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Confessions of a Screensaver Thousandaire

by: Brent Whinfield

Click here for the Video version of this article:
http://www.see-it-on-video.com/stvc.html

There is a little item which is treated with scorn by many marketing
"gurus," yet which has proven to be popular with the "masses" year
after year, after year.

Why is there still a craze for screensavers? I mean, let's get real
here. This is something we first became acquainted with waaay back
in the day, when the Internet was commonly referred to as the World
Wide Web. Screensaver is old school, right?

Wrongo!

The amazing thing is, despite the death knell being tolled by sages,
screensavers continue to enjoy unprecedented popularity.

Don't believe me?

I dare you to type in the word "screensaver" into Google, and take a
look at the bewildering number of websites that offer them.

Go ahead, write to a few of those site owners and ask how popular
those little programs are. They'll tell you that they're one of the most
downloaded items on the 'net.

Need further proof?

Stroll through the screensaver section of cnet/download.com and
observe the phenomenon up close and personal.

The great thing about download.com is that at a glance you can
determine what date the saver was first listed, how many downloads
it has enjoyed, and very importantly, what users thing of it.

Inside download.com you can quite easily see that many savers are
free, while the majority sell for between $14.95. and $19.95.

Speaking of CNET, according to their research, screensavers are the
second most downloaded software application on the Internet.

Yahoo reports the word "screensaver" has appeared in their "Top 100
Searches" list every week since 1995. The term "screensaver" is
searched for an average of 34,357 times a day according to
statistics provided by WordTracker.

So, we've established that there is a genuine craze for these
desktop ornaments. But do all these people make money with them?

I mean, it seems more often than not, screensavers that are being
offered at all the hundreds of download sites are...free.

Didn't your mother tell you that there is no such thing as "free" in
this world? You should listen to her. She is absolutely correct.
Well then, how can people make money who are giving away
screensavers for free?

In order to answer your question, I'll unfortunately have to use a
dirty word. It's a word that brings a shudder of revulsion to
Internet users far and wide. That almost obscene word is, ugh...

Spyware.

That's right, spyware! Spyware is the number one reason today why
many screensaver authors try to inveigle you into freely downloading
their software.

You see, these unethical marketers make deals to hide advertising
and such into their programs. Unknowingly after you have downloaded
that attractive looking screensaver, the spyware embeds itself into
your computer system.

Once there, they call home to the "mother ship" with explicit
details on your surfing habits, your buying habits, plus other
personal details.

My advice...stay away from free screensavers. Now don't get me wrong
- of course there are still a good number of saver authors who will
not lower themselves to such unethical practices, but as a general
rule, you should look at free offers with a jaundiced eye.

Legitimate screensaver authors offer a free download of their
screensavers either as shareware, or freeware which is limited in
some way. In the software industry this is known as "cripple-ware."

After getting a taste of the free limited version, hopefully you'll
be willing to pay a reasonable sum for the "Pro" version which has
lots more features.

Sharware as you know, enables you to try out the screensaver for a
specific length of time before it expires. This is try-before-you-
buy marketing.

In the Screensaver Thousandaire Video Course I teach my students how
it is possible to create an excellent income by selling screensavers
to specific markets...niche marketing, if you will.

Since we have established that screensavers are popular, then it
makes absolute sense that individuals with a particular passion
would find attractive a screensaver which features their passion.

In other words, we are often told by marketing gurus to first find a
need and then fill it. First identify the niche market, and then
sell to it.

Let's use one of my screensaver projects as an example.

I happen to be a vegetarian. This means that I'm one of those growing
number of weirdos who refuses to eat anything with a face...or who
ever had a mother :) So no meat, and no dairy for Uncle Brent.

Well, the most natural thing in world is for me to not only try and
connect with other vegetarians on the 'net, but also to try and find info
which feeds (sorry about the pun), my passion.

How do you think I'll react if someone offered me a screensaver of
vegetarian recipes?

Especially if those recipes feature beautiful color photos that show
step-by-step how to prepare healthy meals, or better yet, teach
me through a series of UPDATEABLE content?

Don't you think I'll grab it if the price is reasonable? Of course I
will! That by the way was how I created one of my screensaver
products.

See what I mean? Provide a product which directly appeals to a
specific audience and you will immediately tap into immediate
income.

Updateable content? Yes Virginia, it is now possible for you to
place fresh content onto your customers screensaver using a certain
secret device.

You'll do so without the customer even being aware of it. He'll wake
up one morning to new images, music, and Flash videos in his saver.
He'll love you for that. No more boring, stale screensavers!

How many of those can you sell all day long?

In conclusion, there is an awful lot of money in marketing
screensavers. There does not seem to be any waning of the demand.

I sell screensavers because there is a huge demand for them. I
encourage you to first find a niche, and then create a saver based
on the specific demands of that specific market.

Here�s a cool little flash presentation of this article:
http://www.see-it-on-video.com/stvc.html

God loves you.
Brent Whinfield
brent@see-it-on-video.com

**********************************************************
The Screensaver Thousandaire Video Course "Ten Eye-Candy Videos That
Propel You Into Cash...Within 36 Hours!
http://www.see-it-on-video.com/thousandaire.html

The Screensaver Thousandaire Video Course consists of Ten Videos
which point you among other things, to a certain place on the 'net
where you'll find hundreds of niche groups waiting for your
products.

The course also shows you how to create savers in a matter of
minutes, even if you're a techno-klutz like me.
**********************************************************

About the author:
Brent Whinfield is a Success Coach who helps individuals earn money on the Internet. On the 'net

since 1999, Brent has a wealth of experience which he willing shares. The Brent Whinfield Video

Letter highlights profit-producing ideas.

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How Video can be used Effectively Online

A powerful way to convey your communication messages to your audience is to be able to have your promotional video available on your website.

Yet, we have probably all experienced visiting a website and clicking on a video only to have to been irritated that the content is not viewable or that the sound is inaudible. The result is we leave the website in frustration.

So how do you make sure the video content on your website can be watched by your audience? It all boils down to how you want your viewers to access your video file and the level of video quality you want your movie to be played at.

There are two different ways of sharing your video file on the web:

1. Streamable Video

This is where the viewer is able to download sections of your video (otherwise known as "streaming"), while the video is playing. The main benefit of this method is that the user does not have to spend time downloading the complete video before viewing.

There are three major streaming video formats ? RealVideo (RM), QuickTime (MOV) and Windows Media (WMV). These are playable on Real Player, QuickTime Player and Windows Media Player respectively. Windows Media Player is widely available on most PC's, as it is part of Windows Operating System. The other players need to be installed.

The only negative with streamable video is that the quality of the video is dependent upon Internet connection. In addition, it has the annoying habit of dropping video frames because the streaming software has to adjust the data rate based on the speed of your Internet connection, in order to keep playing the video.

2. Download and Play

This is where the viewer needs to download the entire video first, then play it on their video player application. The main advantage is that the video quality is not affected by Internet connection speed.

However, it can take some time for the video to download if the file is large.

So which format do you choose?

In a world where first impressions always count, it is extremely important for companies to appear professional and trustworthy at all times. Marketing videos with poor picture quality are likely to reflect a poor quality company in the mind of the viewer. Consequently, we always recommend the download and play option. This is because it allows for high quality video content to be viewed.

However, as you don't want viewers to give up on downloading your video, we only recommend that short video clips are inserted onto your website.

This means your website users will be able to download a short video at a high quality picture resolution that will portray your company in the best possible way.

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au.

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How Video can be used Effectively Online