Band Writes and Records Music Live on Ustream
11/14/10 22:52 Filed in: Web Video
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My friend told me about a band that was writing and recording their new album live using UStream. The goal is to get feedback from fans on Ustream for their songs (as well as market the new album). When he first told me about this idea it made perfect sense. This is probably because I’ve been reading Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead
. It is an example of a band that understands how to market to its fans, and also to build loyalty. In a time when bands struggle to adapt, Sheila Divine showed creativity in marketing themselves. It was a great way to get their content onto the web and help to spread it virally while building excitement for their new album.
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My friend told me about a band that was writing and recording their new album live using UStream. The goal is to get feedback from fans on Ustream for their songs (as well as market the new album). When he first told me about this idea it made perfect sense. This is probably because I’ve been reading Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead
. It is an example of a band that understands how to market to its fans, and also to build loyalty. In a time when bands struggle to adapt, Sheila Divine showed creativity in marketing themselves. It was a great way to get their content onto the web and help to spread it virally while building excitement for their new album.blog comments powered by Disqus
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New Google Analytics Feature: In-Page Analytics
11/04/10 17:44 Filed in: analytics
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I was working in Google Analytics today and I noticed a new feature, “In-Page Analytics” is an upgrade to the former on page analytics feature they had before. Similar to the previous feature, this put percentages next to links showing you how often each link is clicked. You can also play with the data to see which clicks went towards your goals.
I was working in Google Analytics today and I noticed a new feature, “In-Page Analytics” is an upgrade to the former on page analytics feature they had before. Similar to the previous feature, this put percentages next to links showing you how often each link is clicked. You can also play with the data to see which clicks went towards your goals.
One thing that I really like is that it provides statistics on the left hand side showing Pageviews, Unique views, time on page, bounce rate, entrances, etc. You may notice that two links linking to the same page have the same percentages, however if you hover over the percentages more information is provided. Interestingly when I have tried to open up my site in the same browser while Google Analytics is still open, the overlay goes over my page with the click percentages and the statistics still in a column, this can be annoying, but helpful for when I am taking deep dives into my analytics. For on page analytics I wouldn’t recommend Google Analytics, though I do enjoy when they give us more to play with.
To check this feature out go to your Google analytics account > select “Content” > Select “In-Page Analytics”.
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Innovations We are Waiting for
10/17/10 20:40 Filed in: Innovation
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I know, I know, I didn’t expect humans would still be walking, driving, or taking public transportation to work in 2010 either. Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about innovations for user benefit. I find it interesting that people are working on an autonomous Google car, but we still don’t have the innovations listed below.
It was recently mentioned on Don Dodge’s blog and it’s something I have long believed is going to happen in the not so distant future. As the processing power of smart phones gets better, we will start to use them more and more, and eventually, rather than lugging around laptops, we will have smart phones that we can tether to monitors, keyboards, and mouses (or trackpads ;)). When this happens, coffee shops, offices, libraries, and other potential work spots will have stations with monitors and accessories to plug into.
Mobile internet at current broadband speed is another thing that people look forward to and that will change mobile web browsing. Currently users enjoy using apps on their phones mostly because the web browsing is slow. Luckily they are able to multitask, but it can be difficult to maintain focus when loading a page on a mobile browser. The increased speeds will improve the mobile experience, which will also have a major impact on mobile advertising.
I have been waiting for this ever since my parents got me the first generation iPod, which was also the first time I used iTunes. Back then I didn’t know what “Cloud” was, but I couldn’t understand why music was stored on my computer and not on the internet. Now I understand there are a number of reasons, but it is still a hassle every time a computer dies. Options have gotten better for backing up iTunes but cloud music is still gaining popularity.
I realize these are not innovations that will be created out of necessity, but that they are luxuries. Still I can’t wait but look forward to some growth in these three areas in the near future.
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I know, I know, I didn’t expect humans would still be walking, driving, or taking public transportation to work in 2010 either. Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about innovations for user benefit. I find it interesting that people are working on an autonomous Google car, but we still don’t have the innovations listed below.
Smart Phone as the Central Personal Computer
It was recently mentioned on Don Dodge’s blog and it’s something I have long believed is going to happen in the not so distant future. As the processing power of smart phones gets better, we will start to use them more and more, and eventually, rather than lugging around laptops, we will have smart phones that we can tether to monitors, keyboards, and mouses (or trackpads ;)). When this happens, coffee shops, offices, libraries, and other potential work spots will have stations with monitors and accessories to plug into.
Faster Speeds for Mobile Internet
Mobile internet at current broadband speed is another thing that people look forward to and that will change mobile web browsing. Currently users enjoy using apps on their phones mostly because the web browsing is slow. Luckily they are able to multitask, but it can be difficult to maintain focus when loading a page on a mobile browser. The increased speeds will improve the mobile experience, which will also have a major impact on mobile advertising.
Cloud iTunes
I have been waiting for this ever since my parents got me the first generation iPod, which was also the first time I used iTunes. Back then I didn’t know what “Cloud” was, but I couldn’t understand why music was stored on my computer and not on the internet. Now I understand there are a number of reasons, but it is still a hassle every time a computer dies. Options have gotten better for backing up iTunes but cloud music is still gaining popularity.
I realize these are not innovations that will be created out of necessity, but that they are luxuries. Still I can’t wait but look forward to some growth in these three areas in the near future.
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3 Local Web Shows that Do It Better Than Major Publishers
10/14/10 19:51 Filed in: Web Video
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I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about the poor quality of Web TV these days. We were commenting on the poor video quality, sound, and lack of content. Even publishers that you would think would be able to put a lot of money into the video they produce don’t do a good job, it almost seems like it is in style these days to have homemade quality video. I am a strong believer in a value of web video/shows and so I put together a list of shows local to Boston that do a great job producing quality content that others can learn from:
I’ve already posted about Google TV and the impact that these devices can have on bringing the web and traditional TV closer together. Looking at online video statistics it is clear that more and more users are using the web to watch content. I have been surprised by a lot of the major blogs and publishers online who have produced low quality video for their users to consume. These certainly aren’t the only quality show there I enjoy (there are others), but I certainly think it is an area that needs to be improved across the web.
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I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about the poor quality of Web TV these days. We were commenting on the poor video quality, sound, and lack of content. Even publishers that you would think would be able to put a lot of money into the video they produce don’t do a good job, it almost seems like it is in style these days to have homemade quality video. I am a strong believer in a value of web video/shows and so I put together a list of shows local to Boston that do a great job producing quality content that others can learn from:
- The MBA Show - These two guys are a lot of fun. I have only been watching for a couple of weeks (which is about how long the show has existed), but they have great personalities for Web Shows. Its a lot of fun to watch them go back and forth and though I am not an MBA, but they do have a lot of good content for anyone interested in business.
- HubSpot TV - This show has been around for a long time. Its great to turn on and listen to it in the background instead of music on Friday afternoons. They have a great studio audience, and the two co-hosts Mike Volpe and Karen Rubin are a lot of fun. The quality of guest is always good. They also do a good job with sound and with picture quality. The content is good and pertinent to my work, but they have fun tidbits that make it fun for any marketer.
- 20 on Five - I have not watched this show much, but when I have, I have been impressed. It is very well produced and the quality and setup (although simple) helps to make the show good. These days a lot of people try to shoot their shows or do interviews wherever they can and it often creates lighting problems. This show does a great job at avoiding that, plus, they have great guests.
I’ve already posted about Google TV and the impact that these devices can have on bringing the web and traditional TV closer together. Looking at online video statistics it is clear that more and more users are using the web to watch content. I have been surprised by a lot of the major blogs and publishers online who have produced low quality video for their users to consume. These certainly aren’t the only quality show there I enjoy (there are others), but I certainly think it is an area that needs to be improved across the web.
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