Magnify Goes Pro
Video aggregation and community site Magnify.net has launched a “Pro” offering for users wishing to replace the standard AdSense ads on the site with customized ads.
Social network creator Ning as well as other web2.0 properties have tested out this sort of thing before. For example, on Ning you can purchase a Pro account for $19.99 a month to replace their AdSense ads with your own ads.
However, Magnify.net is doing something a little different with the option to pay for custom ads based on pageviews in units of 5,000 ($24.95), 25,000 ($84.95) and 50,000 ($159.95). Users can also remove Channel Creation links ($5.95 monthly) and enable contests for a premium monthly fee ($125.00).
Pressroom Theme for Wordpress
FathomSEO has a nice new clean Wordpress theme geared towards businesses that need a pressroom design:
Social Media Pressroom Theme WordPress, Social Media Newsroom Template: Theme Name: Media Pressroom
Description: A clean, minimalist theme designed for use as a media pressroom.
Author: Fathom SEO, which offers search engine optimization and other online marketing services.
Author URL: http://www.fathomseo.com
View a live demo of this theme.
The simplicity and focus on social media is really compelling.
It’s increasingly clear that companies need to be approachable beyond just a “Contact Us” form. The integration of social media (networks, video, Twitter) present on the theme is a nice touch and positive step towards PR2.0.
Selling on eBay with Video
vzaar is a year old service that allows for eBay sellers to incorporate video into their auctions (example in the video above).
vzaar :: About: “vzaar is an accredited eBay developer and approved video supplier for eBay sellers and the host of thousands of videos for thousands of eBay sellers. Built by eBay users for eBay users, vzaar enhances the eBay experience for both buyers and sellers. vzaar is a free service for casual sellers, with premium features available for more frequent users and PowerSellers.”
While I’m not sure that the service will catch on like wildfire, it certainly is compelling for sellers of products that are looking to give a more three dimensional representation of the object up for auction or for sellers looking to stand out above the pack in a crowded niche.
Duncan Riley posts about vzaar on his new (and subscription worthy) blog Inquisitr giving some details about pricing.
Disqus Video Comments
Although I’m not particularly crazy about doing video comments myself, my fingers are crossed that Disqus integrates them soon:
Disqus Adding Video Comments; Will People Use Them?: “We’ve now learned that Disqus, a third-party commenting system, will be rolling out its own video commenting feature, likely later this week.”
I don’t necessarily see video comments catching on like wildfire, but they do provide an outlet for those among us who’d rather just hit record on the webcam and fire away. On my Mac, it’s incredibly easy to do quick and nice looking video and most modern computers are now shipping with high quality integrated webcams.
This isn’t a “game changer” feature, but it will be a nice addition.
BTW, if you’re not using Disqus on your blog, you’re really missing out. I’ve written about Disqus here many times and Scott Jangro has done a series of excellent posts about the comment solution as well.
Videoclix.tv Is the Future?
VideoClix.tv is attracting a good deal of attention and for good reason. Basically, anything mentioned in a video becomes a keyword that leads to a clickable affiliate link. Even Revision3’s Diggnation is employing their technology…
I can’t imagine this sort of technology remaining independent for too long and expect to see a Google or someone snap them up or replicate the idea.
This is the future of affiliate marketing…
Shawn Collins is Wrong: Asus eee Owns Dell Vostro
Shawn Collins has a new video demonstrating his crush on the Dell Vostro
He compares the Vostro to the Asus eee
The Asus eee (”Easy to Learn, Easy to Work, Easy to Play”) is a fantastic little machine that solves a number of problems in my life. It’s comparable to the Macbook Air
Plus, the Asus is a solid state machine meaning that it boots up almost immediately (takes about 10 seconds), is very rugged and has an incredible battery life (around 3 to 3.5 hours for me).
With a gig of memory, 8 gigs of storage, 3 usb ports and a MicroSD slot, it’s the perfect travel machine.
So, there’s no comparison between Shawn’s bulky 14 inch Vostro that is sure to be dead in 3 years since it’s a Dell and my little Asus which will be humming along for years to come.
ShareASale Goes Video
Looks like all of our wishes (well, mine at least) are coming true and Brian, Carolyn and the ShareASale gang are going to introduce affiliate marketing into the online video space.
Earlier today, this message was sent out to the ShareASale Facebook group by Carolyn Tang..
Facebook | V-Commerce Playahs: “Alrighty, we’re gettin’ with the times and exploring v-commerce. Nothing like bringing the magic of television online! Our tech team is hard at work developing a player with embedded tracking for affiliates to use on their sites.
So…open ended wishlist style question…in a perfect world, where we had boundless tech and financial resources, what features would you like to see in that player? Customizable? Size? Rating systems?”
This is every exciting indeed and the replies to Carolyn’s initial post have been beyond interesting with a number of affiliates weighing in.
It’s great to see an affiliate network using a channel such as a Facebook group to gather feedback. I only wish more networks would follow ShareASale’s lead on this sort of communication (as well as blogging) and feedback solicitation. You don’t need to control the conversation in order to produce value as Brian and team are clearly showing.
And I’m beyond excited to see an affiliate network getting into video. Take notes.
Azoogle’s Pitch
Azoogle’s Don Mathis gives their elevator pitch at AlwaysOn…
Azoogle | AlwaysOn: “AzoogleAds, founded in 2000, is an end-to-end online marketing solutions provider for advertisers, publishers and online affiliates. Initially a pioneer in performance-based marketing, AzoogleAds generates the highest volumes of quality traffic through its affiliate network, its proprietary search technologies and optimization, and its in-house CPM/CPA/CPC Media Buying.”
Head over there to watch the short video. Interesting to hear Azoogle’s take on performance advertising and how they see it as the future of all online advertising, especially CPA.
I Can’t Wait for Flickr Video
The long standing rumors that Flickr would open a video channel for users to share their uploaded video content similar to their wonderful photo sharing service looks like it will finally be validated according to TechCrunch.
So the question becomes… why? With YouTube, Viddler, Blip.tv, Revver (?), Vimeo, Metacafe, etc why would Flickr want to get into such a crowded space.
Matthew Ingram raises similar questions:
One question on Flickr Video: Why? - - mathewingram.com/work: “So Mike Arrington says in a post over at TechCrunch that Flickr is going to be adding video soon — really. This rumour has been around for awhile, as Mike himself acknowledges, and in fact Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield has been talking about adding video for at least a year. One obvious question is why it has taken so long (likely answer: Yahoo red tape), but a related question is: Why bother?”
Here’s my take: I can’t wait for video on Flickr. The community of friends and colleagues that I’ve created around my photos there is a very valuable and high quality one with which would love to share video.
I can’t say the same for any other video uploading platform, especially YouTube. Have you ever posted a video on YouTube and taken the time to read the comments that follow? In other words, the “community” on YouTube is terrible and reminds me of a middle school lunch room full of Nelsons.
So, just for my own selfish sharing reasons, I am excited about Flickr Video.
GeekCast Episode 6: Plugging the Right Holes
Every week Lisa Picarille, Shawn Collins, Jim Kukral and I do an episode of “GeekCast” where we discuss current trends in the geek marketing world ranging from tech to performance marketing.
The show is very free form and wide ranging, but there is a good deal of valuable discussion on affiliate marketing and related tech issues.
Here’s a brief and incomplete list of discussions this week:
-Headset Tech - Analogue or USB?
-Lisa’s Skype Troubles
-Cable is Dead?
-Super Bowl Twitter Friends
-Paying to Play in UK Affiliate Networks
-HD DVD is Dead
-Group Twitter at Affiliate Summit
-Ze Frank is the Steve Guttenberg of the Internet
-Jangro’s Approach to Affiliate Summit
-Affiliate Summit Attire
-Interesting Trends from the AffStat Report
-Aweber and Email Lists
-Gratuitous Nudity
-Gratuitous Pre-Rolls
-Gratuitous Politics
-Jim’s YouTube Porn Searches
-Jesus Horses
-Shawn Loves Metrosexual Country
Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
