting site that is loved by many video creators for its ease of use, quick response to problems and understanding of our community. I like Blip.TV a lot and I'm seriously considering moving there as they are in New York (Where the US advertising world is) and they are building their ad sales.

I have phone calls and emails out to other Video Hosting sites to see what they have to offer in terms of both Flash and QuickTime hosting and how to monetize both videos on my site and videos in my RSS feed.

Moving beyond the Revver issue if we are going to go it alone as video creators and take on the whole monetization thing ourselves we have several things to consider in monetizing our videos.

1. Video and Website Hosting
2. Ad Sales (Banner and Video)
4. Dynamic Video and Banner Ad Insertion
5. Stats Tracking
6. Content Management
7. Social Network

Right now to my knowledge there is not one place that provides this for content producers.

Ask A Ninja is using Federated Media for AdSales and Castfire for video hosting, dynamic ad insertion and stats. They are using a custom build Drupal content management system, Ning for their social network and I'm not sure who they are using for their website hosting.

I was ready to launch some new non sponsored videos for French Maid TV but I'm not sure I want to do that until I know that I'm going to get some money for the views.

I'm ready to post some new content but I need to rethink things first.

I'll let you know what I do.

The Power of Lonely Girl 15

Well you haven't heard much about Jessica Rose since she left LonelyGirl15 (maybe because of some strike) or LG15 as they call it and just because her character died doesn't mean the LG15 series couldn't live on. In fact LG15 looks to be doing pretty well both in view numbers and in product placement deals.

You may have used your lunch breaks to do silly things like go eat or attend meetings but while you were doing that other cool kids with high speed internet connections have been watching as the cast of LG15 has come in contact with a JUMPER . No, not those powder blue polyester costumes I used to wear at the Listen to the Land boat ride at EPCOT Center. I'm talking about the kind that are being chased by Paladins like the one Samuel L. Jackson plays in the new 20th Century Fox's movie Jumper.

So if you have some time over lunch today or you are like Liz Gannes at New Tee Vee and you get paid to watch stuff like this, have a look and enjoy jumping around the Internet. While you're doing it take a look at LG15's YouTube Numbers just be sure to watch out for the Paladins while you are jumping around.

Radio, TV, Internet and Live Event - Know your Audience

So NBC has partnered with LA Radio Station 97.1 KLSX in a promotion for the resurrection of the TV Show Night Rider. To do this they are running a contest to win tickets to the Playboy Mansion.

The cool thing is that they are using a YouTube Video with a PROMO Code at the end of the video that you need to enter and they are promoting it on the radio and on the KLSX website.

"Register to win your chance to attend the hottest party of the year - NBC's Knight Rider Launch Party on February 12th at the world-famous Playboy Mansion...

Hosted by 97.1 FREE FM, this star-studded event will feature a live 4-hour broadcast with The Adam Carolla Show and guest appearances by Danny Bonaduce and of course, the beautiful Playboy Bunnies.

Watch the Knight Rider trailer to find out the secret code - then register to win your spot at the Knight Rider Launch Party!

This television debut is powered by Knight Rider, premiering 9 P.M. February 17th on NBC, and the Mustang GT 500 KR Secret Agents here at 97.1 - The FM Talk Station."

I think this event will be a success and the word will get out about Knight Rider but I'm not sure that the people who will be tuning in to the new Knight Rider will sign up for this contest because they won't be old enough to get in to the Playboy Mansion.

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

They always used to tell me KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid and this video which bores me to death does just that with old comic material that we've all heard a 100 times but that doesn't stop it from climbing the charts today.

Who knows maybe it appeals to the crowd that doesn't get out much. Nonetheless this little Starbucks' product placement gem is getting some traction today.

The Best Super Bowl Ads

I was a little under whelmed with the Super Bowl Ads this year and I was really disappointed with Go Daddy except for one thing – the graphic that they put at the end of the spot: “See “Directors Cut” only at GoDaddy.com”

Not too many people are going to run out and buy more Beer or Cars today from the ads that they saw on the Super Bowl yesterday but when guys get into work away from their wives and girlfriends they are going to go to GoDaddy.com and watch the “Directors Cut” and maybe a few other Go Daddy spots and they might even register a domain or two.

If you do happen to go to GoDaddy.com today to watch the Super Bowl Commercials use the French Maid TV code (FMTV) and get 10% off your order.

As far as the best Super Bowl Ads go I’m really not sure. What were your favorites?

Repurposing Your Video

Ever think about taking video that you've shot and turning it into a local commercial that you can license around the country for small businesses to use to advertise on local cable TV?

There's even a market place for this called Spot Runner.

Tools of the Trade

As video producers we are all familiar with cameras like the Panasonic AG-HVX-200 P2 or editing software like Final Cut Pro but most of us are not that familiar with a very special tool called a Media Kit.

For those of you just getting into the online video business - Media Kits are sell sheets that explain to Media Buyers what a media property (in our case an online video) is about, who it reaches and what inventory that media property has available for that Media Buyer to advertise on. Media Buyers look at media kits to decide if a property is right for their brands.

As a advisory board member of the ADM I have been asked to put together some tools for members of the Association of Downloadable Media and I thought the first thing to pull together should be a collection of Media Kits.

That said, if you are a producer of downloadable media and you have a media kit you would like to share with the ADM please send it to me at 1timstreet (at) gmail.com.

I can't promise if we will use it or not but if we don't have it we won't be using it for sure.

If you are looking for a little preview here's a copy of The French Maid TV Media Kit.

And if you are interested I've also posted another tool of the trade the French Maid TV Advertising Sales Presentation which is basically an Upfront Presentation for French Maid TV.