Maximum Net Gain hits the Business Breakfast again to discuss The Trend towards Web TV and how to monetise it
On the evening of August 7th I got a call from the guys at Dubai Eye Business Breakfast asking if I could comment the following morning, on an article that was written in the National newspaper that day regarding Online TV use being at a new height during Ramadan in the UAE.
It’s always a pleasure speaking with Brandy and Malcolm and it was a topic I was keen to speak about. Online TV is something that is coming more and more into the limelight. When we talk about online marketing strategy, there are certain pieces of the jigsaw that need to be considered. Online TV falls firmly under content creation as well as multi media marketing. How so? Well the interview focused on the subscription models currently in place in the UAE in the shape of OSN Play and also www.Shahid.net for Arabic programs. These are great services that allow you access to the programs these companies have the rights to show. But what about those programs that you have read about online? What about the latest reality TV star who is plastered across the International tabloids? How do you get hold of that? More importantly, how can you as a business use online TV to leverage an increase in bottom line revenue/increased subscriber base/increase exposure.
Well these questions are being answered in a variety of ways, but the underlying factor in this whole situation is that the consumer is becoming more and more expectant of being in complete control. Long gone are the days of trying to make it home in time for your favourite TV show. Nowadays, it’s about watching whatever you want, whenever you want. Big TV players should look to embrace this rather than fight it, because a well executed service will secure their livelihood for a while longer. After all, as consumers we don’t have the time or the interest to sort out contractual obligations to show the programs, we just want to grab whatever we want and digest it. It’s sad, but that’s indicative of the Fast Food culture we live in – perhaps even more so in the UAE.
As a business though, online or web TV is something not to be taken lightly. Whilst 10 years ago, being a published author gave you credibility and authority, nowadays I suggest a Web TV show is the equivalent. The great thing is that the advent of smartphones, and WISYWIG editing software means the medium of web TV is in reality available to just about everyone. A carefully planned episode schedule with a well written and executed script can mean untold exposure from the hundreds of video hosting platforms out there – you just need to know where they are and have a systemised way of getting your videos onto them.
The most well known of them is YouTube but there are others like Justin TV (as just 1 example) of platforms that let you basically have your own Web TV channel, in some cases for Free. Take YouTube for example, it’s free and not only that, if you produce something that people want to watch, YouTube will actually pay you – by allowing you to put advertising on your video! Add to this the kind of exposure that just that one avenue of YouTube gives you, and you are talking Facebook sized audiences – some people try to, but how can you argue with these figures;
· Over 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month
· Over 3 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube
· 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
· 70% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US
· YouTube is localized in 43 countries and across 60 languages
· In 2011, YouTube had more than 1 trillion views or around 140 views for every person on Earth
· 500 years of YouTube video are watched every day on Facebook, and over 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute
IMHO you can’t – web TV is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your hub website, to increase awareness and reach and get your message in front of as many people as you can and have them watch and learn for a while. If you would like to find out more about Web TV and how to monetise your online presence, drop us a line at strategy@maximumnetgain.com
