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November 14, 2006
Save the cheerleader save the world.
Monetizing Social Networks
Enable, Gift and Embrace The User Experience.
There seems to be a prevailing practice that the main way to ‘monetize” networks in the current digital landscape is traditional advertising strategies.
Bookend It
In the social media space the debate today is about pre-roll or tail-end advertisements in front of or behind a video clip. In front of a video is like sticking a stick in the spokes of a moving bike.
At the end of a clip it’s almost like thanks we thought that was good too and we helped bring that video to you. Worried about people not making it to the end of a clip, don’t be it just means it was not riveting enough to watch all the way through and why would you want to be associated with that?
This should work well with all that quality user generated content. (Sarcasm) That stupid piece of sh** video was brought to you by our fine brand. That thought almost stopped the nice non-disruptive picture I was painting. But there are brands that will fit well with just about anything these days. Maybe we will see a new list of modifying terminology like authentic, journalistic, and other connotations that will help advertisers seek their water level if you will when pairing up with user generated content.
Surround It
Then there is the wrap it all up strategy. If you have experienced some of the current video on demand or streaming models that are employed you have seen the surround it strategy. Oh boy.
Do you really need to stream a show wrapped in a media player surrounded by adverts, embedded in a larger browser window or rich media application. An experience that definitely deters you from breaking emotional ground.
Enable It
The first step is personalizing it, making it yours then you will engage, influence, share etc.
The ability to have perceived ownership and interoperability usage of a piece of media directly impacts the end users adoption and engagement with said programming.
In another social media sphere the one with the still image we have seen an enabling model emerge. Flickr has nicely rolled in a suite of adjunct and contextual services that allow you to print your photos on just about anything, your own store fronts are not far off no doubt.
The elegance of contextually leveraging your social network of users to do deals where you take a piece of another’s business and provide a better user experience is a winning one. There is no stick in the spokes of motion to crash your ride.
Another version of this could have a brand partnering with web destination to make the experience better, adding a layer of wanted functionality vs. a run of site banner campaign. The latter leaving a much more lasting impression.
I can hear it now, do you remember when ATT fixed MySpace’s UI functionality. or when Ford hooked up all those free FaceBook accounts.
The end user would win and a more deeply integrated relationship between network and brand would make for longer and more important bond.
Which brings me to why I started writing this. I came across this post about mobile advertising methods. A smart assessment of what will soon be standard fare in mobile advertising.
It's Personal
This is the opportunity to reach into someone’s pocket on the go. It does not get more personal than that. If your a brand thinking about mobile advertising. Consider the following strategies in spending your mobile advertising dollars. We will all be better for it.
The question is there really a better way. ?
Mobile – Enable It
Enable the mobile users experience by augmenting the locative reality with added value.
Mobile is the most intrusive sector to play in. It’s not personal, (pause) it’s personal. If your communicating with your consumer or viewer across three screens save this one for the best messages.
Make no mistake consumers will let you know which network they want you to communicate to them on and when the choose this one they should be getting what makes things better.
A location-based scenario would mean the heads up on a flight delay before you leave for the airport or a better experience when you arrive, if you already left.
This does not mean hitting me with a sms with an offer every time I pass by one of your stores. This means taking the time to think through the experience and better it. Augment reality with your message.
Embrace Digital Gifting - Specific acts of kindness.
The Starbucks pay it forward style campaign to bring cheer this holiday season is spot on. It’s the pre curser to digital gifting. Instead of entitlement sponsorships you would have enlightenment sponsorships. Ok may a little idealist, but wouldn’t be nice.
Some examples would be flickr giving you the ability to gift pro accounts. Gmails invite a friend also has some gifting qualities to it.
Digital Gifting – Miracle Tickets a Case Study
In toying with rendering something around this concept we built a concept site called Miracle Tickets. The idea being sponsors would buy blocks of tickets to hot shows. Users would only be notified if they got tickets to something they wanted to see.
In one market alone over a short period close to ten thousand users signed up with their most prized CRM possession their mobile numbers.
Now we just need to find enlightened brands and sponsors to complete the case study. Think of the love they would have brand wise for gifting them an experience they wanted not what they were told they should need.
MDG/Mediaeater on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Posted by mark at November 14, 2006 09:28 AM