Comments on: Next New Networks and the New Vlogosphere. http://www.joshleo.com/blog/2007/03/08/next-new-networks-and-the-new-vlogosphere/ The Text expression of Josh Leo Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:36:11 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jimmy Hutcheson http://www.joshleo.com/blog/2007/03/08/next-new-networks-and-the-new-vlogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-8265 Jimmy Hutcheson Fri, 23 Mar 2007 21:02:28 +0000 http://www.joshleo.com/blog/2007/03/08/next-new-networks-and-the-new-vlogosphere/#comment-8265 Josh - Your insights are dead on in your post. Here are my thoughts on N3 and your comments: 1. I thought the two sites you mentioned looked very similar in lay-out and design. Does N3 use a template and then replicate site lay-outs with varied themes and topics? 2. Promotion is critical in the internet TV arena. How do people find out about these sites and shows? Clever SEM and blog outreach only go so far. If you are so niche and no one knows about you, how do you monetize your content? 3. You made some great points about advertising. N3 should focus on natural, authentic, and organic product integration into their programs. For example, a network about cars might lend itself nicely to automotive OEM sponsorships. Granted, these are one-off deals and more difficult for a sales team to scale, but many advertisers want to be first movers on new and innovative video sites. 4. Put the audience first. Know your audience. This is true for both old and new media. I liked what you said about passion in #1. 5. Not everyone wants community on every single website. Facebook - yes. MTV Overdrive - no, I just want to watch the show I missed. If your video network is centered around UGC, you are too late to the game. Also, every brand does not need community and a UGC site! Not everyone wants a relationship with their Crest Toothpaste. Crest Toothpaste is an extreme example, but come on, every brand and marketer out there is creating UGC sites. This is overkill. 6. Some people want to watch rotations of videos and just escape from their day. Engagement vs. escape. Yes, you can do this with your TV, but I have to TiVo or make an appointment to watch my shows on TV. And by the way, on a grand scale, TiVo is in very few homes. 7. YouTube is your friend. Yes, it really is. Every show should have clips on YouTube (and the others) that last 10-15 seconds and contain a graphic at the end that drives you to their site with the logo and URL. If your content is really that superb, people will check out your site and watch the full shows, and maybe multiple episodes or other shows. Use YouTube as a promotion vehicle to drive traffic. 8. Transparency is vital. It's great that you can call up the guys at Blip.tv. Maintaining a strong and positive relationship with the vlogging world and guys like you is extremely important. I just started updating my blog again after a 2 year break - www.hutcheson.blogspot.com Great thoughts, Josh! Josh – Your insights are dead on in your post. Here are my thoughts on N3 and your comments:

1. I thought the two sites you mentioned looked very similar in lay-out and design. Does N3 use a template and then replicate site lay-outs with varied themes and topics?

2. Promotion is critical in the internet TV arena. How do people find out about these sites and shows? Clever SEM and blog outreach only go so far. If you are so niche and no one knows about you, how do you monetize your content?

3. You made some great points about advertising. N3 should focus on natural, authentic, and organic product integration into their programs. For example, a network about cars might lend itself nicely to automotive OEM sponsorships. Granted, these are one-off deals and more difficult for a sales team to scale, but many advertisers want to be first movers on new and innovative video sites.

4. Put the audience first. Know your audience. This is true for both old and new media. I liked what you said about passion in #1.

5. Not everyone wants community on every single website. Facebook – yes. MTV Overdrive – no, I just want to watch the show I missed. If your video network is centered around UGC, you are too late to the game. Also, every brand does not need community and a UGC site! Not everyone wants a relationship with their Crest Toothpaste. Crest Toothpaste is an extreme example, but come on, every brand and marketer out there is creating UGC sites. This is overkill.

6. Some people want to watch rotations of videos and just escape from their day. Engagement vs. escape. Yes, you can do this with your TV, but I have to TiVo or make an appointment to watch my shows on TV. And by the way, on a grand scale, TiVo is in very few homes.

7. YouTube is your friend. Yes, it really is. Every show should have clips on YouTube (and the others) that last 10-15 seconds and contain a graphic at the end that drives you to their site with the logo and URL. If your content is really that superb, people will check out your site and watch the full shows, and maybe multiple episodes or other shows. Use YouTube as a promotion vehicle to drive traffic.

8. Transparency is vital. It’s great that you can call up the guys at Blip.tv. Maintaining a strong and positive relationship with the vlogging world and guys like you is extremely important. I just started updating my blog again after a 2 year break – http://www.hutcheson.blogspot.com

Great thoughts, Josh!

]]> By: George http://www.joshleo.com/blog/2007/03/08/next-new-networks-and-the-new-vlogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-7415 George Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:25:27 +0000 http://www.joshleo.com/blog/2007/03/08/next-new-networks-and-the-new-vlogosphere/#comment-7415 Josh, these are great insights and exactly the kind of feedback we hope to get from the community (and not necessarily from media pundits / veterans...which may include me). Tim Shey certainly does embody spirit of what we hope to achieve. I was especially interested in your comments about intersticial promotions. In order for Next New Networks to maintain the respect of the community and foster that relationship, we most certainly need to be thoughtful about integrating promotions, sponsor messages and advertisements. We hope that the community will understand that we need sponsor support to serve the community, and we think we can provide more elegant solutions (i.e., no :15 or :30 pre-roll). In a sense, we are going to be asking advertisers to be "of the community"...to "mingle" with the community. They may even become "partners in programming" if we (and we includes the viewing, blogging, fan community) believe they can add value to the community. As a former brand guy (ten years), start-up guy and portal guy...I know this is a very tall order. I'm interested in your thoughts on this subject. Josh, these are great insights and exactly the kind of feedback we hope to get from the community (and not necessarily from media pundits / veterans…which may include me). Tim Shey certainly does embody spirit of what we hope to achieve. I was especially interested in your comments about intersticial promotions. In order for Next New Networks to maintain the respect of the community and foster that relationship, we most certainly need to be thoughtful about integrating promotions, sponsor messages and advertisements. We hope that the community will understand that we need sponsor support to serve the community, and we think we can provide more elegant solutions (i.e., no :15 or :30 pre-roll). In a sense, we are going to be asking advertisers to be “of the community”…to “mingle” with the community. They may even become “partners in programming” if we (and we includes the viewing, blogging, fan community) believe they can add value to the community. As a former brand guy (ten years), start-up guy and portal guy…I know this is a very tall order. I’m interested in your thoughts on this subject.

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