Internet Video Killed the Hollywood Star?
Internet video is on the rise and it is not the traditional producers that are shining but it is the small independent producers - you and me - that are rising to the occasion. Sites such as www.youtube.com provide a simple way in which all of us can take our videos and show the world.
One of the hottest videos today is called "Breakup" (See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXe8pyY9G80) - a 75 second clip by a 17 year old. This clip has been viewed over 185,000 times and generated more than 900 comments on the www.youtube.com site. This is viral marketing at its best with people just emailing the link to friends.
So what is special about this clip. Well nothing in particular except that she uses great video effects to cheer herself up while she laments breaking up with her boy friend. Take a minute and check it out.
Now here is the really scary part --- the whole thing cost less than GBP 100 to put together. She used a simple Logitech camera and software to make it all happen. Imagine how easy it would be for estate agents to build a video of your property.
So what does the rise of self publishing - blogs, podcasts and internet videos - mean for traditional media. Blogs will clearly challenge print publishers as it allows all of us to become journalists. Podcasts are challenging radio and internet video will change traditional TV. Now the challenge wont be on quality of production, however the time spent by the millions looking at, listening to and reading blogs, podcasts and internet videos will be taken away from traditional media.
The challenge for the real estate industry will be to work out how to use these new media formats to better communicate to their customers.
