Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Vlogs And Wikis And Pods, Oh My!

by: Sandra Stammberger

Perhaps you've heard about blogs - the hottest communication story of last year. Commentators from Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal, from CNN to PBS have devoted time to the phenomenon. Blogs are just one of the new technologies that are changing the way politicians communicate with voters and businesses communicate with customers.

For marketers, these changes mean more direct interaction with customers and potential customers. By speaking and listening directly with the customer marketers are able to reduce the expense for public relations and advertising. Of course, these developments are worrying some in the pr and advertising industries, as well as the news media.

Many things about marketing communication won't change, of course: you still need to have something to say. And the best way to apply all these technologies is still within a business niche. With that said, here are some of the other ways communication is changing:

1. Podcasting is the hottest idea on the internet. Starting in 2004, people began downloading homebrewed radio shows to their iPods. So instead of "broadcasts" they're "podcasts". Unlike streaming audio, podcasts require the file to be downloaded. The advantage of podcasts versus streaming is that you can take it with you when you're not on the net. The disadvantage is that streaming audio is much easier for a customer to play at his or her computer. The solution is to do both - create an audio file for streaming, and an mp3 for podcasting. The same recording can be used for both.

2. A vlog is a video blog. Unlike podcasting, vlogging can refer to either streaming video or downloadable shows. Combined with the rapid development of internet video delivery, vlogging seems poised to take off. As with audio, you can prepare your video file in both streaming and downloadable formats. Also like audio, you can begin with very low-cost tools and work your way up to full blown professional equipment. Remember that people like good production quality, but they like watching something interesting even more.

3. Wikis are websites that are editable by the site users. Content becomes part of a dialogue among the users, instead of something fixed. This interaction can build strong communities, and produce large sites with enormous information. Up until recently, wikis have been difficult to use, and limited to techs. New approaches to wikis are making them easier to use, and reinforcing the next trend:

4. Social software. Community sites that encourage sharing and conversation are springing up in many areas. Photography and music have been drivers of this trend, in addition to political activism. Interaction builds community, and community is where the market is.

5. Almost all of these tools involve RSS, a technology for feeding information to people who want it. Unlike email, which is "pushed" by the sender, rss feeds have to be "pulled" by the user. While still not completely mainstream, rss is a rapidly growing delivery system.

For the small marketer, the price of reaching customers directly has dropped. Large corporations, though, are picking up on these technologies rapidly. To truly gain an edge, the small business person needs to develop a strategy for these channels before the big companies figure them out.

About the author:
Sandra Stammberger is the owner of Insider Scripts. At Insider Script's programmers are working around the clock to develop affordable, powerful money making scripts that will help you drive traffic to your business.

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

Business DSL Access Information
Using Technology to Keep Families Con...
The Internet Phone Revolution.
MP3 - a worldwide mania
Expert Guide to DVD Camcorders
Internet Distribution: The Future of ...
Be Inspired to Create Quality Website...
Copy any DVD movie with EZ DVD Copy�
Learn How To TroubleShoot Keyboard Pr...
Know How To Quickly Install A New DVD...
Streaming Media: Why It Works
Google Creates Video "Vending" Machin...
Review: Real world Camera Raw with Ad...
Press Release MF Digital ...
Buying a computer
DVD Authoring Explained
Microsoft CRM Conversation Gateway: V...
Custom Gaming Laptops - Five Things Y...
Get Started In Creating Computer Games
Internet Tutorials are the Teachers o...
Why You Should Care About Internet Ma...
Is Your Music Player Spying On You?
5 Tips For Buying The Right Laptop Co...
What Does 2004 Hold For You?
Tips for Buying a First Computer
Set Up Your Own Blog Free
What Are The Best Uses for Hidden Vid...
Buying a Personal Computer
You Need a Spyware Remover!
Use A Spyware Remover Now
90s Web Design: A Nostalgic Look Back
Picasa.com - Google's new photographi...
Wanadoo Broadband
Internet Dating: Future Internet: Hum...
Choosing the best computer model
A guide to VoIP
What You Should Know Before Buying Co...
How to create your own streaming aud...
Image Pro 9: Powered Desktop Publishi...
San Francisco Web Development - Tools
Linux Display Settings
News Blogs
Vlogs And Wikis And Pods, Oh My!
Get Valuable Computer Based Training ...
Does Google Hire "Mad Scientists?"
Protect Yourself with a Porn Filter
Email Communication Is Dying. What's ...
How to register your domain
The West's Wild Internet
Transfer Huge Files Online Fast And Free
Predicting The Future Online
What kind of processor do you need on...
Is desktop search deserving?
Newsbytes From The World Wide Web
Tiscali Broadband
Does Your PC Have Worms?
Finding Cheap Computer Deals to Upgra...
Be Prepared Before Buying Software
Building Cheap Computers in 3 Easy Steps
Hot multimedia tips
Searching For The Right ISP?
Podcasting: Internet Radio On Demand....
Video Bytes From The Web
Eight Steps To Guarantee A Successful...
Benefits of Integrating Online Chat S...
Gaming Laptops - The Five Essential F...
The Malcontent of the Term �Mobile Co...
Flash MX invades the internet
What Is The Best Digital Camera For Me?
What's in a (TLD) name?

More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3

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.

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

How Video can be used Effectively Online