Google just launched a tool called “YouTube Direct” targeting media organizations to request, review and rebroadcast YouTube clips directly from YouTube users. Marketing managers can make use of this open source applications to create more integrated online video campaigns.

A Video Campaign without YouTube Direct

While social networking sites and videos are hot, marketers don’t want to miss the opportunities. We are seeing more and more video campaigns asking for participation to upload a video and win an eye-opening prize like a MacBook Pro laptop.

Some companies tried to host the video themselves when problems arise. The biggest problem I see when companies do the video hosting is not about technology but cost and video streaming speed. Especially when a large scale regional campaign is being planned.

Video Campaign from Singapore Government MINDEF

Some organizations ask users to register at YouTube, upload to YouTube, …which is bad user experience and may make some consumers doubt your capability.

Benefit of Using YouTube Direct

1. YouTube Direct lets third parties enable customized versions of YouTube’s upload platform on their own websites. You can customize it to fit your branding.
2. Users can upload videos directly into this application, which shows integrity and gives user better experience (usability).
3. It enables marketing managers to easily review video submissions and select the best ones to broadcast on-air and on their websites.

These videos users upload on your site are also live on YouTube, so users can reach their own audience while also getting broader exposure and editorial validation for the videos they create. You can learn more from the video below:

www.youtube.com/direct

Also read:Can Marketers Totally Ignore Direct Mail Campaigns?

It’s a strange world. Yesterday, someone asked me for social network marketing strategies; and, today another “convincingly” told me (probably convinced by himself) that social networking sites are not for business at all.

Are Consumers Spending A Lot of Time on Social Media?

When it comes to social networking, more consumers are doing it and doing it for longer periods of time. The latest numbers from Nielsen Online indicate that consumers spend 17% of their online time with social networks in August. That is an 11% increase over 2008.

Not convincing enough to you?

A September 2009 study from Retrevo found that among those under age 35, 39% of Twitter users and 27% of Facebook users checked the sites at least 10 times every day.

Do consumers welcome brands on social media?

More than welcome, in fact.

Performics released a study last week and it found that marketers who embrace the medium and communicate relevant messages in consumers’ language and on their terms could gain customers and grow sales. It also found out:

• 34% of respondents have used a search engine to find information on a product/service/brand after seeing an advertisement on a social networking site
• 30% of respondents have learned about a NEW product, service or brand from a social networking site
• 32% of respondents said messages about printable coupons on social sites resonate with them
• 28% of respondents said messages about sales or special deal notifications resonate with them
• 46% of respondents say they would talk about or recommend a product on Facebook
• 44% of Twitter users have recommended a product
• 36% of YouTube users say that they have gone to an online retailer or ecommerce site after learning about a brand on a social network site

Facts of Social Media Influence

20% of U.S. consumers between the ages of 18 and 24 were influenced by online video when it came to choosing a bank.

29% having commented on a product or brand on a blog and 27% having posted an opinion on a social networking profile.

57% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 48.5% of 25- to 34-year-olds say social media influenced their choice of a hair salon or day spa.

According to a study by GroupM Search and comScore, Internet searchers who use social media are more engaged with brands overall and are more likely to be looking for places to buy and brands to consider. It also found consumers exposed to both a brand’s influenced social media and paid search spent almost three times more time online than the average internet users.

Don’t be shy and do not give up the immense opportunity for engaging with consumers on social networking sites. It’s now not a question of whether or not you should get involved in social media, but how.

Also read:Social Media Marketing Articles To Help You Get Started In Social Marketing

We didn’t actually overspend our budget. The allocation simply fell short of our expenditure.

Keith Davis quotes

Now companies are more serious about all dollars spent on advertising including online display. A smarter move is to do day-part targeting and allocate more budgets to the part of day when people are more likely to pay attention to your ads. So, when are they more likely to pay attention?

A survey by Lightspeed Research and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK asked internet users when they believed they were most receptive to online advertising messages, and the best way to get their attention on the web.

The research shows that consumers believe they are most likely to pay attention to ads from the early evening onwards. While the early evening was the best time of the day for all age groups, for younger audiences there was likely to be a steady increase in their attention to adverts as the day progressed. The older age groups had peaks between 9-12pm and 2-6pm.

The research also found out,

• the best time to reach them with ads is during e-commerce activity, whether researching the best deals or shopping online.
• younger respondents prefer entertaining ads
• people prefer not to be interrupted when they are enjoying an activity that requires their full attention such as watching catch-up TV or movie clips. So be careful the next time when you want to opt-in YouTube as part of your content network for online advertising.
• The majority of respondents say they are likely to pay attention to online ads when engaged in a range of activities, from using a search engine, to downloading entertainment files, reading the news, catching up on sports results and playing games online. Social networking in particular has a high level of receptivity – this may be because brands are becoming more involved with them. It seems you may want to experiment with ads on Facebook.

Source: IAB UK

Also read:How To Design Effective Online Display Image Ads

Search Engine Marketing

• The New SEO Perspective on Flash [ClickZ]
  “Flash may not be the most ideal scenario for search engines, but there’s often a strong rationale for not abandoning it. There are also workarounds available like SWFObject that get better with every version of Flash that comes out.”
• The Internet and Consumer Choice [Pew Internet]
  Rather than expecting a search ad to result in a product purchase, marketers would be better served to expect a search ad to result in an offline purchase.
• B2B Search Marketing Success [StraightUpSearch]
  New Oneupweb White Paper

Social Media Marketing

• Digital Video In-Stream Ad Metrics Definitions [IAB]
  This document specifies standard definitions for digital video advertising metrics.
• The Essential Guide to Social Media – A Free eBook [PR 2.0]
  An executive outline of Social Media tools and resources needed to listen and participate, guiding PR, Customer Service, Product Development, and Marketing.
• Brands Turn to Micro-Blogging [Media Week]
  Dell CMO Mark Jarvis had a challenge for his digital team: Come up with an innovative way to connect with consumers online and sell products – and do it without a budget.
• How to Get Traffic from the top Social Media Sites [ViperChill]
  “I’ve put together this list of only the best articles which cover marketing on Youtube, Facebook, MySpace, StumbleUpon, Twitter and Digg.”

Usability

• 6 ways to enhance user experience [iMedia]
  In this article, we’ll explore new interaction techniques that can take your online marketing efforts to the next level.

Marketing Research

• Newspaper Ads Help Drive Consumers to the Web [Marketing Charts]
  Some 44% of people who saw a product or service advertised in a newspaper in the past month researched it – and two-thirds (67%) of that group went online to find more information, according to a Google-commissioned survey from Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo.

Also read:Digital Marketing Resources for Week Jun-2

Now you have made your video ready for video marketing campaigns. Now what? If this is your first time, you probably would go to register at video sharing websites like YouTube one by one and upload your videos. If you are really aggressive and YouTube alone can’t make you satisfied, it’s really a tedious process as there are a lot of video sharing websites.

• Big Think
• Blinkx
• Blip.tv
• Break.com
• Buzznet
• Dailymotion
• GameVideos.com
• GoFish
• Google Video
• iFilm
• imeem
• JibJab
• Kewego
• Liveleak
• Metacafe
• MSN Soapbox
• Myspace
• MyVideo
• OneWorldTV
• Ourmedia
• pandora tv
• Peekvid.com
• Photobucket
• Phpmotion
• Rambler Vision
• Sapo Videos (only portuguese)
• Sevenload
• Twango
• Vbox7
• Veoh
• Vimeo
• Vuze
• Yahoo! Video
• YouAreTV
• YouTube

I’ve highlighted some of the most popular ones in bold. It definitely takes a lot of time and man power to do that. I recommend you use Hey!Spread to help distribute videos for you.

You can check your upload process in real-time and know instantly when your video is available on the video portals Hey!Spread support: Sclipo, Sumo, Sevenload, Youtube, Google, Dailymotion, Blip, Metacafe, Yahoo, Facebook, Myspace, Vimeo, Revver, Veoh, Vsocial, Photobucket, Putfile. Its pricing model is quite flexible:

Pay only for what you use or get. 1 link sent or received from us simply costs USD $0.05 or 0.03€. 1 link means 1 video sent to 1 site. Sharply fit your needs or budget now.

In addition, TubeMogul‘s Load & Track is another similar handy tool you can check out too.

TubeMogul is the first online video analytics and distribution company serving publishers large and small who need independent information about video performance on the Internet and automated upload to the Web’s top video sharing sites.

TubeMogul supports the following sites: AOL Video, Blip.tv, Brightcove, Crackle, Daily Motion, Google , ideo, Howcast, Metacafe, Myspace, Revver, Sclipo, StupidVideos, Veoh, Yahoo Video, YouTube, Viddler, 5min. Watch the video below for a better understanding:

Also read:Create Integrated Video Campaigns with YouTube Direct

• YouTube introduces buzz targeting
  YouTube’s “buzz targeting” will identify which videos are becoming popular and about to “go viral” by using a specially created algorithm. Marketers can choose to input overlay ads around to take advantage of the huge audiences set to view the c
  (tags: viral marketing youtube buzz)
• Survey: Wealthy Women Flex Their Financial Muscles
  Married wealthy women on average make almost two-thirds (64%) of a family’s purchase decisions, according to a Luxury Institute survey of women from households with $150,000 or more in annual income.
  (tags: survey women luxury)

Also read:Leading Social Networks For The Wealthy

YouTube has launched its localized version for Taiwan market last week. The new site YouTube.com.tw uses traditional Chinese focusing on local made contents from four Taiwan media partners.In addition YouTube has also launched local site for Hong Kong in traditional Chinese.

Is China the next? Maybe; maybe not. There are more than a hundred YouTube like video portals in China; and, no foreign Internet ventures have made a success in China yet.

Also read:Average Chinese Apparel Shoppers V.S. Young Adults