i Corporate Video

Interactive video just got a new look with the Interactive Video Browser Bar from Veeple.

I added the Interactive Browser Bar with four buttons to the top of this video about the New Tek VT5. The interactive browser bar looks sleek and classy IMHO. Better than that, it adds a highly-converting form of monetization to my video and extends my social network/customer service to all viewers.

For this particular post, the video about the New Tek VT5 is primarily just a vehicle to demonstrate the new look of the interactivity.

I have several other posts on this blog describing the features, specs and benefits of the New Tek VT5, which is a computer based desktop video production studio system you can use to equip a mobile production van or a TV production studio.  It’s fantastic, go check it out.  But now let’s talk video interactivity.

If you read this blog often, you know I am a BIG fan of video interactivity.  Adding interactivity is advantageous for both me as the video producer and for any viewers who choose to watch.

Advantages of Video Interactivity

For the video about the New Tek VT5, the interactivity is tied with a hefty commission.   There are two affiliate links to the product that appear as unobtrusive, but still obvious clickable links.

Research done by the Veeple company shows that clickable links placed inside a video such as my two affiliate links will get significantly higher engagement rates than standard ads placed off to the side.  The improvements can be quite dramatic.  Some Veeple customers have demonstrated conversion rates as high as 70%.  I’ve never gotten that high, but I have gotten up in the 30-40% range.

In addition to better-converting forms of monetization, the interactivity also allows me to give viewers additional information about the VT5 plus easy ways to email or follow me on Twitter.

In short, video interactivity gives me more diverse, creative ways to communicate and monetize. It gives viewers more control, choices and options.  The classic win-win.

A More Fully Functioning Communications Vehicle

In a sense, adding interactivity to a video is like turning it into a complete website, or at least a complete web page.  The interactive video can travel, a step beyond just sitting on one domain name trying to attract an audience.

The interactivity functions as both links to the rest of the net and as a repository for products like PDFs and Power Point Presentations.

Adding links inside of your video that viewers can click to travel to other sites blends together your message, your sales funnel, your customer service, your social networking, or any part of the web you wish.

Where Do I Get Interactivity?

The service I use to provide interactivity for all my videos is Veeple. Veeple is extremely easy to use and provides a very affordable, unique, all-in-one video hosting solution.

Veeple recently created a new look for the same functionality they have been promoting and developing for the past few years.   The new look is called the Interactive Video Browser Bar.  (IVBB)

They did not eliminate the “old” look and the VT5 video in this post contains both.  Each look has advantages.

The IBVV displays the interactive buttons as a row across the top, just like we’ve all come to expect from computer task bars and browser bars of all types.  The “old” look was more scattered and did not resemble anything quite as familiar.

Making the interactive buttons look like something we’re all more familiar with helps viewers know intuitively how and why they should use the buttons.

Anytime people can behave naturally and comfortably, with a sense of familiarity of the process they are going through, it will help minimize confusion thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive outcome.

In other words, more scores for the bottom line. 

The Interactive Video Browser Bar creates functional and impressive looking interactive links for your videos.  To try out this innovative service yourself, sign up for a free trial at Veeple.

Today YouTube announced they have increased their video upload limit from 10 up to 15 minutes. Meaning all those two part videos can now, hopefully, fit snuggly into a single clip.

Hey Everybody!

Thanks for getting the Words by Tracey website up and running, and for all your attention and support! Special thanks to Eric, who always seems to fix and glitch on the spot! Also, to all the behind the scenes players – thank you!

Tracey McGuire
Words by Tracey

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As part of our different activities regarding SAP’s Q2 announcement this Tuesday we also had a CNBC team in our Walldorf headquarters.

Patricia Szarvas from the Frankfurt CNBC office conducted an exclusive interview with our Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. Contentwise it is about leadership and the overall strategy of SAP.

During this exclusive, Bill and Jim unveil their thoughts and ideas about leadership styles and SAP’s strategy. The interview will be airing several times on CNBC globally during Friday, July 30 and Sunday, August 1. First broadcast is on Capital Connection, a show with three different anchors in Singapore, Barhain and London. The exclusive will also be shown on “Europe this week” Friday afternoon CET.

Some impressions from the shooting (Tuesday, July 27, Walldorf)

Update, July 30, 9pm CEST:

CNBC just published a first teaser of the interview on its internet platform

Samsung Electronics had added to its point-and-shoot camcorder lineup the HMX-E10. Offering full-HD resolution, the Samsung HMX-E10 is highlighted by a versatile, 270-degree swiveling lens. The HMX-E10’s swiveling lens also brings a new sense of fun to recording video, and gives users the ability to step out from behind the camcorder and put themselves in [...]

Panasonic has introduced the HM-TA1, a new Full High Definition (HD), 1920 x 1080 pixels-capable mobile video camera with pocket-sized dimensions for ultimate portability and ideal for on-the-go shooting opportunities. With an easy-to-use design intended for intuitive operation, the TA1 features an integrated USB terminal and software that allows for easy PC connection and uploading [...]

Panasonic has announced the launch of the HDC-SDT750, the world’s first consumer 3D camcorder, which includes a 3D conversion lens that enables the camcorder to shoot powerful and true-to-life 3D video content. The Panasonic SDT750 is a user-friendly consumer 3D camcorder that makes experiencing 3D at home easy and affordable. In addition to shooting 3D, [...]

Finding the answers to your questions will help you in your quest to bring a character or story to life...

Report Snapshot (full report embedded below)
Altimeter Group conducted research, and gleaned input from 34 vendors, agencies, and experts, to determine success criteria and develop a roadmap for Facebook page best practices. We found Eight Success Criteria for Facebook page marketing, and then tested the maturity of 30 top brands across six industries.

Our heuristic evaluation revealed that brands fell short – nearly half of the brands we reviewed (14 out of 30) did not fully leveraged social features to activate word of mouth, the hallmark behavior of social networks. Within this immature landscape, a few brands were on the right track to successfully harnessing Facebook page marketing. Brands like Pampers, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and AXE increased engagement and activated word of mouth through advocacy and peer-to-peer interactions, or solicited business call to actions that result in transactions.

The 8 Success Criteria For Facebook Page Marketing

View more documents from Jeremiah Owyang.

How should brands approach their Facebook page marketing? We asked the experts.
Research means digging in deeper to find the truth,  and we know our place in the ecosystem is to work with others.  As a result, we had a call for submissions, and we received input from 34 vendors, agencies, brands, and individual experts. We read blog posts, looked at examples, and reviewed case studies.

360i, AKQA, Awareness, The Community Roundtable, Context Optional, Digital Evolution Group, Edelman Digital, Facebook, Gigya, Horn Group, Inside Facebook, Janrain, KickApps, Lithium, LiveWorld, Ogilvy’s 360° Digital Influence, Razorfish, RockYou, SHIFT Communications, Spredfast, StepChange Group, a Powered Company, Vitrue and Wildfire Interactive. We also received input from individual contributors such as: David Armano, David Berkowitz, Bert DuMars, Charlene Li, Dave McClure, Annie Noll, Shiv Singh, Adam Smith, Justin Smith, Jason Sullivan, and Anita Wong.

8 Success Criteria for Facebook Page Marketing
After pouring over the data from the ecosystem we’re part of, we found a clear pattern. There was a consistent set of criteria we heard from the industries experts, we found the following 8 criteria:

Then, we put 30 brands to the test to find out who’s doing it right –and wrong.
We then took that criteria, created a scorecard with quantitative criteria, and measured the world’s top brands on their Facebook efforts to find out who’s doing it right, and who’s not.  In the embedded report, you can download many of the high level findings, as well as see screenshots, comparison by industry and read our recommendations.

About the Altimeter research team.
For this report, I’m very thankful to work closely with Altimeter Partner, Alan Webber (bio, Twitter), who served as Editor. Alan is a multi-talented guy who stems from Forrester with a strong background in web user experience, and was able to tighten down the scorecard methodology which we’ll use to help clients. Christine Tran, Researcher (blog, Twitter), lead a detailed and thorough research process, always kept the ball rolling and is a consistent and reliable source of quality work, long hours, and positive energy. I’m very thankful for both of their consistent help!

Our belief in Open Research: It works when you share it
We want to be facilitators of the ecosystem and want to work closely with the marketplace.  We’re publishing our report under Open Research, at no-cost under creative commons licensing, this report was 100% funded by Altimeter Group, we also do our best to disclose our financial relationships.  To make Open Research work, we hope you read it, spread it, and use it to improve.  If you found this research report helpful, please embed it on your blog, email it to your teams, and spread it to others.

Related Links

• Facebook has posted to their official Facebook PR account.
• Christine Tran, researcher at Altimeter posted the report on her blog
• Gregory has posted it to his blog and translated the 8 Criteria to French
• Janrain has posted to their corporate blog
• Australia’s Peter Fletcher shares from his blog
• SHIFT Communications CEO, Todd Defren enjoyed the report, and was a contributor
• Edelman’s David Armano (he was also a contributor to the research) blogs about the report, noting how brands are inconsistent in their Facebook deployment
• DavaiDavai embeds the report, and enjoys the conclusions.
• David Deal of Razorfish blogs his take, and notices the maturity happening in the space
• Also cross posted on the official Edelman blog
• Spreadfast has posted additional tips from their corporate blog

Our reporter Jessica Seilnacht is back from her trip to Israel. She had additional shootings also in Germany. Right now the team is working on the final video, which will be published soon. Today we disclosed for the first time pictures of SAP’s mobile software, which is just in the development process and will run on iPads, iPhones and Blackberrys beginning January 2011.

The material is offered to Journalists through our stockfootage platform to enhance the coverage about the quaterly results (Q2) which were just published this morning. Our strategy is, to provide TV networks around the world more than just only interviews. For the future we will increase our offerings of b-roll packages, which allow TV stations to produce news segments and packaged films. Until now we only offered pure b-roll material, which the networks could use to underlay news about SAP with moving pictures. With this change in strategy we expect the journalists to pick up and broadcast more stories about SAP and how the company helps thousands of businesses to run better. We also want to show, how and where SAP’s services and software are touching and affecting all of us in daily life.

First look at the latest SAP Business ByDesign software, running on devices such as iPad, iPhone, and BlackBerry. The software will be available in 2011. You can download the clip and also find embedding codes on our stockfootage platform