Milk the Spider

Rich Media: Making the difference to your business

Making the difference to your business

Rich media is one of the most important web developments that can transform online businesses. In simple terms; rich media includes a broad range of interactive media such as video, audio podcasts, animation and photography.

What’s more not only is it getting easier and cheaper to use but the main search engines love it. For only a few hundred pounds you could produce and publish your own video on YouTube as well as add it to your own website. You can even add it to your own Twitter account!

As the majority of web publishers using rich media tend to be the most active on the web, the search engines have realised that these people are more likely to attract more viewers who stay longer on the site and, ultimately, get a higher ranking.               

And, as web technology develops it’s becoming easier to link some of the rich media tools to suit you. For example with someone like audioboo, within minutes of recording a new audio podcast you can upload it to the web whilst, at the same time, using Google Maps to tell people exactly where it was recorded. Pretty cool, especially if your business means you’re out and about a lot!

Rich media has tremendous benefits for online advertisers as well who want more than a traditional banner ad. It’s well known that anything that catches the eye will generate more interest, so why not use video or animation to sell your business. And once the footage is produced make sure it’s seeded onto the right social networks so that you can get a second bite of the cherry.

And if you’re still not convinced, here’s something to think about. With the boom in smart phones (especially for the under 35s), social networks and the developments in mobile communications it’s a fair bet that the consumers of tomorrow will expect you to use video and all the other rich media tools.

Cheap video can cost far more!

Cheap video can cost far more!

If you're ever in doubt about trying to save money when you're putting together a video, just take a look at what Ernst & Young came up with a couple of years ago.  It's gone down as a classic but for all the wrong reasons - poor concept, terribly delivered and goodness knows what the brand guys were thinking?

It's quite simple really, your video might be the one and only chance for a potential customer to see who you are, so please think again before you get too carried away with the family's video camera.

It's usually better hiring professionals and it won't cost you your reputation. 

Google loves Video

 

Google loves video       

About a year ago Google changed the way they assess and rank websites and for some strange reason many businesses haven’t realised that the good old SEO techniques are not as important as before.  Yes, sure it’s still good to have well constructed text, keywords and the like, but these days it’s the web 2.0 tools that are really driving the search rankings.

Today, the best way of  getting  good “Google Juice” (or good rankings), is by using video, followed by podcasts, blogs, links and last static web pages – in that order!

Why? Because they help drive new visitors to websites and they encourage visitors to stay for longer.

Estate agents and recruitment agencies around the world cottoned on to this some time ago and have seen dramatic increases in page views. For example a recent survey in the USA found that having 16 videos on your real estate sites increased page clicks by more than 30%.

But it’s not simply a matter of dusting of the handy-cam and telling the world why it must buy your product.

There’s a big difference between producing television adverts and online videos. Sure they’re probably about 30-60 seconds long and both use the same kit. But that’s missing the point.

TV advertising is about the viewer  “leaning-back”  - watching whatever’s put in front of him (or her) whilst online video is about the viewer “leaning-forward”  - where they are in total control of what they’re watching.

So, if you’re going to succeed with online video try to make sure it’s relevant, engaging, sharable (use hulu, YouTube and the rest) and, last but not least,  don’t forget the meta-data and file names (for Google’s sake).

 

Rich Media gets easy

No need to write it all down.

You've finally settled into a comfortable routine of updating your blog regularly, making sure the content is fresh and has plenty of colourful pictures. 

After countless hours spent making sure it updated other accounts you work with, such as twitter and facebook so that your exposure levels were  keeping up with the latest trend, you're satisfied that you've got the foundations of a good campaign that will grow over time and you're getting regular feedback and building relationships.

But what if you're not good at creative writing?  Sure twitter has condensed this down to a couple of lines, but if you're trying to build a following, you need that following to be led to something more substantial every once in a while.  That can be daunting if the only place to send them looking for new content is a blog you struggle to fill.

So what else is available to produce interesting content easily and cheap?

Four years ago I would have given you an answer of "not alot", but 2005 was the year of the blog, now we have options.

Video, audio and still image.  I will not waste time explaining what Youtube is, you already know, and for most it is not seen as the ideal replacement to a blog or addition to their social media marketing. 

I want to look at the subject of video as a means to engage, whilst highlighting a couple of sites that have made the process as easy as putting an update on twitter.

Firstly, I think it's necessary to point out that, if the video process is to be a simple as a twitter update, it still needs to be given thought in order to make it engaging and relevant.  Most of us don't have anywhere near the experience of working with video that we have with writing, so the key to working well with video is to keep it short until you get better.

Secondly, the issue of the right equipment - used to be an expensive area. Got a webcam? Now you're ready.

So who's here to help?

I'm highlighting two sites that I feel have covered all of the above well. the first is 12second.tv

It's obvious what you are expected to do and they give you plenty of ideas for content and quality, (they even have competitions for the best vlog that day).  Whilst at first it may seem like most people are using it to show off their gorgeous pet that only they love or yet another head and shoulders comment, the advantage is the shortness of the media. 

For businesses who need to produce quick updates on time sensitive offers, 12second.tv is a perfect opportunity to get the message out fast.

If you're the point of contact that the customer sees when they enter your business, and it's your face they've seen on the vlog, you've already established a relationship without ever meeting them, they will feel like they know you, makes it easier to sell.

The second site is twitvid.io  It's the same concept as 12second.tv except that it directly associates itself with Twitter.  The use of short video messages combining with twitter was inevitable considering you have always been able to view web links and images through twitter.

twitvid.io appears to be used more predominately by business who want to engage whilst at their place of work as opposed to pet lovers.

The ability to share and tag your videos on both sites makes them powerful tools for seeding the message fast.

Combined with their capacity to communicate seamlessly with your webcam and the fact that they provide options for other cameras if you don't have an integrated camera, takes the cost issue and throws it away. Time is now the only cost in getting your message out there, (and perhaps a bit of make-up) whatever media you choose.