Businesses today are overwhelmed by many challenges, not least of which is how to deliver their message. The onslaught of various social media options makes it clear that a multi-channel approach is critical. But which to choose and how best to use them remain crucial questions.
Marketers have understood the power of video for well over twenty years and one recent trend in technology takes that power to a new level. Streaming video has surged to the forefront as an economical, efficient and green solution to deliver content.
True streaming video (as opposed to simple downloading) employs a high end network of servers that can support simultaneous delivery of files of any size without compromising quality. Users do not experience buffering of the video as with downloading and have the ability to immediately view, fast forward or rewind with near instantaneous results.
Security features such as HASH encryption and expiring URL’s preclude content from being shared without permission. This is a key feature for applications such as internal corporate communications and content that is purchased. In general, streaming video offers much higher levels of security than otherwise available with simply downloaded content.
Some service providers offer various forms of analytics. Depending upon the service provider, these features may provide vital information to the administrator in terms of who is watching the video, where they are located geographically, IP address, how long they watch and much more. Some can even offer the ability to add a survey or response form at the end of the program. These features can provide marketers invaluable demographic information about their customer base and how the programs are received. Changes can be made immediately and inexpensively.
But the real advantage to streaming video may lie in the ability and ease of offering long play video, such as full feature length movies, without buffering and loss of quality. As a marketer, you may not require the ability to stream a feature length movie but you may have training modules or product demonstrations that would suffer from being constricted in size.
Applications for the technology are diverse. Live seminars and conferences are ideal scenarios for streaming video, particularly given the analytics function and the capability of providing live feedback via e-mail or chat. General B2B and B2C uses range from HR and other internal corporate communications to sales, marketing, product demonstrations and training. Educators employ streaming video systems to enhance the distance learning experience of their students while maintaining complete management and control of their classes as well as their student’s progress.
Streaming video is less expensive than traditional methods of content delivery. Shipping and mailing costs disappear as do packaging and insertion costs normally associated with CD’s and DVD’s. It is also more immediate. Depending upon your service provider, content may be encoded and uploaded to the internet in 24-48 hours, rather than the weeks required to manufacture and distribute a traditional DVD package. And in concert with the blooming ‘Green’ movement, streaming eliminates the need to produce plastic and paper as required by standard DVD production and distribution.
When selecting service providers, there are several key questions to consider. Does the provider have the capability of offering a Tier 1 CDN network, versus a regional service provider? This means that they own their own infrastructure with banks of servers in multiple regions around the world, versus a few scattered within a region. The importance of this feature lies in several key aspects to content delivery. Where regional service providers may offer streaming video they may also have difficulty delivering that content without buffering or experiencing other delivery issues if there are multiple users logged in simultaneously or if users are located well outside their particular region.
Can the service provider offer a turn key solution? Some may offer encoding but not security, or some may offer streaming but not analytics or real time reporting. Some may be capable of streaming a live event but cannot provide live chat, feedback in the form of surveys, or analytics to the extent you may require. Does the provider offer true streaming or just progressive downloads? Progressive downloads require caching on the user’s server which means there will be buffering, less, if any security, and the user can then share the content with anyone they choose. What type of security can they offer? Is there a limit to the size of video you can upload? Can you monitor and control your content or does the service provider retain this option?
With NetFlix transitioning to streaming video, it seems clear streaming video on demand is the future for content delivery. Educators, marketers, trainers, and corporate users from HR to PR will want to take advantage of the many benefits streaming video offers in terms of ease of use, ROI, immediacy to market, security, information gathering and the benefit to the environment.
By James Wolter, Vertical Streaming Midwest
AJ Media LTD
5205 N. 125th Street
Butler, WI 53007
www.verticalstreaming.com
