We’re kicking off some new video case studies so you can learn firsthand how clients are using VMIX to meet and exceed their business goals.
First up is Jeff Herr, Director of Interactive Media at Lee Enterprises, explaining why using video to tell a story is so important. Jeff also raves about the proactive VMIX Client Services team and how he uses VMIX Analytics to measure his results and adjust his strategy. Click here to watch.
We’ve added a new demo to our website designed to give you a feel for the VMIX platform. You can upload, record or publish one of our videos and see just how quick and easy it is to integrate online video into your business. The demo showcases VMIX’s industry-leading encoding speed and is a great example of how the VMIX platform improves workflow. Go ahead, take a spin. We think you’ll like it.
In case you missed the recent press release, we’ve partnered with Qik to offer mobile live streaming to our clients. It allows users to stream video from mobile devices directly to a web page and upload that same video automatically on our platform for easy archiving, re-publishing, and sharing.
I see tremendous value in this, not just for media companies, but for any business that does problem solving in the field. Utilities and scientific research are just a couple that come to mind.
Benefits
1) Quick no-touch publishing solution that pushes content to the Admin Console and simplifies workflow for informal video content produced in the field
2) Flexible playback, sharing and syndication of archived content
3) Compatible with a range of mobile devices including Nokia Smartphones, the Android and iPhone
What do you get when you dump a bunch of snow on the southern states? Abominable snowmen and tons of user uploads of course!
Just on Friday alone, WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi, received 6,000 pieces of media from their viewers. They were one of a group of affiliate properties who encouraged their audiences to upload weather-related media.
Clearly their promotion worked as the user-generated content stormed in (pun intended) with no relenting, giving WLBT the edge they needed to stand out among the competition.
So what was the common theme from the south?
Well, snowmen of course! So many snowmen that it seemed the snowpeople were getting ready to take over the world.
And while we were in awe of the creativity of submitters, it was the giant snow people that really impressed us! Most submitters were pretty sure they’d built the tallest snow person, and we were pretty sure they couldn’t get any bigger.
But throughout the day they did, starting out at just seven feet tall!
WLBT-Jackson Mississippi
This snow guy didn’t come with measurements, just the statement, “I don’t think you’ll find one any taller.”
WLBT- Jackson Mississippi
Unfortunately that viewer’s hopes of building the tallest snowman were quickly dashed by this group who probably spent the entire day amassing a 17-foot-tall snowman!
I think what’s missing from this photo is the ladder truck that helped them put the hat on this monster! How else could it be done?
WLBT in Jackson Mississippi
What fun!
If you have media you’d like us to showcase please contact clientservices@vmix.com.
Doc girl here! As a product documentation writer at VMIX I am always interested in making sure clients have the information they need.
We have a great online Support Center, full of user help topics, quick guides, product overviews and client-generated FAQs. But as our clients find new ways to integrate VMIX video services into their sites, they sometimes have questions we haven’t quite covered.
Which brings me to the first of our user feedback tools, Ask a Question.
Found at the top of the Support Center homepage, Ask a Question lets you send those “How do I do …?” or “Why can’t I find …?” questions directly to the VMIX Client Services team. And the focus here is on finding answers to any feature or procedure questions you may have.
Our Client Service Managers respond to queries as soon as they can, and we use your questions to round out our documentation and draft new FAQs for the Support Center.
At the bottom of every page of our Admin Console, you’ll also see a tiny, tiny blue link for Feedback:
Yes, it’s that tiny. But it links to a big opportunity—the chance for you to let us know what you need most using our UserVoice feedback forum. Note: You’ll need to sign up to view the forum.
User Voice helps our Product team understand how you are using the VMIX platform, and gives you the opportunity to suggest platform enhancements and new product features.
Here what you’ll typically see in UserVoice …
You can view suggestions made by other VMIX clients and see whether a request is being considered or actively worked on in our development queue. Plus, the ability for you to vote on features helps our team gauge the depth of need for each request.
A quick caveat: Keep in mind that our Product Development roadmap is shaped by many factors and business needs. So we may not be able to execute on your request immediately!
But we do rely on hearing your voice – be it on UserVoice or through Ask a Question in the Support Center. Please keep the questions coming!
comScore has released their 2009 metrics. Display ad impressions grew by 21 percent as online advertising increased its share of media spending. comScore also reports that six out of seven US internet users view online video every month.
Digital community Econsultancy just published a study surveying that 66 percent of marketers plan to increase their digital budgets in 2010. Most of the budget will be shifted from more traditional marketing dollars. This is not terribly shocking news since we have seen the trend continue year after year. However, the fact that an overwhelming majority of companies are making the digital shift is important.
Large national brands such as Applebee’s are opening up more of their budgets to local dollars, primarily digital, and many of our VMIX partners are starting to realize these dollars. Particularly interesting is the propensity of brands to buy sponsorships of promotions in the user-generated areas of websites. More and more brands feel that consumer participation and involvement at a community/local level increases their ROI. Make sure you get your share!
Great educators have an enormous influence in our lives. I’ll never forget how my favorite high school teacher influenced the college major I selected. And how his energy and enthusiasm for the class made it fun to be there.
PBS is honoring America’s best educators with a contest called the Teachers Innovation Awards that showcases how teachers inspire and engage their students in new and creative ways. Entrants are demonstrating how they bring the curriculum to life by submitting user-generated photo and video for a shot at a number of prizes. PBS is using VMIX to accept, manage and publish the content.
The contest runs January 25th through March 12th. Winners will be announced April 5, 2010 and winning entries will be featured on the PBS Teachers web site. If you know an educator that deserves some recognition, encourage them to enter or help them out with a submission. I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping to see some outside the box ideas that make we wish I was back in school again.
This week we’re rolling out VMIX Admin Console 3.3. This release sees the re-jig of a few elements in the console with performance and usability in mind.
Most changes are under the covers—pointed at back-end optimization and leaps in scalability—but you’ll likely notice a few changes in the UI too:
That’s about it! We hope our customers enjoy these enhancements. Detailed release notes will be available in the VMIX Support Center for current clients.
We’ve received a lot of user-generated and professional media this month that captures the crazy weather around the country. It’s interesting to see how folks manage to capture fun and beauty in the coldest times of the year!
Frosty
Take a look at the snowflake below, caught on a cold window pane. It’s not often you get to see flakes up this close—and that’s why this submission to KAIT8 in Jonesboro, AR, caught our attention.
Wave Runner or Snowmobile?
Our friends at KFVS12 in Cape Girardeau, MO, voted snowmobile.
Catching Snow Rays
Snow beach can get quite harsh so don’t forget your sunscreen and heating pads ladies! Thanks KAIT8 in Jonesboro, AR, for yet another great photo! It’s great to see people having fun in cold weather.
If you’d like to submit videos or photos to Media of the Month, we’d love to see them! Please contact your Client Services Manager for more info.
We’ll be at the Borrell Associates Local Online Advertising Conference February 8th and 9th at the Grand Hyatt in NYC. Our President & CEO Mike Glickenhaus will be speaking on the Tapping Key Categories – Video panel. This one’s all about revenue and making more money with your website so be sure to ask us about some monetization opportunities with video. It’s right by Grand Central Station so get on that subway, Metro North, or LIRR train and say hello. We’ll be waiting for you.
