November 5, 2012

Build links to your site with video content

Shareable visual content drives click-throughs and link-backs

This is the second of a two-part series. Also see:
• How to use content communities to expand your brand’s reach

Guest post by Jacob Klein
Distilled

You’ve finally done it — created one of the hottest videos the Internet has seen. It combines the incomprehensible virality of Rebecca Black’s vocals with the undeniable epicness of the latest Game of Thrones trailer. Phone this one in, people – this video is going to sell itself.

While it’s true that some pieces of great content seem able to spread without much, if any, marketing behind them, you’re not the type of person who likes to take chances with your premium content. You’ve created some beautiful, HD-quality video content that’s just begging to be shared and you want to give it the christening it deserves! Continue reading →

February 26, 2009

TheCrane.tv: The first online video magazine

Last month at the DLD conference I had the opportunity to speak to Constantin Bjerke, founder of TheCrane.tv. TheCrane.tv is a new online video magazine all about contemporary culture that is set to launch in March and plans to feature high caliber content on the topics of Culture, Art & Design, Fashion, Lifestyle, Travel, Ideas and “Green”/Ecology around the globe. TheCrane.tv hopes to raise the bar for superior video content on the Web with what they are referring to as ”Talent Generated Content.” Constantin describes Talent Generated Content by saying that all of the site’s content ”is produced by people that actually know what they’re doing, both in terms of quality of the film and in terms of the content.” Creatives from around the world are invited to share their films, videos and animations on any of the forementioned topics. TheCrane.tv is a unique magazine because it is completely video based. You don’t have to read articles but can simply “sit back and enjoy the ride” as Constantin puts it.

Aside from offering high quality, high caliber content, TheCrane.tv will also serve as a platform for talented video and filmmakers to showcase their talent and advance their careers. Contributors can use the site to find an audience, network with like-minded creatives from around the world, share ideas, collaborate and inspire one another. Additionally, the site is currently in negotiations for a mobile video distribution deal via 3G networks and has several TV and other distribution deals in the works as well. TheCrane.tv also offers contributors the opportunity to make money through revenue share.
Continue reading →

March 26, 2007

Principles of Citizen Journalism project launches

Principles

Today we’re unveiling a new project, Principles of Citizen Journalism, at the new Citizen News Network (run by the Knight Foundation) and at Dan Gillmor’s Center for Citizen Media.

I had a hand in the project, which lays out the underlying foundations of what it takes to do journalism, whether by amateurs or professionals.

"Principles" contains screencasts, slide shows, podcasts, tutorials, tip sheets and interviews with thought leaders in citizen media, including Doc Searls, Jimmy Wales, Ethan Zuckerman, Debbie Galant, Jay Rosen, Mary Hodder, Jarah Euston and many others. (See the full list of interview subjects here.) I’ve been holding back on publishing some of these video podcasts, so look for them here and on Real People Network in the next two weeks.

Here are a few of my favorite parts:

• Screencast: How to correct mistakes online (Flash done by Laura Lo Forti, narration by Lisa Padilla)

• Slide show: Fact-checking in citizen journalism (interviews with Amy Gahran, Brooks Jackson, Courtney Lowery).

• Confessional: Professional journalists admit to some of their biggest screw-ups

We’ve released everything under a Creative Commons license (and a few works are under less restrictive licenses). Dan Gillmor has more here. As always, we want this to be an ongoing conversation, so please dive in, post comments, toss out ideas and have at it.