“Before long, video on a website will be an expectation, not just an edge,” writes Jessica Kizorek in her new book, Show Me: Marketing With Video on the Internet. This book provides a strong argument that video is becoming something that needs to be an innate part of virtually any business. Just as the web used to be only for high technology companies, video has gone beyond the traditional studios and producers to encompass all kinds of businesses.
Although Kizorek’s book targets what she terms the “mid-spectrum producers” – organizations between traditional studios/production houses and the user generated content generation -, people from all areas will find her insight useful. This is partially because the confluence of the web and video is changing the rules of the game. Her book provides an excellent overview of today’s online video landscape and backs up her argument with quotes from many of today's leading authorities and producers.
Her book is fundamentally about video being part of a marketing program that integrates other forms of media, including print, email, radio, television and retail, into one package.
Her approach applies whether the producer is a Fortune 500 company or a person working in his home office in shorts. As Kizorek points out, the advantage (or disadvantage sometimes) is that, “unlike traditional media, video doesn’t disappear when the ad campaign is over or the ad budget runs out.” Viodi can attest to that, as our advertisers receive clicks long after the initial publication of a video.
Success is when a video and the associated other media goes viral. The best way for this to happen is getting content into social networks or friend-to-friend. Despite all of the technology and new terms, she points out that trusted relationships are the key to engaging viewers with the content. Authenticity is critical to building and maintaining audience trust. Forums, comments and ratings are integral feedback mechanisms in understanding how people are interacting and reacting to content.
The book’s technical aspects of producing Internet video are a great guide for novices or video production experts. She gives tips on topics ranging from how to shoot for the web, capturing audio and intellectual property considerations.
The bonus sections of the book were my favorite. Besides giving practical tips for non-profits that wish to use video and how to shoot in challenging locales, like
The book leaves the reader with some thought provoking ideas, as she points out that social networking sites like MySpace have more members than many countries have people. She asks what happens to the traditional nation-state as new entities arise which are bound by communities of interest and transcend the historic geographic borders. And this book, transcends its title and is a must-read for not only those interested in marketing, technology and content, but anyone interested in the future of human-to-human communications.
Go to http://showmethebook.com/index.html for more information
One reply on “Show Me: Marketing With Video on the Internet – The Viodi Book Review”
Note: I am honored to be quoted in this book regarding the importance of community.