In Focus Studios Media Blog

What, 4 Billion Video Views on Youtube ... Per Day!

2012-02-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

If you were in any doubt as to the power of Youtube and it’s popularity. This article from Reuters should put your mind at rest. According to the news corporation, Google’s video sharing website has hit a stunning average of 4 million video views per day. An astronomical number when you consider that the site is only 6 years old.

From Reuters;

“The jump in video views comes as Google pushes YouTube beyond the personal computer, with versions of the site that work on smartphones and televisions, and as the company steps up efforts to offer more professional-grade content on the site.

According to the company, roughly 60 hours of video is now uploaded to YouTube every minute, compared with the 48 hours of video uploaded per minute in May.

YouTube, which Google acquired for $1.65 billion in 2006, represents one of Google’s key opportunities to generate new sources of revenue outside its traditional Internet search advertising business.

Last week, Google said that its business running graphical “display” ads – many of which are integrated alongside YouTube videos – was generating $5 billion in revenue on an annualized run rate basis.

Still, most of the 4 billion videos that YouTube now streams worldwide every day do not make money. Only three billion YouTube videos a week are monetized, according to the company.”

So do you use Youtube to promote your products or services? Do you think it will continue to grow? or is there only so far it can go before it plateaus?

Using a Green Screen

2012-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Last month I worked on a project that required a green screen. The commercial spot is for Asian Aid, who’s ambassador spokesperson is Shawn Boonstra.
From my limited time on the set, I was highly impressed with what this organziation is doing. Check them out here.

Online Video Continues to Surge in Popularity and Use

2011-10-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Online Video connects to the web vistor better than any other type of content! Greet your customers with web video!

Guest Post By Dona Collins

Online video usage continues to grow exponentially as broadband Internet access becomes more and more commonplace in U.S. households and work places. Most importantly, research shows online video usage transcends race, ethnicity, age and gender making it a crossover hit with deep cultural penetration.
Last week, Ragan Communications, Inc. reported 71 percent of Americans said they watch videos online – a figure up 38 percent from five years ago.

That finding followed research published this summer by The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project that showed more than half of online adults have watched or downloaded video and 19 percent do so in the normal course of a day. In addition, 74 percent of broadband users who have high-speed connections at home and work watch or download videos online, Pew reported in its first major report on online video that was published in late July.

VIDEO TRAVEL THE WEB

That kind of popularity is pretty phenomenal – even in the age of social media saturation. The Pew research also demonstrates how videos travel. Nearly 60 percent of online video users share links with others and three out of four people say they watch videos from links sent to them by others.

YouTube remains at the top of the heap when it comes to online video providers. As of August, Nielsen data rated YouTube as the fifth most popular web brand after Internet giants Google, Facebook, Yahoo! And MSN/WindowsLive/Bing. During that month, nearly 128 million unique U.S. viewers visited YouTube and each person spent more than one hour and 41 minutes on the site in August.
Nielson data showed men consistently are the most frequent users of streaming online video. Asians lead among ethnic groups in use of online video, viewing the medium more than six hours per month more than whites and nearly four hours more per month than Hispanics. African-Americans watch the most mobile video, according to the media research company.

PARENTS WATCHING ONLINE VIDEO

The Ragan Communications research also found parents watch more online videos than non-parents and rural residents are viewing more streaming videos than they used to –a likely byproduct of the expanded availability in recent years of broadband access in remote areas.
These statistics paint a clear picture of the continued rise of the online video star. Along with this continued success comes a greatly expanded avenue for personal entertainment, fundraising, community outreach, education and any number of other worthwhile endeavors. Marketing and advertising opportunities associated with online videos should also continue to show growth in conjunction with the continued popularity of online video.
About Author:
Dona Collins has been writing for over 11 years. She is an expert in area of tablets, mobile devices, large databases, infographic design and other editing work. You can also find Dona on Facebook when she is not working.

Hazards of Relying on YouTube for Online Video Hosting

2011-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

YouTube is an incredible blessing for anyone wanting to get involved in online video. BUT….relying on YouTube alone is a really bad idea, especially if your videos are business related.

Why? Because YouTube can delete your account without any giving you any details or recourse. It happens more than I like to even think about and honestly, scares the bejeezes out of me.

As a person who studies the online video world closely, I’ve heard the horror stories time and time again.

Over the weekend, I heard another one and thought it would be of value to my readers to share.

The perplexed victim this time is Jeff Johnson, a popular internet marketer. Jeff’s only notification was one generic email claiming he had violated the YouTube TOS. This was after three years of posting about 90 videos with no complaints. Jeff reviewed the TOS and wracked his brain, but could not come up with any good answers. After reading his blog post (linked to above) I have to agree that YouTube’s actions seem entirely unwarranted.

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand completely that YouTube needs to have rules and enforce them. YouTube has every right (and even an obligation) to control the content and remain family-friendly. At the same time, their actions often seem arbitrary and inconsistent with their own rules! Banning an account should not be something they do on a whim. In Jeff’s case, he had built a huge following on YouTube with over a million views. It was a large part of his business. His videos were not sleazy, misleading or full of crazed and dangerous ideas.

YOUTUBE CAN (AND WILL) IGNORE YOU!

The worst part seems to be that Jeff cannot get YouTube to give him the time of day. No warning. No negotiating. No answers at all. Just the draconian action of banning him for life.

This is why I tell all of my online video clients to NOT rely exclusively on YouTube for video hosting. For your most important videos, it’s best to have them somewhere safe where you have total control. (I use I player HD )

In addition to possibly being banned, hosting your business videos exclusively on YouTube has a few other problems, which all boil down to control. You’re stuck with the YouTube player whereas with a paid hosting service you can usually get a branded player. (Yes, there is software to get around that, but YouTube won’t like it so you risk being banned.) Unless you specify otherwise, “related videos” that are not necessarily related to you at all pop up at the end of the video. A plastic surgeon client of mine was more than a bit distressed at the caliber of videos that YouTube deemed related to his very education video on breast augmentation. Related videos also immediately take the viewer away from your message and direct them elsewhere. Compare that to having your own call-to-action remain smiling at the viewer when your video ends. YouTube analytics are also a bit wanting for the business video user. A paid video hosting service will give you better analytics for the critical insight you need to run an effective marketing campaign.

HOW SHOULD YOU USE YOUTUBE?

Does all this mean you should not use YouTube at all? No. Not at all. YouTube is simply too huge to ignore. There are tons of potential viewers on YT. It’s the second largest search engine online so having your videos indexed in YouTube can be a great SEO tactic. Make sure every video you post has a link back to your site as these links carry quite a bit of weight with other search engines. YT is such a popular website; most everybody is comfortable using it.

YouTube has all the great features to easily share your videos on Facebook, Twitter and other sites. You can also allow others to embed your video on their site for greater exposure. Being one of the leaders in online video, YouTube keeps abreast of all the latest technology like file formats and mobile device playback. You Tube has the incredibly handy instant record/upload feature for webcam videos. This can totally eliminate the need to deal with confusing file conversion. And of course, YouTube is FREE! Can’t beat that with a stick. At the same time, the old adage that you get what you pay for applies. Since you aren’t paying YouTube one red cent, they retain 100% control, not you. Jeff Johnson learned that the hard way.

Another reason I like YouTube is that it gives me & my crew an excuse to make cool music videos like this one!

Are you showing them what you're all about?

2011-08-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

It’s not news that video is the way savvy businesses are showing their customers what they’re all about. If you’re not using video as part of your website yet, here are a few pointers to get you in the game with this very powerful marketing tool in 2011.

The trend now is towards less text, less content and more video. It makes sense because your customers should not have to figure out what they want by fishing through your site. You need to lead them through it. It’s called User Interface Design and it’s changing the way websites are made. Video can explain what would take pages of text, in a couple of minutes. And it’s a lot more fun to watch.

You can have the video you want without breaking the bank. It’s a digital world and that means producers keep everything from shooting your video to uploading to your site in the digital realm. This is a very good thing for you. It means cheaper production costs and higher quality video for your business. An experienced, talented video producer can give you a whole lot of bang-for-your-buck in 2011.

It’s really just a matter of when, not if you’ll start using it. Trust me. Once you have produced the right videos for your business, you can start putting them on YouTube with your own page, tweeting about it, facebooking and telling them about it on LinkedIn all in addition to hosting it on your site. Social media will work for B2B and B2C if you use it.

Guilty of being a business cyber tramp?

2011-07-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you walked up to someone that you don’t know and asked them if you could be friends?

Seriously, wouldn’t that totally freak you out in “real” life? You would probably be quick to call security about the freak stalker you just encountered.

So why do you think social networking is any different?

Let’s look at this another way for just a second. Would you be ok telling everyone publicly that you are friends with a sex offender, a terrorist, a known violent felon or perhaps a serial killer? I didn’t think so!

Nothing dissappears on the internet.

That’s right, you can’t un-Google anything. You can’t really undo much of anything once it’s let loose on the cyber-nets. But you know that already. So why don’t many people exercise some sort of filter, caution, self worth at least. How much do you “know” about your followers or friends. Of course you can’t do much about your followers other than block them, and sometimes that’s necessary. But simply getting over the numbers mentality of having friends just for the sake of showing you have a lot of them would do you wonders in terms of efficiency.

There are only 2 types of connections online.

People whom you influence: These are and/or should be your customer base, your target audience. This is your pool of potential connections that will propel your business forward by injecting capital through purchases.
People who influence you: These are the people from which you gain inspiration, direction, and support. These are the friends and mentors that you need to keep your head right.

There is nothing else!

No other type of connection that is worthy of your time, let alone your name being associated with theirs.

Be smart with your connections. You don’t want to waste time with people that cannot help you with personal or professional growth. You don’t want to put off potential customers or beneficial friendships due to associations with the wrong people. In a real life, off line atmosphere this wouldn’t even be considered, but for some reason, being online people often overlook the importance of vetting their connections.

Just remember, the person you friend today, can bite you in the ass tomorrow.

Begin today, say no to being a cyber-tramp, and the next time you get a friend request without so much as an introduction… Tell them to pound sand, they aren’t worth it!

What do you think?

Amazing look at voices of Star Wars in the studio

2011-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a very entertaining look at some of the best in the voice over business breathing life into the Star Wars characters. Working with some of the best voice over talent myself, it is still fascinating to me. Fasten your seat belt for a wild ride with this one!

Thanks John Miles!

How to Use Video to Improve Conversions, Reduce Return & Increase Profits

2011-06-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

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When you prepared your marketing budget for the current fiscal year, no doubt it was shaped by your objectives to drive traffic and convert those visits to sales. These traffic driving activities can be costly if you are not converting so it’s essential that your website is engaging.

In order to ensure strong returns on these investments, making sure your traffic converts must be the focus of your strategy. Digital marketing allows you to measure your ROI with 100% accuracy so there is no where to hide. If you are not converting your traffic your ROI will be poor and the you will have to explain why.

Online video is the most powerful marketing tool you can use to increase your site’s conversion rate. In this article I am going to share some examples on how video has positively benefitted three separate businesses in ways you may not have considered.

Using Video to Reduce Returns & Increase Satisfaction

For online retailers, once the user has completed a purchase and checked out, the last thing you want happening a week later is having the product returned. You can significantly reduce returns by using video to merchandise your product.

A good example is Diamond Jewelry Limited who sell diamonds online. After adding product videos to their eCommerce site, they realised a 60% reduction in returns, which significantly increased their revenues and margins. By providing a truer representation of the diamond with video than offered by static photos, prospective customers had a more informed experience so there were no surprises when they received the product. See an example of the product video below.

Using Video to Increase Conversion Rates

Some products benefit from video more than others when it comes to converting browsers into shoppers. Equip2Clean have been selling cleaning and garden equipment online for several years. Since using video to demonstrate their products, conversion rates of visits to purchases increased from 7% to 15%, which is a massive step change. All products on Equip2Clean ‘s website now feature full product videos and demonstrations. The reason this company was able to increase sales is simple. The videos show shoppers how the products really work and are able to wow them in a way photos can not. See an example of one of their product videos below.

Using Video to Better Inform the Potential Buyer

Another example of how video has benefited the bottom line is in pre-sales enquires. After adding product videos, Luzern OUTLET experienced a 30% drop in pre-sales customer inquiries. As a result Luzern OUTLET have reduced call center costs as video is now providing visitors with a richer experience, and thus are not feel compelled to make a call inquiring about the product before making the purchase. This is also supported with a 20% increase in product sales over the same period! See one of their product videos below.

How to Select the Right Online Video Platform for Your Business?

If you are ready to include video as part of your video strategy you will need to find an online video platform (OVP) thats right for you. Here is a getting started guide on what you need to know when selecting a video platform to meet your companies needs.

1.) Know Your Requirements

There are many OVPs to choose from so it’s important to select the one that meets your business’s needs. For example, some OVP’s market themselves to large media organisations and as such have tools and features targeted to meet the demands of that profile. So create a list of your core requirements. Keep it short . This will help you create your short list of potential OVPs to choose from.

Here is an example list made by a online business selling toys:

HTML5 Support (iOS support)
Video Playlists
Custom Unbranded Player with CTA links (Call To Action)
Bulk Video Uploading
Video Analytics

2.) Compare Costs and Subscription Terms

Once you have narrowed down your list to three OVP’s, create a spreadsheet to compare the costs of each. This allows you to then rank each one by price. Also take into consideration the term of the subscription. Most OVP’s offer a monthly plan, which provides you with more flexibility so that you are not tied into a 12-month contract. If you are happy to commit to an annual subscription, then make sure you receive a discount.

3.) Test Customer Support

Most OVP’s offer a Trial period. Use this time to test out their features and platform but also test their customer support response times. Submit a ticket or call the support line. Then grade each OVP based on the response time and level of competence. The level of support you receive while on trial is indicative of what you can expect once you upgrade to a paid package.

4.) Ask Others

After you have created your short list based on your requirements and graded each one based on price and customer support, you need to conduct some due diligence.

Find out what others users have to say about them. Here are two tips on how to quickly do this. First, search Twitter by typing in the name of the OVP and see what others are saying about them. Second thing to do is a simple Google search “OVP name + review’ More often than not you will see results that have real unbiased customer reviews.

Online video is a very powerful marketing tool for increasing your profits, your sales conversion and overall customer satisfaction. If you follow the steps outlined you will find the right OVP for your business.

Source: How to Use Video to Improve Conversions, Reduce Returns & Increase Profits http://www.reelseo.com/video-improve-conversions-reduce-returns-increase-profits/#ixzz1LxREyfNA
©2008-2011 ReelSEO Video Marketing

How can we use QR Codes?

2011-05-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

With almost all of the adult population in the UK owning a mobile phone these days the possibilities for the usage of QR Codes are limitless. McDonalds in Japan are using QR codes on the side of burger boxes which directs you to a web page displaying nutritional information. The film 28 weeks later posted a very large QR Code on a billboard in London recently to promote the film (If it's large enough you could scan it from a mile away!), Harrods of London used QR codes in a recent advertising campaign to attract a tech savvy audience. Safety barriers are being constructed to form QR codes around the corner of Houston and Broadway (New York City, USA) by local artists while reconstruction is underway and Umbro recently included a QR Code on the inside of the latest England football shirt (which takes you to a secret mobile website). Lots of companies are finding ways to use them. A bit of imagination is all you need.

Online Video Will Replace The Traditional Job Interview

2011-05-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

In a global marketplace, employers are beginning to realize that their best potential employees might not live in the same city, the same state, or even the same country. The connecting power of the Internet and social media, however, give companies the ability to recruit and screen potential applicants no matter how far away they may live. And online video is playing a huge role in this shift in the way hiring is done.

Inc. Magazine has a fascinating article on companies and job seekers using online video to replace some of the more traditional steps in the hiring process. They speak with several hiring professionals who are using Skype and other customized video-based services to help narrow the group of potential employees.

Video Chat A few years ago, I applied for a job with a large marketing firm in a city three states away. After several phone interviews, the company eventually flew me out, put me up in a nice hotel, bought me meals, and spent a day interviewing me. Ultimately, I decided not to take the job offer, though the company and its people impressed me.

I couldn’t have been the only applicant. And the firm was large enough, that I have to believe many of their other applicants were also flown out on the company’s dime. Imagine the money they could have saved by conducting those interviews on Skype instead of in person.

Services like Skype are a godsend to hiring managers, and the accounting folks love it too. Inc. interviewed Perry Blacher, the CEO of a company called Covestor. Covestor uses Skype heavily for recruiting, and Blacher’s a big fan because he’s able to see a candidate’s appearance and non-verbal communication without having to be in the same room physically:

“You can sort of see in people’s body language things like enthusiasm. Visual signals [are as important] as the things people say.”

Blacher has even used Skype to allow multiple people in his company to speak with the same applicant on a party line.

Another company profiled by Inc. is J. Arnold & Associates, a research and analysis firm. Jon Arnold thinks video is rapidly replacing old-school hiring and employment practices:

“These things are really starting to make video such a common part of our vocabulary now. It’s almost like you’re getting to the point where you’re going to expect it, not so much that it’s a bonus. That’s how fast it’s moving.”

There are also emerging competitors for Skype, such as VuCall, which provides a subscription service for high-definition video conferencing for 100 people at a time–and it’s secure, which is a huge plus. VuCall video sessions can also be recorded for reference later.

Specialized Video Interview Services

The article goes on to talk about Hyier and HireVue, a pair of competing video interview services that offer extras and features Skype does not. HireVue, for instance, lets hiring managers flip through candidate interviews like a slide show—there’s even a “360-degree format” that allows you to filter the videos by the questions asked, so you can watch all candidates’ answers in succession. Says Tracee Comstock, of StorageCraft, who has used HireVue on multiple occasions:

“We typically ask candidates the same 15 questions and the tool allows us to review candidates in a 360-degree format. Skype-like services are in a live format and do not record the interview without an additional plugin. This makes it difficult to go back and truly compare the individual candidate’s responses.”

Here’s a video of a HireVue demonstration from last summer given by their Vice President of Marketing, Chris Higbee:

Another competitor in this new space is InterviewStream, which allows applicants to record answers at their own pace and also offers them a practice session so they can fine tune their demeanor and their answers, like football players watching game film to improve their performance.

Conclusions

Video hiring, like video resumés, is inevitable. Just as it’s now common for employers to Google prospective employees or check out their Facebook pages, video interviews will be the norm. There’s just too much upside. Employers save money and time, and are able to tap into a wider pool of applicants. Applicants get a chance to stand out from their competition by showcasing their professionalism and personality.

However… we’re not there yet. As Inc. reminds us in their final sentence: all the hiring managers interviewed for the article say they still perform in-person interviews as a final step before making a job offer.

But the trend is underway, and it’s probably irreversible. Video interviews convey more than phone interviews ever can, while sparing the cost of the in-person variety. Heck, you might even use Skype to help land your very next job.

Source: Online Video Will Replace The Traditional Job Interview http://www.reelseo.com/online-video-replace-traditional-job-interview/#ixzz1LxSbrmKe

Are you QR(Quick Response) savvy?

2011-05-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

: Scan or click this for a special QR offer.

Now is the time to be using QR codes to promote your business, and promotional products are the perfect way to get your message out.

But first here are a few frequently asked QR questions.

What is a QR code? QR means quick response and is a barcode read by a smart phone.

How does someone read a QR code? QR code scanners are “apps” that run in a smart phones. They are available from a number of providers for no charge.

What information does a QR code contain? They contain a web page address (URL) and other information such as websites, e-mail addresses and contact information.

How is a QR code made? It is generated by QR code generator. This is something we can help you with and they can be found online.

Are QR codes free? Yes

What are some uses for QR codes? They can link to your website, email or lead customers to special offers or discounts, they can link people to your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn profiles and make it easy for people to “like” or “follow” you right from their mobile device. The list of uses could continue and is only limited by your creativity.

How can QR codes be used with promotional products? QR codes can be placed on 1000′s of promotional products, sticky note pads, t-shirts, magnets, mugs & cups, memo boards…. almost anything with a large enough flat surface.

by Draughon Cranford

5 Great Ways to Use Video To Promote

2011-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

In Focus Studios has made it a point with every client to give them the most effective video possible. We know that there are many elements involved that the average person doesn't think about. Key would be what does the end user want to know about.
Here are 5 Easy ways to use... video to promote your business.

This post is republished from my original article on the Amex Open Forum website. It is part of "Small Business Friday" on this blog, where they share ideas and marketing techniques specifically to help small businesses stand out.

You may have heard the saying that content is king – but if you had to get specific about the online environment, the saying might go video content is king. The reason is simple – most people will respond much better to moving pictures and a story through video than any other type of content online.

If you are like most small businesses, though, video is likely the last type of content that you are actively using online to promote your business. After all, it seems much harder to produce than it really is. In fact, video can be the easiest type of content to create if you follow a few basic rules.

The 3 Basic Rules Of Using Online Video

1. Get an easy to upload camera (like a Flip Cam). This will make the process of getting your video online much easier and make it more likely you will actually follow through and do it.
2. Shoot exactly what you want so you don’t need to edit anything. The biggest time investment in using video is having to edit afterwards, so as much as possible, film things in one take and only get what you will use.
3. Make sure to get close enough for good sound. Video quality is no longer the major issue with online video as long as you are using a real camera and not a mobile device. The issue with quality usually comes from sound – so try to get close enough so everything you want to hear will be audible, or invest a bit of money and buy an external microphone.

Once you have these rules down, you are all set to create videos to promote your business. The first part of having everything ready to go is the easy part. The harder part is answering the question about what your content should be. Let’s look at a few examples of how to make this process easier.

5 Super Easy Ideas To Promote Your Business With Online Video

1. Answer your customer’s biggest questions. In any business, you likely field the same questions from customers or potential customers over and over. Whether your business has a product or service to sell, if you can use video to effectively answer those most common questions, then you can not only use video to promote your business but also as a way to field those questions in a more engaging and shareable way.
2. Creating an “unboxing” situation. The art of “unboxing” is becoming popular online as a way to experiencing a product without buying it. In an unboxing video, someone simply places a camera on a tripod and films themselves unpacking a product so you can see the packaging, what comes in the box and virtually watch the experience you might have if you did purchase the product. These types of videos help demonstrate to potential customers what their experience might be if they did purchase your product and though it is better suited to tangible products instead of services, the concept could be extended to services as well.
3. Do an office tour. This is exactly as simple as it sounds. While it may seem like a trivial exercise, simply letting potential customers have a virtual look around your office can do wonders for helping them to see you as a real business with real people instead of a yellow page ad or a static website.
4. Interview your best customer. Not everyone will be able to get their customers to talk on camera, but if you have a customer that you have a particularly good relationship with, ask them if they would be willing to talk with you in a short video to share what they like about your business and why they might recommend you.
5. Demonstrate your product or service in action. Think of this as a simple demo video, where you can show how your product works or demonstrate the thinking behind your services in action. Ideally, you can just capture something that you already do every day on video.

Using video online can help you bring your small business to life and it does not need to be a daunting task requiring a professional crew and big investment. So what are you waiting for?
Source: Influential Marketing Blog

Five New Technologies that Will Change the World of Mobile Advertising

2011-04-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

With all the advancements in the mobile arena, many people claim that we have reached our limits. “What else is left to be done?” they ask, and the truth is, over the last few years, we have taken giant steps forward. Having said that, there is always room for more. The mobile space will continue to move forward at an increased rate, both in terms of enhancements to the technology we already have, and the introduction of new and exciting technologies.

Of course, these new technologies will benefit first and foremost the end user when it comes to how they interact with their phones. There is, however, another realm in which new mobile advancements will change the world. Mobile advertising is already a booming industry and advertisers are now realizing that spending their resources on traditional marketing such as newspapers or billboards, might not be as effective as reaching audiences on their mobile devices.

Mobile advertising is already advancing at an extreme pace and new technologies will only act as a catalyst to speed up the process. A reality in which the majority of the world’s marketing campaigns are implemented on mobile devices, is a reality that is much more believable than it was just a few years ago.

The following are five new technologies that are already showing their face and will have a great impact on the mobile advertising universe:

4G Networks: As you probably know, 4G broadband is already making waves in the mobile world. Phones like the new HTC Thunderbolt with LTE support are outselling the popular iPhone at Verizon. It is important to remember that without the accompanying infrastructure, 4G is useless. Based on current predictions, within a few years, 4G will be available globally and our phones will access the Web significantly faster than today. This will of course have a major affect on mobile advertising. One consequence we can expect to see is a higher average CTR on mobile devices since the process of clicking an ad, viewing a landing page, and going on with whatever you were doing, will be shortened significantly.
NFC: Near Field Communication, a technology already integrated in some high end mobile devices such as the Nexus S, is expected to go mainstream in the near future. Recent reports claim Apple is considering NFC integration into iPhone 5. Once again, without the infrastructure, NFC is not worth much, but from what we hear, certain Asian countries have already implemented this technology and NFC has taken off. In terms of mobile advertising, the effects are obvious. Imagine a world in which you hold your mobile device near an ad in a magazine, and the ad then becomes interactive on your device’s display. Such a campaign would once again generate more clicks due to its interactive nature. NFC will change the mobile advertising world as we know it.
HD Displays: Whether the displays of the future will be HD as we know it, there is no doubt that after the iPhone 4′s Retina display, screen resolutions will only continue to get higher. One of the many features experts are predicting in the next generation iPhone as well as iPad is a higher resolution screen. Of course, the higher the resolution of a display, the more life-like the content on the screen appears. This will also have a real impact on mobile advertising, and will give advertisers a whole portfolio of options that were not available in the newspaper or billboard eras.
3D: Companies like Samsung and others are already bringing 3D technology to TVs and other devices. Nintendo just released their 3DS device, which offers 3D graphics on a gaming console without any glasses. Of course, with all the buzz and competition surrounding the mobile market, it won’t be long before we have a full fledged 3D experience on our mobile phones. How will this affect mobile advertising? I think the question is, how will it not affect mobile advertising? The potential is endless.
Interactivity: We have already seen interactive Youtube videos, interactive online marketing campaigns, and even an interactive Facebook campaign (which was later removed by Facebook). With HTML 5 hitting mainstream, we can expect to see full interactivity on our mobile phones very soon. When that day comes and we begin interacting with our phones the way we interact with people, that is the day traditional marketing companies can close down shop. The advantages of a mobile phone being accessible to billions of people at all times, combined with rich media and interactive abilities will truly change the mobile advertising world forever.

Of course, this is just a short list, but there are many more technologies that will provide more abilities in the mobile advertising space. Then there are the ones we do not even know about yet. The bottom line in all this is, the world of mobile marketing is an exciting place to be right now!

What other technologies do you think will have an effect on mobile advertising? Please let us know in the comments or on Twitter and Facebook where we are always listening.

Post by Interactive

Get To Know In Focus Studios

2011-04-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Don't know much about us? Get to know In Focus Studios and what services we provide. In Focus Studios is a full service video production, video editing, videotape transfer, web & logo design, and branding company. We can help you tell your story through video and get it out on the web with a consistent look and feel. Our experienced staff uses the latest in digital equipment and promises to deliver high-quality in a timely fashion. Whether we are taping a two minute sales or marketing video, or designing a website for a politician, our staff has done it all and we will deliver the best results.

Here are just a few examples of the corporate video communication and website solutions we offer:
Corporate Video. Every company needs a corporate overview DVD. It communicates effectively who you are, your purpose in business and your competitive advantage. Give a company tour; tell your history, show the audience why you are a forward thinking company.

Training Videos. Your company can reduce effort and expense of employee orientation and training by using video to do the job. Not only does video perform the task perfectly, every time, it's available 24/7 on your secure website.

Live Events. Attract attention and traffic to your trade show booth with a company or product promotional video playing on a big screen monitor. Corporate Meetings or seminars, we videotape the event for multiple uses later.

Non Profits. We have worked with a variety of charities to produce low budget emotional appeal videos that are designed to enlist volunteers, solicit donations and challenge the viewer to get involved.

Public Relations Video. If you need to promote a campaign, convey a concept, build a brand, or media train a client we have your solution.

Tease. The concept is simple: if you give someone something then there’s the implicit understanding that the receiver should also give back to you. Vendors on the web do this all the time. They offer up a free chapter out of a book, a free whitepaper, a free quote, or a free consultation.

Track All User Interaction. Google Analytics is a free tool that is an absolute necessity. Google Analytics will track who your visitors are, where they’re coming from, and what they’re doing on your site. The information provided is pivotal in determining what content is desirable and what content is not.

We produce videos and websites that support your need and we look forward to helping you with your next project.

Re-purposing Older Videos

2011-03-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Recently In Focus Studios had the opportunity to work with Allscripts, with multiple locations

throughout the US. The Allscripts office in Raleigh needed their marketing video updated with

newer backgrounds/audio and to make the video available for online viewing. They were

changing the name of their product and also the company colors. Since the talent was shot

in front of a green screen, In Focus Studios just needed a few short conversations with

the marketing department to get an idea for the new look and feel. The new backgrounds

replaced older outdated video. Creative video editing and new graphics also gave this video new life.

So with very little money and time In Focus Studios was able to give that marketing video a much

needed face-lift. Sometimes video production is really just a simple update. What about your older

media assets that you paid dearly for a few years ago, could they use a few cosmetic updates?

Simple low cost changes can give years of new life to those safety, training and marketing videos.

Why video on the web must be SHORT

2011-03-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

When it comes to developing a branded video, to anchor and support your company’s marketing and branding campaigns, the question of what is the intention of the video will inevitably pop up. The easiest way to answer that question is by first being clear on the intention of your marketing and branding campaigns. For a basic understanding, here are 5 essential intentions for all campaigns.

1. Attract profitable customers

2. Secure profitable customers

3. Maintain your customers

4. Up-sell existing customers

5. Generate referrals

Whatever your primary intention is, once thing is clear, video is a tremendously valuable communication vehicle. Video can play a pivotal role in getting your brand and solution to become emotionally relevant to your customers. In short, video can shorten your sales cycle and significantly improve relations between your company and your target audience.