Video marketing for businesses can be a tough game to play.  The video landscape is full of funny pranks and comedy acts, so finding an area to put your real content where it will be viewed is difficult.  Many businesses are attracted to YouTube, as they boast six billion hours of video viewed.  So, they figure, hey why can’t I get some of those hours.  The problem is: YouTube’s viewed content is dominated by shows and comedy.

Taking a look at the top 100 most viewed channels, a trend is easily seen: Shows, music, and comedy are predominately what people watch on YouTube.  So what happens to your serious content? It doesn’t really get many views or engagement.  Given that YouTube has yet to offer a professional offering or forums where companies can interact, it’s not the best option for businesses.  So, where should you go? Read More »

In the week that it was shown that users only visited the planet Google+ for less than 7 minutes a month it’s interesting to look at how a contemporary rock artist brand goes about using social media in their marketing and the different levels of interest on different platforms.

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If you have a YouTube channel, you’ll notice that when you log in there’s a notification inviting you to upgrade to ‘YouTube One Channel’ (if you don’t see it and want it, you can get the new design from the One Channel home page).

According to YouTube, this new design for YouTube channels “allows cross-device branding, a welcome video for new visitors and better organization.” It also reflects how many people now access YouTube from different devices – from the smallest mobile screen to a TV through your Xbox. Read More »

The FT reports that Google could this week unveil “an à la carte subscription service” for some of its specialist YouTube channels as part of an effort to finance a broader range of content.

The initiative would echo recent moves by those such as Netflix and Amazon moving into original content. Read More »

While many probably still have a VHS video recorder in their homes somewhere video tapes have long since stopped being a feature of our lives having been replaced by DVDs in 2000.

To celebrate 40 years since the first successfully produced functional prototype VHS player was created YouTube has introduced “tape mode” to give modern online videos that often scratchy VHS look. Read More »

With the rise of the internet and now social networks, there’s been a fundamental shift in the way we communicate, buy and work. This is not a fad that is going away, the internet is now increasingly central to our lives and social media represents 20% of our internet time.

For brands, social media is no longer optional, as customers are asking for it, competitors are using it and it is an important service that provides relationship building opportunities. I’ve been thinking lately about what Engagement 3.0 means; to me it is about brands giving their online interactions an offline element. It is about an evolution in the way that we engage, not necessarily about making money.  Read More »

YouTube is now claiming a billion unique users every single month.

This equates to a 25% increase from last May for the Google owned property. Back then it had a mere 800 uniques viewers a month, with users uploading 72 hours of video every minute.
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Apple has reportedly held talks with Beats Electronics, the headphones firm founded by hip-hop producer Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine, about its new music streaming service for which it this week raised $60m.

Tim Cook, the Apple executive, is said to have met with Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine late last month as Beats’ readies its streaming service. The service is named “Project Daisy” and was announced in January. Read More »

Netflix’s unique content play, “House of Cards”, starring Kevin Spacey, has satisfied its subscriber base in the US according to a small survey by Cowen. It has also made their subscribers more loyal.

However it failed to take off from a word of mouth perspective and the content was mediocre rather than exceptional. In light of this both move from Netflix what is the future of content v’s distribution channels in the digital age and who will gain the most from this change in dynamics?

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