My Brain Candy: From Jeremy

New URL

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:20:00 +0000

I've enjoyed blogging from UnleashCool.com for awhile now, but the time has come to switch to one that I feel better represents my posts.

MyBrainCandy.com will be my new location, so please be sure to make the switch by updating your RSS feed in your blog reader.

I hope that MyBrainCandy will UnleashCool for years to come.

Social media time shifting

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:06:00 +0000

I have changed my blog's title and its purpose. I found that I didn't always want to discuss online video which is at the core of my company (Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.) but rather whatever was on my mind, and topics that I don't see mentioned very often within the blogosphere.

Today I want to talk about the concept of time and how it relates to social media.

Before I truly got passionate and involved with Twitter, I was dedicated to updating this blog 2-3 times/week with thoughts, analysis, and ideas about the online video space. But now as I use Twitter more and more, I have reduced the amount of time I spend blogging and increased the amount of time I spend Tweeting and connecting with individuals on the popular service.

It got me thinking about how we use our time as new websites and social media tools are released, and where the time needs to come from in order to feed our new interests.

I have to admit that before social networking sites like Facebook arrived on the scene, that I used to spend more time out with friends in physical settings. But now I find myself connecting with more friends online, and have reduced my physical connections by about 80% over the last 3 years.

Another shift in my time allocation is that I have vastly reduced the amount of time I watch TV, so now I rely on the web to provide the video content I like, when I want it to watch it, and how I want to consume it. The shift from analog to digital is well underway, and leaves me to wonder what TV as a medium is really is becoming. I think that the closed cable box will give way to open "social broadband TV" but that's a whole other post and debate.

Cell phones used to be about talking where and when you needed to, but now I see more people using their devices for texting than verbally communicating.

I have been thinking about the future of time, and it makes me ponder the thought that maybe it all depends on company innovation and the way they transform our social habits. I mean I never expected to get consumed by Twitter, and like many others thought it was stupid when it was first released in 2007. I guess I still would if nobody adopted it, and if vibrant community conversations didn't currently exist from millions of people.

Even time that was used to attend conferences, business meetings, and seminars is being replaced with time now being invested into watching conferences live online, collaborating in real-time virtual meeting spaces, and I have never been invited to so many webinars as I have been just recently.

Is your use of time changing because of social technologies? Do you feel that social media is making you a more time efficient person?

If you're going to fail, fail fast

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:19:00 +0000

How time flies by so quickly, between tweeting here, here, here, and here, passionately working on my start-up company, working out, managing relationships, and sports, it's getting harder and harder to update this blog on a regular basis. I have read many books about blogging (including Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble) telling me that I need to update posts on a consistent basis but I have neglected that advise over the last few months.

I just had a big strategy session yesterday on what it will take to fit regular blogging into my life, and concluded that I will set aside 30-45 minutes every Friday to make that happen. So look for Friday posts from me going forward.

Today I want to talk about failure. Failing used to mean that you did something wrong, or that you just weren't up to accomplishing the challenges you needed to do in order to be successful.

But now failure can be a good thing, given that you learn from your mistakes and use your new knowledge by applying it to any new ventures you may tackle in the future.

I was an investor and involved with a start-up company (trying to battle P2P piracy with a legal P2P media network) from 2001 - 2006. 5 years later and all we had was a buggy software product, no business model, and basically went to zero with a bullet.

I've learned a lot from that failure and now live by the rule that if you are going to fail, you better fail quickly otherwise you are going to lose a ton of money and time in the process.

If you see any signs of failure, or if times are getting tough and it's impossible to push through the dip, then do yourself a favor and throw in the towel before you are left with nothing but ancient computers and crappy technology.

I vow not to let this happen to any company I'm involved with again. Simply put, I would rather fail quickly, than have mediocre success longer-term. I live my life to change the world, and if I'm not adding value to that goal then I'm wasting my time.

Do you agree with me? Have you learned this painful lesson in your lifetime?

Spidvid.com's Private Beta

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:23:00 +0000

Awhile back I mentioned that my company (Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.) was developing a connection/collaboration website for producing web video content. I'm proud to announce that the final touches and tweaks are being done, the logo will be done tomorrow, and we are very excited to finally show the public what we've been working so hard on for the past few months. Providing that everything goes according to plan (knock on wood) this new website named Spidvid should be ready for next week.

I have to admit that throughout this process, UnleashVideo.com has taken a bit of a back seat to Spidvid, but the focus will soon shift to both websites simultaneously since all content gets uploaded to UnleashVideo. There are plans to bring on video sharing distribution partners in the future, but until the successful exit of the private beta, UnleashVideo is the default.

Our goal for Spidvid is to help connect video creators, producers, directors, actors, editors, designers, narrators, animation artists, and other related production professionals so that quality video content can exist without having to invest money towards attracting talented individuals. So whatever each individual on a team puts into the content, they are credited and rewarded according to how each video does in the marketplace.

I think it's time that creators can join a website where they can get access to human capital that they wouldn't normally get access to. Creators who have passion for elevating their content's production and entertainment quality will be empowered by a network where they can do more with less.

I also think it's time that professionals can join a website where they can be part of video projects from the ground up, rather than wasting their time trying to get lame jobs at large studios where they have their own corporate agendas.

The website also provides a production ideas section where anyone can submit an idea, and anyone can rate an idea, even without private beta access. The cream always rises to the top, so the ideas that attract the most thumbs up are ranked high and displayed towards the top of pages, and the ideas that attract the most thumbs down are ranked low and displayed towards the bottom of pages. Creators have the right to use any posted idea to transform the dreamed up idea into a video reality. Now everyone can play a role in the creation process regardless of who they are, or where they come from.

It's time that the traditional video studio model opens up to become more transparent, accessible, connected, and collaborative. I hope that in time that individuals in the video industry who want to create change, get behind a movement, and foster a new model for creation and production find Spidvid.com a destination where they can be part of something bigger than themselves.

I won't claim that the interface is perfect, that all the core features are in place, that there are no bugs, or that the site is ready for prime time. But I believe that with the help of a dedicated community investing their time, skills, and talent, a special tribe will evolve to transform the video space as we currently know it today.

If you would like a private beta invite code all you need to do is follow Spidvid on Twitter, and either send a direct message, or an @ reply.

I will write a post when Spidvid officially makes its world debut.

What Would Google Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:47:00 +0000

What would Google do if they owned not only web and tech companies, but traditional ones as well?

Jeff Jarvis answers these questions and provides great insight into a increasingly apparent Googley world.

I finished his fairly new released book What Would Google Do a couple weeks ago, and after watching this great presentation of him at Google headquarters, I just had to write a post.

The whole time I was reading the book I figured that he had met with Google executives to get a better understanding of their systems, ecosystems, and culture. But to my surprise after watching his talk at Google he did everything he could to avoid Google employees.

This book isn't just about new business strategy, and ways to shake up current business models, it's writings are about seeing entire industries in new and innovative ways, and making them more relevant to people's needs. It's critical to be open, transparent, and collaborative in this new business and economic climate.

Upon finishing the book, I immediately subscribed to Jeff's blog and have been an avid reader ever since.

If you are looking for some new energy, inspiration, or ideas for your company, I would suggest tapping into Jeff's world beginning with his Google appearance.

Do you think like Google does?

Web Video Discussion

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:14:00 +0000

I've been battling the flu for a few days now and have been pretty much non-mobile for some time now. I have wanted to write this post for awhile, and have finally gathered up enough energy to do so.

I enjoyed watching Beet TV's web video round table just over a week ago and wanted to share my thoughts and opinions about the event. Here is part 1 of the event, and here is part 2. If your time is limited and want to see just one part of the event, I would recommend part 2 since the audio quality is better than part 1, and the content is more juicy as well.

The discussion was well over 2 hours long so if you want a summary, and brief analysis of the event you've come to the right place.

Summary:

1. A good portion of the conversation was about monetization, mainly advertising related.

2. There is a big need for standard ad formats where a large amount of video inventory can be bought, the same way it is now for TV.

3. Advertisers worry about where embedded videos are placed across social networks, blogs, and sites.

4. There is no doubt that the bulk of web video advertising dollars have to shift from the TV medium.

5. Right now advertisers spend a ton on TV advertising, and throw a bit into web video. In 3-5 years there is a hope that the opposite will be true.

6. 80%-90% of advertising clients prefer the 15 second pre-roll ad format.

7. Web video is more measurable and accountable than TV.

8. The potential is there for web video advertising to really explode, but until there is a standard buying process put in place, then rapid growth will suffer.

I enjoyed what all of the executives had to say, but feel that everything is moving slower than it should be. It seems as though the same conversations have been taking place over the last few months, so it's time to finally solve these issues and move the industry forward in a positive way.

What are your thoughts on the event, and/or on web video in general?

Personal vs Corporate Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:46:00 +0000

I recently had a social media audit done by Mark Evans to get his advice on what our video sharing site does well, and not so well regarding our use of social media.

One of his top recommendations was that I keep this site for my personal blog, that we use WordPress for our site's internal blog, and to essentially keep them seperate. After revisiting the benefits for doing so, it was clear that the switch had to be soon made.

I had thought of doing this before, but didn't do anything about it since there were so many other projects in the queue just begging to be taken from the idea phase to implementation.

While there are more projects than ever before to manage (including our soon to be privately launched web video studio connection/collaboration platform), I have moved this blogging shift to near the top of the list. So over the next couple of weeks the switch will be finally made to seperate the two.

Like most bloggers, I would like to find more time to write more posts and get more involved within the interactive blogosphere.

The benefits of blogging may not always seem so obvious, but it really is incredible to think how writing skills improve over time, as well as indirect entrepreneurial ones too.

What Exactly Is a Private Beta?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:48:00 +0000

My company Socially Collaborative Media, Inc. is soon releasing a connection/collaboration platform for web video entertainment. We are releasing it as a private beta but we keep asking ourselves the same question, which is "how private does it need to be to be considered a private beta?".

After doing some research on this it seems to me that other sites who are in private beta status only allow "outsiders" to view their About Us, Contact Us, Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and other general links AT MOST. So the private part appears to be where people need invite codes to access features like posting a profile, getting access to core features, and to engage with the site's community.

I guess our private beta isn't totally private because we intend to allow individuals without an invite key to submit a production idea, vote on production ideas, view active projects, view profiles, and allow for forum involvement.

So do we have a semi-private beta on our hands? Should we make it completely private or leave it relatively open?

Forcing Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:40:00 +0000

I haven't written a post here since January 21st, and it's something that I've really started to miss doing over the last few days.

This has happened for 4 main reasons.

Firstly, because I'm occupied managing our video sharing site, secondly because I'm working hard with my development team for the upcoming release of our web video connection platform, thirdly because I'm writing an interesting ebook manifesto for the release, and last but not least because everytime that I actually did get time to write I just couldn't think of anything out of this world interesting, and was trying to force something out of myself.

I've learned that blogging can't be about forcing, but rather you must just let your passion speak for itself no matter what the subject or topic may be.

So today I would like to mention the current book I'm reading Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki. This book is very simple to read and provides no "bull shiitake" on how to become a better entrepreneur.

Guy is an out of the box thinker who is a former Apple evangelist, venture capitalist, book author, active Twitter member, and is the co-founder and CEO of AllTop.

If you are looking for a book to help guide, inspire, inform, entertain, educate, and essentially get your creative juices flowing, then I would strongly recommend this brilliant 94 mini-chapter book.

And especially if you are an entrepreneur or soon to be one who needs a reality check on how hard it really is to start, and manage a successful company. Just like his Art of the Start is a must read for someone wanting to start something, Reality Check is another must read in my opinion.

Bonus: If you are looking for some other book gems out there you should check out this one, this purple one, and if you're into social media this book will inspire you to be the next webpreneur gazillionaire.

Complimentary Sponsorship Spots Available

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:19:00 +0000

We are developing a "side-bar" add on for our site which will allow viewers to easily sign up for our weekly top videos, our newsletter, and subscribe to our video RSS feed. We expect to debut this new section within a week.

We are also launching a sponsorship area just below the above section with 8 spots for brands to gain exposure to our viewing audience. Spots are similar to what you see here, located on the right side a few inches down under the section "Sponsors".

The spots are available at no cost for February and (maybe) March. We are being picky though, and are only extending the offer to web video and podcast companies that have offerings or messages relevant to our viewership.

Do you have content or products that appeal to young creative adults (aged 18-34)? Would you like a complimentary spot?

Contact community@unleashvideo.com with your request, or leave a comment below with your site's URL for us to look at.

The Power of a Name

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Where would Google be without their name? What if there was no such thing as you getting a crazy idea/thought in your head and then Googling it? Would Google have it's same allure and prominent position in our minds?

I have been asking myself these type of questions for months now as we try to name our online video collaboration platform, set to release in 2-3 weeks.

I wonder how many entrepreneurs obsess over this important selection, and watching it as every day it elevates to become more of an issue to them then actual product development?

When I first heard the name "Twitter" I used to think it was stupid. Until I heard "tweet", "twit", and all kinds of names that revolved around the core name Twitter.

I never really understood the power of names until recently through watching how social media takes a name and forms a whole branded ecosystem around it. This could then begin a conversation around "API's" but that's not my intention for this post.

We have looked far and wide for a remarkable name, but haven't stumbled upon the right one yet. We have tried everything from Yahoo Answers to Facebook to Twitter to hiring naming/branding consultants but nothing yet.

I thought I would reach out here on this blog to see if anyone has a great web name that means nothing, is fresh, and has a "certain ring to it" without sounding to cliche.

Any ideas? Any good names that you own a domain to and would like to sell us? Heck we are open to anything right now. This has contest written all over it.

Nominate Assisted Living for a Streamy Award

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Our video sharing site sponsored the web series "Assisted Living" which officially wraps up tomorrow with the release of the 10th episode. In case you've missed it, here is the link to what we believe is the top video in the series so far.

Help the show win a Streamy award by nominating it for the best web series comedy. You can easily nominate it by clicking the badge below. Thanks for your support.

What's Next for Web Video?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Back in 2005 a little web video start-up named YouTube came along and quickly changed how video was broadcasted and shared. Since then we have seen some new innovations in the web video space such as live video, but nothing as significant as what YouTube accomplished some 4 years ago.

My question now is what's the next big wave for web video?

I believe that we are going to see creators, producers, writers, and actors come together to create their own studios from the bottom up, and ultimately challenge not just new web studios, but in time the traditional studio powerhouses that have existed for many decades.

We are already seeing many actors and writers shifting their attention to the web, as rigid studios seek to control their intellectual properties with lack of regard to the people who made the content possible in the first place. Just like many music artists have gone the independent route, the next media to follow suit will be video producers.

The power is now in the hands of the people as we enter a new shift in the way videos are created and produced. A new disruptive movement is just getting started, forcing entertainment studios to change in order to be viable in this new competitive landscape.

My company (Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.) is developing a connection/collaboration platform for producing video entertainment, that essentially allows anyone to create their very own on-demand studio and produce quality content that they couldn't otherwise do alone.

We are on track to release in a few weeks as a private beta, with the goal of collaboratively transforming the video entertainment production model from how it exists today.

Do you think nextgen studios will be the next big wave for web video?

Happy Holidays and Welcome 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:48:00 +0000

2008 has been a learning and growing experience for many of us in the social media/Web 2.0 space. With that being said 2009 is going to be a really exciting year for web video as overall ad revenues increase to (upwards of) 45%, higher quality content gets produced, mobile gains traction, more interactive features and connection utilities are developed, and as advertisers shift their focus from interruption marketing (TV) to interactive brand engagement (web video). Our one year anniversary is early May 2009, and it will be nice to reflect on how far we've come as a video sharing site in terms of content and viewers.

For early next year: There has been some early talk that our parent company (Socially Collaborative Media, Inc.) is developing a connection/collaboration platform for video creators and professionals so that new content studio models can be established. There is a lot of excitement to announce that we can't wait for its private release next month. It will be a soft launch, so if you're interested in getting a beta key to join our community very early on, we are now starting to take requests through Twitter. Just direct message us with your email address, and we will be in touch when we're ready for you. Our current code name for this utility is CollabGuru, and we are in the process of officially naming it. Something fresh, memorable, short, and "brandable" are the goals.

So happy holidays to everyone reading these words, and cheers to a remarkable year ahead for web video in 2009.

9 Online Video Predictions for 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:06:00 +0000

2008 was a pretty good year for online video, there was good growth, interesting experiments, some crazy creators really broke out, the emergence of live video, and overall a lot of positive buzz throughout the emerging space.

I'm going to go out on a limb and post my 2009 predictions for online video:

1. Videos continue to spread throughout the social web via embeds and syndication deals, making content even more fragmented.

2. Some innovative creators with good shows start getting sponsorship dollars.

3. Shows will get more interactive, so rather than watching a new show once/week with nothing in between there will be things happening on a daily basis. Much like what The Resistance has done with theirs.

4. Online video will have the strongest ad growth numbers in comparison to other ad formats i.e. search, social networks, etc. I know this is a pretty safe prediction but worth mentioning regardless.

5. Hulu will get to the number 2 spot behind only YouTube in terms of monthly unique viewers.

6. Increased collaboration will lead to more quality content, and raise the bar for video creators and producers. Human resources will become more available as the more jobs are lost, and creators will be empowered to form their own virtual studios to openly share the recognition and ad revenues with others.

7. CDN bandwidth will get more affordable as the space further consolidates and matures.

8. Mobile video really starts to take off thanks to cool new iPhone apps that allow viewers to discover content they didn't before know existed.

9. Online video advertising is expected to grow to 45% next year, I say the figure will be more around 30%-40%, but great nonetheless.

Do you have any of your own predictions? Feel free to share them below.

Assisted Living Season 2 Unleashed

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:55:00 +0000

We are proud to announce the debut of the 2nd Season of Assisted Living. The 1st Season kicked things off nicely, and with the new one we will continue to push sexual appeal and controversial humor.

Here is a great review of the show on TubeFilter.tv.

Thanks to the show's creator Dave from ViralFilmVideo, and lead actor Dustin for their passion and dedication to continually push the series forward.

We are looking forward to again sponsoring and producing Season 3 in the Spring.

If you like the show then please share the videos with your friends, subscribe to the RSS feed for new webisode updates, and don't forget to rate and comment.

Creators: Where should my videos go?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:22:00 +0000

There is a debate in the web video production community right now on where creators should upload their content to, and if more video sharing sites equals more views and overall success.

Here are some key questions that creators must first ask themselves:

1. Do I want my content to be as widespread as possible?

2. How many video sharing sites should I upload to?

3. Do I want my content to be viewed by as many viewers as possible?

4. What is my main goal as a web video creator?

5. What are my core values and objectives?

6. Should I aim to make lots of money right away?

7. Where should I spend most of my time on the distribution side?

8. Which communities should I engage and interact with?

9. What video sharing sites are right for me and my content?

Some industry thought leaders say that creators should get onto TubeMogul and upload their videos all over the place to maximize their views. While others say that the best strategy is to upload to just a small handful of targeted sites, and engage deeply in those selected communities.

While I don't have a clear cut answer, my opinion is that early in the game creators should syndicate their content to as many places as possible, build a brand and get known, and then see which communities best respond to their content. As time goes on a natural fit should occur, and a clearer strategy will eventually reveal itself.

Whatever direction is chosen, it's vitally important that the creator has a core group of at least 5-10 viewers who absolutely love their content, and that they are willing to share, bookmark, and promote those videos to help the creator succeed.

As Seth Godin and others (myself included) believe, it's not always how many but who your audience is that really matters. If you can build trust and permission within a small audience it then doesn't become where to upload to, but rather, how can you get these people to talk about you and best spread your story.

Let's get this party started

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 18:35:00 +0000

I haven't written a blog for 12 days which is the longest I've gone in months, and over the last couple days I've actually gone into blog-withdrawal. I've been doing a lot of micro-blogging on Twitter and Friendfeed, but it's good to be back writing a post in excess of 140 characters.

So many things have been happening over at UnleashVideo.com. Here's a short list.

1. Our video encoding is now a lot high than before and we've reconverted all of our existing videos into the new high resolution format.

2. We now allow 250MB/upload, an upgrade from 100MB/upload.

3. We have released the 1st season of Assisted Living, here's the 1st webisode and here's a direct link to the channel. Please watch, share with your friends, and rate the videos. Season 2 is coming December 9th, and will debut exclusively on our site. It promises to be funnier with more sexual appeal.

4. Viewers no longer need to have an account to rate a video.

5. We have added additional social bookmarking options from Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Buzz, and Mixx to each video page.

6. You can now follow creator's channels by visiting a channel page and clicking on the "Follow" button. This is a great way to stay updated on your favorite content through email.

7. We are expecting a few great new videos this upcoming week and expect to attract many more going forward. Our content niche is quality entertainment with a focus on web shows, and fun to watch 2-5 minute long videos.

We are soon planning to add a discussions forum, and a side bar to display our most important features on every page of the site for easy access. We hope these 2 features increase site engagement, and allow us to build a more connected, passionate, and dedicated audience.

Our goal is to continue to position the site as differently as we possibly can from the likes of YouTube, and the other video share websites. If you have any ideas, suggestions, feedback, or questions I would love to address them.

Contact me at jeremy@unleashvideo.com, or on any of my social media profiles across the web.

Build Your Tribe

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:34:00 +0000

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Seth Godin's and that I'm in his social network Triiibes. I have been a fairly active member of the relatively closed community, and through this community a great PDF has been collaboratively created.

If you have any interest in social media or community building, you absolutely need to read this 75 page manifesto. It's easy to read, very concise, and full of useful content that you can put to good use. Whether you are building a community around a hobby like magic tricks, or around a passion like sports, this is a must read.

Here are some of its contents:

Top questions answered about social media, communities, and movements.
The art of good story telling.
Motivations for joining groups.
Can you make a living off of these communities?
What successful leaders look like and who the top ones are.
How to tighten a community and get others to join.
Who plays what roles?
What sizes are ideal?
Can a tribe change the world?

If you have already read the brilliant document I look forward to hearing what you think, and if you have yet to read it, again here it is.

You are free to read, print, and share it through whatever means you desire. Knowledge is power, and sharing is caring so reach out to those who want to hear from you with this great, free pre-christmas gift.

Tough Times For Online Video Is Good

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:03:00 +0000

I have been gearing up for an insightful post on how our economy downturn is actually good for online video, because the space will be much stronger and mature when the real players are left standing 18-24 months from now. I came across a great write up today and thought to myself that instead of writing a similar one, I would share it with my readers instead.

This comes from Dan Rayburn of BusinessOfVideo.com, so I thank him for his insights and for his ability to read my mind for a quality post that was long overdue in the online video space.

No one will argue that just about every business vertical and our country are experiencing hard times. But for the online video industry, the challenging times are good for business and as a whole, good for the industry overall. To me, it looks as if too many folks are writing for headlines and want to predict doom and gloom just so they can play on emotions and do things like create lists of ways that companies in our space can "survive" the hard times. How many more posts do we have to read where someone gives advice saying things like "watch your expenses" or "renegotiate vendor contracts"? If any company in any industry does not already know to watch their expenses and isn't constantly working to renegotiate vendor contracts, in good or bad times, then they don't deserve to survive. Let them go under.

Part of the reason why we see so many of these is lists is that quite frankly, there are way too many companies that have to do with the Internet, being run by a bunch of young kids with no business experience at all. What other industries besides the Internet space do you see lists like this being made? The airline and automotive industries as a whole have been taking for years. We don't see the Airlines and those who cover the space talking about how airlines should "watch their fuel costs" or "make sure they don't have empty planes". A lot of what we are reading about in the online video space is due to the fact that many running these companies just don't have a lot of business experience. I don't fault them for that, you have to get your start somewhere, but those who have money in these companies should be overseeing them very closely all the time, not just when times are bad. And how many companies have a CEO or executive management team who might have very strategic visions or be very smart people, yet have no leadership skills or business experience. Many of the companies in the Internet space as a whole are founded by very smart technology people, not business people.

It seems that many writers want readers to give into the scare of these articles talking about how bad things are, and how much worse they are going to get, without looking at the real reason companies are having problems. Most of the companies I see laying off employees, don't have any business model to begin with. So at some point, in good economic times or bad, they are going to layoff employees anyway. That is not the case for all companies, but it is for many of them. And what about the positive impact this will have on the industry as a whole? Do we really need a hundred user generated video sites out there? Chopping many of them out of the market will help better define who the leaders are, what business models work and will assist those with real business models to grow faster and help them stand out from the sea of confusion. Many companies who have a legitimate shot at making it tell me their main marketing problem is how they make themselves stand out from all the noise that comes from having way too many companies, with no real business, in the market.

That being said, I'm not suggesting that anyone losing their job is a good thing or easy to deal with. And some cuts are coming to companies who I do think have a real business model in the future. But layoffs are a part of any business. The thing I don't like hearing is how so many executives of these companies are only just now talking about keeping an eye on costs because of the economy. Any real business person will tell you that you keep a closer eye on costs when things are good, when you tend to waste money, so that when things are bad, you are already prepared and don't have to take drastic actions. More money is wasted in good economic times with things like lavish dinners, expensive hotel rooms and company branded swag, than in times when the economy is bad.

I think it is also crucial for all facets of the online video industry to keep things in perspective and set expectations properly. For instance, at the beginning of this year it was all about how online video advertising was talking all this money from broadcast and print advertising. The death of every medium except the Internet was being predicted and as a result, people expected more than what was possible. The most aggressive prediction I saw was for online video advertising to be a billion and a half dollars in 2008. Now, at the end of this year, it looks like it will be more along the lines of $500 million. While there is nothing wrong with that number, even if it was a billion and a half dollars this year, that's less than 3% of the entire TV advertising market, that the industry is predicting such immediate death for. Lets be positive and excited about the growth we have coming, but also be realistic.

We have to keep in mind that even though this industry has been around for more than ten years now, every facet of the online video industry is still very small. The markets for online video advertising and content delivery for video are both under half a billion dollars this year. The market size for video transcoding, video publishing platforms and niche video networks are all under a few hundred million each. I think it is very easy for people in the industry to forget that while many have been working in this industry for years, our industry as a whole is still very small when compared to just about every other vertical market. We still have a lot of growth to do, a lot of innovation to bring to the market and many applications that need to be developed on top of the basic underlying technology that has been created.

Things will get worse for companies with no real business model, product offering or clear and defined message of who they are and what they offer. That's just business. But after the shakeout, our industry will still be here, business is still growing and the industry will be stronger as a result of it. We are only just getting started.

Invest the Time In Metadata

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:24:00 +0000

I just read an interesting PDF about metadata (the data that describes content) and it's place in the web video space. Here it is in its entirety, and I would recommend that everyone involved with web video read it to increase their awareness on the use and importance of metadata.

In case you don't have the time to get into the 12 page document here are some of my key takeaways.

metadata is as important to content as the video and audio components themselves.
spending the time to get the metadata as accurate and complete as possible helps with the finding and discovery of content by viewers.
there are some automated ways to get metadata but they aren't as reliable as good as humans taking the time to get it right.
the right metadata can have huge impacts on viewer engagement and proper placement of ads for effective monetization.
without good metadata, stories around web videos can be confusing, incomplete, and less compelling.

There is no doubt that metadata is critical for web video, and as this document reminds us we as publishers, creators, producers, and advertisers must pay attention to how we want viewers to discover and interact with the content we are involved with.

What strategies are you employing around metadata creation? How do you measure the effectiveness your metadata has on your content?

I'm Now Part of the Triiibe

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:46:00 +0000

This is a follow up post to one I did in July regarding Seth Godin's new book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

The skinny: I got on the pre-order list for the new book which got me into Seth's social network Triiibes. I have already got some great value out of the network from the community which has offered great advice on everything from books to read, to people to connect with. So it has been a very engaged and intimate experience (with under 4,000 people) who are all very much into social media and the web.

Seth told everyone that the book would be shipping sometime in November (or December I can't quite remember) but I already have my very own copy thanks to his belief in under promising and over delivering.

But Seth always takes things to the next level and this time he asked everyone to send him remarkable pictures of themselves so that he could feature tons of people on the book's inner cover, a very tribe-like idea. So I did that taking some pics of myself with an original milk carton that he gave away some time ago while promoting the book Purple Cow. Find me on the 3rd panel (from left to right), 5 rows up, and 7 rows in (from right to left), and make me feel like Waldo. It feels great that I'm part of the book, something that last forever, a piece of Godin history if you will.

Seth is all about sharing so he gave everyone a complimentary book to share with their friends, and help word of mouth promote the book vs a costly (read ineffective) advertising campaign. He also included a letter in the free book which reads:

Hey...

Here's a gift.

No strings attached.

I want to thank you for believing in the Triiibe, for signing up sight unseen, for buying a book you hadn't read yet, hadn't heard about yet, hadn't browsed yet.

You went first, took the lead, took a (small) chance with your money and a big chance with your time.

Thanks.

Here's an advance copy of Tribes. An early copy, for you, before anyone else gets one. Please read it and keep it. And when the one you paid for comes, I hope you'll give that one away. In two weeks or so, when it arrives from the bookseller, take that second copy and spread the word. If all you do is file it away, I've failed.

I write books so people will spread the ideas inside. I write them to change things, to give a name to something that might be invisible and to give you a tool to make the change you hope to see in the world.

Working with you (and the rest of the Triiibe) is the entire purpose of my career. I hope you'll put this gift to good work and give it to someone who needs it.

Thanks again,

Seth

Wow, how cool is that and how it relates to social media marketing. I have already sent Seth a thank you email (and several over the years) to tell him how he makes the community of his personal brand feel special and part of something that makes meaning.

I just had to share this story with you because I love what Seth does, and I think we can all learn a thing or two from him which helps us become better people not only in business but in our overall lives as well.

Do you need my copy of Seth's book? If I was to give it away to you how would you help Seth (and me) spread the good word? Let me know with a comment below, or email jeremy@unleashvideo.com.

UnleashVideo.com updates

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Just a quick post on the new developments for our video sharing site.

1. We have integrated the 2nd version of our site's video player, see it here and let us know what you think. It's more interactive, the interface is very simple, and it looks cool so we're very happy with the direction we're going in our video player evolution. There is still some work to be done, and it should be ready for prime time sometime next week.

2. We mentioned a couple times on Twitter that we would be releasing an original web video pilot sometime in early November. That has now been cancelled due to production, actor, and timing issues with our LA based content partner. In the meantime we are looking at other web shows to sponsor, and integrate our brand into. If you or someone you know has a show or videos that are entertaining and of need for a sponsor, please get in touch with us.

3. We are sponsoring a web show's (Assisted Living) 2nd season which is now being shot, and will be released sometime later on next month. We also have secured the distribution rights for the 1st season and will be airing all 7 episodes in 2-3 weeks prior to the 2nd season's debut.

4. We will begin our site's marketing and PR "push" next month. Up until now we have been aggressively testing and tweaking features to make the site more broadly appealing to viewers.

5. We will be taking the site out of beta sometime before the end of this year.

As always if you have any ideas or feedback for the site, get in touch with me directly at jeremy@unleashvideo.com or here.

List Of Web Video Companies To Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Founding a web video sharing site, I really watch and follow the space closely on a daily basis. Over the last few years I have seen a lot of companies come and go in the space, but I have assembled a list of the ones I think have a bright future ahead and will be around for the long-term.

1. YouTube - The largest player of them all, and firmly under the Google umbrella. YouTube brings in close to 50% of all web video streams. Look for Google to increase their pressure on the YouTube team to increase the site's ad revenues, which to the dismay of viewers may mean introducing pre-roll and post-roll ads in some of the video content for 2009.

2. Qik - My favorite player in the live video space for mobile phone broadcasting, Qik has done a great job accommodating a wide array of compatible hardware. A concern for Qik going forward is implementing a business model that their community welcomes.

3. Overlay.tv - Provides the ability for the tagging of objects within flash video, creating a more interactive experience for viewers as each object is clickable for additional engagement. Brand/product integration opportunities for creators and marketers also exist, and I believe this ad format will boast very lucrative revenue streams by the end of this decade.

4. Visible Measures - Tracks viewer's actions within their web video consumption experience. Statistics currently available on viewer engagement are: moving back, moving ahead, pausing, embedding destinations, and other interesting analytics. Marketers really want this information for making educated purchases, so this player is well positioned in the space and could really assist in bringing more ad dollars to the medium.

5. Adap.tv - Used to be a web video advertising company that matched advertisers with publishers within their own ad network. But over the last few months have changed strategies to aggregate the top web video advertising networks to help put the most relevant ad in front of the right viewer at the right time. Why compete with many networks when you can partner with them instead?! Good job Adap.tv.

6. Kaltura - Have been quoted as "The Wikipedia for video". They allow anyone to take any video in their network and remix it, edit it, and tweak it as they wish. Some very interesting creations have been produced thanks to their slick editing technologies. They won the TechCrunch40 and have had great momentum ever since.

7. ManiaTV.com - A new web video studio attracting millions of viewers to watch popular shows such as Dave Navarro's Spread TV. They expect to be profitable sometime in 2009, and certainly have the attention of Hollywood.

8. Blinkx - One of the top web video search and discovery players. With more and more video content coming online, this company is committed to providing a simple interface which returns the most relevant results to viewers.

9. Hulu - Was supposed to be the "YouTube killer" but certainly has no intention of doing so since they are quality focused, not user-generated focused. Hulu is one of the fastest growing web video destinations, they have professional content from parents NBC and Fox and are attracting more content from many other large networks, monetize a very high percentage of their inventory, and can attract top CPM's from advertisers.

10. TubeMogul - Allows video creators to upload their videos to multiple web video sharing sites simultaneously, and measure the analytics from each destination under one centralized dashboard. They are rapidly expanding their offerings and are very dedicated to pleasing their content creators.

I'm perhaps one of the most optimistic people when it comes to the web video space, but with the projections how can you not be. The shift from old media to new media is on, and it's an honor to be part of such an exciting time in the web industry.

Open Video Player

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Campbell) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Over the next couple years we will be seeing more and more industry standards put in place for web video. This will lead to increased revenues for producers, streamlined purchases for advertisers, and help to push the industry forward to hit the high projections for the web video advertising space.

A new initiative has been put in place by Akamai called Open Video Player. The goal here is to get video producers and web video sharing sites on board so that video players across the web are standardized, kind of like how the TV is today.

There seems to be a lack of interest from brands and advertisers that want to place their products and messages in front of the web audience, because they are hesitant to do so for a lack of standards both in terms of ad and video player specifications.

Web video ad formats are now being put in place, but as for the video player formats, well this is a new area now going under investigation.

Initiative partners already include: Microsoft, Adobe, Panache, KickApps, ScanScout, and a few others. I wouldn't doubt that other large players will join in at some point in the near future.

I think that this is a pretty good idea from Akamai since the web is moving more towards open models on all fronts. Not sure my company's web video sharing site will get involved just yet, I think we will wait until the dust settles and see if the benefits outlined are the ones that are in fact achieved.