Power Video

New Series - Help and How-To for Online Video by Fliqz CEO, Benjamin Wayne

Fliqz CEO, Benjamin Wayne, does a lot of writing for many different publications on the subject of online video (of course). We're going to begin posting his articles in segments on the Fliqz blog for those of you interested in vertically relevant and niche online video tips, help topics, and how-tos.

We're posting the articles in segments because some of them are rather long. If you're interested in a full-length version of any of these pieces let us know by leaving a comment to the post. We'll also have PDFs on the Web site soon.

The first of this series is Video for Real Estate, here's your first segment:

Real estate professionals have long understood the power and effectiveness of video in selling property. Virtual walkthroughs and video tours immerse the buyer in the experience of the property, and result in shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates, and better qualified prospects. Yet despite its effectiveness, the cost, complexity, and availability of video solutions has meant that very few properties ever benefit from the power of video.

In an era when many real estate professionals host their own websites to showcase properties, and where buyers and sellers alike are highly attuned to the online consumption of video, cost and technical complexity have been the major hurdles to the effective use of this emerging medium. And yet, two important developments – video-enabled digital cameras and plug-and-play video service providers – are now putting cost-effective video solutions within the reach of all real estate professionals.

Whereas, even a year ago, capturing video meant engaging a professional production team to the tune of thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, today any individual with a digital camera can capture highly-effective professional-looking video footage with a simple digital camera provided they follow a few simple rules:

1. Shoot with lots of light – video is much more sensitive to light than still images, and the more light you have when shooting, the clearer, smoother, and crisper your final video will be. Daylight is best, but if you have to shoot in artificial light, make sure that work in conditions that are as brightly lit as possible.

2. Don’t zoom or pan – zooming in or panning (moving the camera from side to side) tend to be very hard on the eye. If a horizontal pan is important to your shot, move very slowly and keep the camera as still as possible.

3. Keep the camera steady – whenever possible, use a tripod or set the camera on a desk or counter. If you must hold the camera, lean against a doorway or brace your elbows to keep shake to a minimum.

4. Fill the frame – try to fill the entire frame with the subject. Online video tends to be shown at sizes that are much smaller than the average television, so for maximum impact, get as close as possible to the subject matter.

5. Keep it short – videos with a duration of two minutes or less tend to have much higher viewership and completion rates and tend to be more impactful than videos with longer durations.

Come back in a few days for the next segment of Video for Real Estate.

It Really Is the New TV

While we applaud the growing popularity of online video, there was always that nagging little problem of how to find the stuff you actually want to watch. NewTeeVee, one of our favorite sites for checking on the latest industry news, aims to solve that problem with NewTeeVee Station, a guide that features reviews of online videos. As NewTeeVee says in this blog post, “We eliminate the static and bring to you videos that are actually good—but also the stuff that’s so bad it has everyone talking.”

Old media types like to brag about their filtering systems. And it’s true that the lack of mediation in the online world makes it difficult to tell which videos are diamonds and which are merely shards of glass. There’s plenty of good stuff on YouTube, but when people describe the things you’ll find their examples usually involve things like exploding bunnies and truck-driving infants.

Having such a guide further legitimizes online video as a viable entertainment medium. It’s a daunting task, but we’re glad NewTeeVee is up to the challenge.

New Customers

Two of our newest customers are Edmunds CarSpace and LetsTalk.com. Check out some of the recent videos on CarSpace that highlight some of the cars featured during the Detroit Auto Show. LetsTalk, a site that sells cell phones and wireless plans, used Fliqz to show off the new technologies on display at the recent CTIA convention (examples here and here). (Full disclosure: I occasionally contribute product reviews to LetsTalk).

Both companies use video to engage site visitors by bringing products to life on the screen. We’re happy to have them on board.

Fliqz in the Press

Fliqz CEO Benjamin Wayne is quoted in this Small Business Computing piece on online video advertising for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). Most notably,Wayne spells out when marketers should opt for pre-roll vs. overlay.

Good reading for SMBs wondering whether—and how—they should jump on the online video bandwagon.

New Web site

If you haven't already noticed, we've recently redesigned and relaunched our Web site. The new, brighter site is set up to educate potential customers on the uses and value of online video as well as facilitate online purchases of our services. That's right, you can purchase a Bronze or Silver package straight from the Web site without having to speak to a noisy sales rep (no offense team). Check out our easy to use eCommerce solution.

You may have also heard that Fliqz is growing at a break-neck pace with over 14,000 users to date (see press release). Some big brand names have chosen Fliqz to power their white-label video solutions as well as many SMEs (Small Medium Enterprise) in an effort to boost traffic, improve stickiness, and increase revenue. Here is a small sample list of some of our new customers:

• Major League Baseball
• VirtualTourist
• Monster, Inc. (Military.com, etc.)
• Edmunds (CarSpace)
• RootClip

Take a look around the new site; check out some custom players we've built for customers in the Player Gallery, view pricing guides, and browse our FAQ. Thank you for your continued support and stay tuned for some very cool new features and products coming in the near future.

Not Out of the Woods Yet

We’ve been following the recent moves toward standardization in the online video advertising space with a positive attitude. But as Steve Robinson points out on MediaPost’s Online Video Insider, there’s still too much “technical chaos” in terms of video player implementation and the variety of downloaded players.

Robinson compares the current online video situation with that of broadcast television. That is, a single, standard television model eliminated all of the technical hurdles for advertisers. Robinson outlines a four-point plan for developing ad-delivery standards. The key: a consortium similar to the Society of Cable and Television Engineers that will create, promote, and lead the utilization of advertising standards.

A group of the largest tech companies, publishers, and media buyers acting as the standards police for the industry won’t sit well with those who believe online video is about completely breaking the broadcast mold. But tossing aside all of the old methods isn’t necessarily a formula for success, either. Surely there’s a middle ground that incorporates what works in the broadcast model while encouraging what’s new and innovative about the online video space.

Robinson’s idea may or may not gain traction, but it’s a good reminder of how much work needs to be done.

Meet the New Standards

It’s official. The Interactive Advertising Bureau completed its industry guidelines for online video ads. You can read the actual document here (PDF format).

The highlights:

-- Overlay ads should run 5-15 seconds without audio until the viewer opts in.
-- Pre-, mid-, and post-roll ads should not exceed 30 seconds.

These practices have pretty much been in place already; the IAB has simply formalized these unwritten rules. But as paidContent points out, the industry still needs clarification on the best way to measure impressions and other metrics. Still, it’s a start.

Clarity Coming to Ad Formats?

The Interactive Advertising Bureau is scheduled to publish new guidelines for online video ads Monday, May 5. For the past month, the IAB has been accepting suggestions from industry members on its proposed guidelines (PDF format). The guidelines cover best practices for the most common current in-stream ads, including linear ads and companion ads.

It’s great that someone is taking the lead. Too many marketers have kept their distance from online video in part because of the lack of standards. Along with the Online Video Advertising ROI Council’s efforts to determine video advertising’s effectiveness, the IAB’s efforts should make it easier in the long run for marketers to justify launching online video campaigns. As eMarketer’s David Hallerman points out, “Video ads command higher prices than static display advertising.” And if standards make advertisers more comfortable with the format, they’ll be more comfortable with paying higher CPMs.

Critics will say that standards will stifle creativity. That may be true, but unbridled experimentation with ad formats has confused marketers and consumers alike. Sure, things get less exciting when you start talking about “standards” and “guidelines,” but that’s what happens when an industry enters its next phase. And this is clearly a sign that the online video industry has matured.

Break CEO Breaks it Down

Mashable has posted a podcast interview with Break Media CEO Keith Richman, who discusses the state of the online advertising business. Last week, Break Media formed the Online Video Advertising ROI Council, which will “analyze and determine online video advertising effectiveness and better understand the challenges in measuring ROI for the online video medium.” We certainly need someone to do that.

Richman explains the council’s goals in further detail in the interview. It’s a fascinating listen for content providers and distributors as well as marketers.

Recruiters to Score with Video

While people have debated the pros and cons of video resumes, recruiters are finding out that online video can be a big boost to their efforts. Click Z reports on a study from Borrell Associates that finds online video ad spending will reach $10 billion in 2012, up from $522 million last year—much of that driven by major local ad categories, including recruitment.

Like any other ad, video from recruiters could be used to pinpoint the right candidate, which also involves eliminating the wrong candidate. Think about watching a video tour of the department for which you’re applying for—you’d know right away whether it seemed like the place for you. This is particularly true for younger job seekers, who value culture and environment as much as they do salary and benefits. And video testimonials from current employees can be a great asset, as well.

As is often the case, the simplest applications are the most effective.