Disruption Tour --- Run To Survive

AT&T Confirms the 3G iPhone For 2008, Kills Apple's Christmas

from parislemon.com

Right in the middle of the busiest shopping time of the year it looks as if AT&T may have just dampened Apple's holiday spirit with the simple mention of one number and one letter: 3G.

Ever since the release of the iPhone there's been a not-so-quiet whisper of plenty of folks who think the device is great but would wait for the second iteration - one that works on the 3G network. Well today we finally have proof of the device straight from a well-placed source, that being AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson who told a group in California yesterday:

"You'll have it next year"

As unsurprising as that may be to a lot of people, you've got to think Apple can't be too happy with Stephenson officially letting the cat out of the bag as it were. Even though "next year" could technically mean December 31, 2008, how many people are going to want to lay down $400 AND sign a two-year contract on a device that is going to be obsolete in possibly just a few months time? A rumor just last week put a date of May 2008 out there.

Apple has just spent the past several months downplaying talk of a 3G iPhone as they point out all the great upgrades they still plan on rolling out to this iPhone - namely the development kit in February. AT&T has now basically gone out and said: "screw that, wait for the 3G".

Way to stab your partner in the back while shooting yourself in the foot AT&T - who says these telecom companies just don't get it? Stephenson likely saw all the headlines Verizon was getting with their open network announcement this week, panicked and decided to throw something out there.

Then as a parting gift, when asked how much the 3G iPhone would cost, Stephenson replied that Steve Jobs "will dictate what the price of the phone is" - as if to say "well we'd love to give it to you for free, but you never know what that money-loving Apple company will decide". Someone is getting coal in their stocking.

Cyber Monday Online Retail Spending Hits Record High

marketingvox.com

Garden of solitary delights Cyber Monday (Nov. 26) online spending totaled a record $733 million — a 21 percent increase versus last year and an 84 percent jump from the average daily online spending totals in the preceding four weeks — according to comScore, reports MarketingCharts. More than $10.7 billion has been spent online during the holiday season to date, or 17 percent more than the corresponding days last year, comScore said.

Google Experimenting With Digg Style Voting On Search Results

from techcrunch.com

If you saw this one coming, give yourself a very large prize. Google is experimenting with Digg style voting features on search results that allow users to vote up or bury search results they see.

The program, part of Google Labs, works like this:

This experiment lets you influence your search experience by adding, moving, and removing search results. When you search for the same keywords again, you’ll continue to see those changes. If you later want to revert your changes, you can undo any modifications you’ve made.

At the moment the results of the program will only be stored per user and not applied to the general search index, so that sites buried (”I don’t like”) will not appear in future results for the user, where as sites voted up will stay up. Google Labs notes that “this is an experimental feature and may be available for only a few weeks,” still, who would have thought that Google would even experiment with Digg style social voting.

Screen shot below directly from the programs site here.

(via Googlified/ Paris Lemon)

Londoners they'll never have to spend much time looking for the loo.

Technologyreview.com

Westminster City Council, which covers London's bustling Oxford Street, the West End, and the Houses of Parliament, on Thursday launched ''SatLav'' -- a toilet-finding service for mobile phone users.

Harried theatergoers, distressed shoppers and hard-pressed bar patrons in London's West End can now text the word ''toilet'' -- and receive a text back giving the address of the nearest public facility.

The system, which covers 40 public toilets, triangulates a user's position by measuring the strength of the phone signal. The texts cost 25 pence (US$0.52, euro0.35), while most of Westminster's toilets are free.

The council expressed hope that the service would help fight the scourge of street urination, which it said was responsible for dumping an estimated 10,000 gallons (45,000 liters) of urine in Westminster's alleyways each year.

Similar offerings exist elsewhere, such as the mobile toilet search service offered by Vindigo Inc. in many U.S. cities, but SatLav is being touted as the first text-based toilet-finder in Britain.

''It's the first fully managed service that we're aware of,'' British Toilet Association director Richard Chisnell said, praising the council for its work in the field of public convenience.

''Thank heavens for Westminster's public toilets,'' he said.

Facebook Retreats on Online Tracking

Click here for more information from the NYTimes.com

Faced with its second mass protest by members in its short life span, Facebook, the enormously popular social networking Web site, is reining in some aspects of a controversial new advertising program.

Within the last 10 days, more than 50,000 Facebook members have signed a petition objecting to the new program, which sends messages to users’ friends about what they are buying on Web sites like Travelocity.com, TheKnot.com and Fandango. The members want to be able to opt out of the program completely with one click, but Facebook won’t let them.

Late yesterday the company made an important change, saying that it would not send messages about users’ Internet activities without getting explicit approval each time.

MoveOn.org Civic Action, the political group that set up the online petition, said the move was a positive one.

“Before, if you ignored their warning, they assumed they had your permission” to share information, said Adam Green, a spokesman for the group. “If Facebook were to implement a policy whereby no private purchases on other Web sites were displayed publicly on Facebook without a user’s explicit permission, that would be a step in the right direction.”

Facebook, which is run by Mark Zuckerberg, 23, who created it while an undergraduate at Harvard, has built a highly successful service that is free to its more than 50 million active members. But now the company is trying to figure out how to translate this popularity into profit. Like so many Internet ventures, it is counting heavily on advertising revenue.

The system Facebook introduced this month, called Beacon, is viewed as an important test of online tracking, a popular advertising tactic that usually takes place behind the scenes, where consumers do not notice it. Companies like Google, AOL and Microsoft routinely track where people are going online and send them ads based on the sites they have visited and the searches they have conducted.

But Facebook is taking a far more transparent and personal approach, sending news alerts to users’ friends about the goods and services they buy and view online.

Charlene Li, an analyst at Forrester Research, said she was surprised to find that her purchase of a table on Overstock.com was added to her News Feed, a Facebook feature that broadcasts users’ activities to their friends on the site. She says she did not see an opt-out box.

“Beacon crosses the line to being Big Brother,” she said, “It’s a very, very thin line.”

Facebook executives say the people who are complaining are a marginal minority. With time, Facebook says, users will accept Beacon, which Facebook views as an extension of the type of book and movie recommendations that members routinely volunteer on their profile pages. The Beacon notices are “based on getting into the conversations that are already happening between people,” Mr. Zuckerberg said when he introduced Beacon in New York on Nov. 6.

“Whenever we innovate and create great new experiences and new features, if they are not well understood at the outset, one thing we need to do is give people an opportunity to interact with them,” said Chamath Palihapitiya, a vice president at Facebook. “After a while, they fall in love with them.”

Mr. Palihapitiya was referring to Facebook’s controversial introduction of the News Feed feature last year. More than 700,000 people protested that feature, and Mr. Zuckerberg publicly apologized for aspects of it. However, Facebook did not remove the feature, and eventually users came to like it, Mr. Palihapitiya said. He said Facebook would not add a universal opt-out to Beacon, as many members have requested.

Types of Due Diligence Meetings

Getventure.com

During the due diligence phase, there are two main types of meetings.

First, you will have meetings in which the primary objective is for you to meet other partners at the VC fund. A VC partner who is evaluating your company and continues to be interested will likely set this up after your first meeting in order to both get another opinion and begin to build consensus around investing in your company.

VC funds often comprise professionals with a variety of backgrounds. These partners rely on each other for their diverse perspectives, as these unique viewpoints help them think through each investment opportunity more thoroughly. As a result, meeting other partners at a fund is a critical part of the process. You should do your best to present your case clearly to each VC so that you can earn the interest of as many of them as possible.  At this stage, the objective of the meeting is the same as it was for your first meeting. See my post, The Objective Of Your First Meeting, for details.

The second type of meeting that you will have in this phase is an exploratory meeting. In exploratory meetings a partner with whom you have already met will try to learn more about your company. They will dive deeper into the revenue model, the market, your strategy, the how and anything else with which they are not yet comfortable. These meetings are a critical part of the process because they not only enable one or more partners to learn more about your company, but they also give those partners the information necessary to defend an investment when the group meets next. You are better off if a VC can answer all of his partners’ questions about your company at the next partners meeting.

You should determine which type of meeting you are being invited to beforehand. Figuring this out is usually easy; all you need to do is ask who will attend and what will be covered at the next meeting.

Survey: 1 in 2 Business Leaders Say Social Media Now More Important Than Mass Media

parislemon.com

While some of the hoopla surrounding Molson's Facebook debacle was warranted - it also seemed to showcase that companies are looking at new and inventive ways of using social media for marketing as opposed to the traditional mass media approach. To this end Veritas Communications has just published a survey of Canadian citizens and business leaders (yes, before the comments start I know Molson is now American) with some results that certainly seem to back this idea up. The full results can be found here [PDF], but for a quick overview it appears that one in two Canadian business leaders say social media is becoming more important that mass media. It doesn't get more straightforward than that. 46% say social media tools like Facebook, YouTube, and blogs are becoming even more important that television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Veritas also highlights the interesting fact that while 66% of the 444 businesses polled don't think employees should be allowed to use any of these social tools at work, 34% thought it was very important for their employees to participate in and understand the medium. I would expect these numbers to level out and perhaps even swing in the opposite direction as business networks like LinkedIn continue to grow. As I said at the end of my Molson/Facebook piece and these results seem to back up, we should expect to see a lot more social advertising going forward. [photo under CC by flickr user luc legay]

LinkedIn Smells Smoke, News Corp Lighting A Fire Posted: 28 Nov 2007 02:05 AM CST Tonight brings another confirmation that News Corp is talking with LinkedIn about a possible deal to acquire the business social networking company. Better is that VentureBeat is now reporting that News Corp's strategy for LinkedIn would be to integrate it with The Wall Street Journal and News Corp's other publication properties. This gives me hope that they won't simply mash it together with MySpace - which I think would be a match made in hell. Without of course knowing Rupert Murdoch, I have been wondering how such an old school power exec has been so apt in his technology purchases (going back to getting MySpace for a bargain-basement price of $580 million a couple years ago, now the rumors of Digg and Revision3) in an age when traditional execs seem absolutely clueless - well it appears a young (33), fast-rising hotshot is the one behind this most recent deal. If I were a News Corp shareholder, I'd be very pleased to see their willingness to trust the younger generation in these deals. I think a LinkedIn purchase would be a good move for News Corp. I was talking to a friend the other day who not so in to the whole Internet thing (yes, I'm not sure how anyone could not be either) - while he didn't have a Facebook or MySpace profile, he had one on LinkedIn. I suspect there are quite a few folks out there like him. [photo under CC by flickr user dground]

Google Delves Into Social Map Making Posted: 27 Nov 2007 07:43 PM CST The latest in their seemingly never-ending barrage of Google Maps updates has Google now allowing users to collaboratively build maps in their 'My Maps' (or 'Our Maps' as they cutely refer to it in their post) area. If you build a map and want someone else's help on it, just click on the 'Collaborate' link and send it off to someone you know via email. You can also find a publicly shared map and edit it yourself. This collaboration seems to be a natural next step for Google Maps after they started user profiles last month. Collaboration is one of the best parts about Google Documents - so why not extend it here. This update comes just hours after Google announced the new 'Terrain' layer on Google Maps and just about a week after they allowed users to pinpoint locations on Maps' results. They sure are busy over there.

Nintendo Slowly Transition the Wii Into Living Room Killer App? Posted: 27 Nov 2007 07:26 PM CST Nintendo has just created a service in Japan that allows users access TV listings through a Wii channel. This allows for the possibility of turning the Wii into a cable box/DVR with the right hard drive add-on hacks (the rumors of an official Wii hard drive have been floating around for months) or a huge memory card. This move follows the addition of a web browser, a weather channel, and a news channel all available via software update for the Wii. While all the talk has been about the battle between Microsoft (with the Xbox 360) and Sony (with the Playstation 3) - and to a lesser extent Apple (with the AppleTV), is the new market leader, Nintendo, creeping in for the kill? While Nintendo says they have no plans to bring this Wii TV service to the United States, they aren't exactly ruling it out either, says Nintendo's resident badass Reggie Fils-Aime: "There are other channel opportunities," he said. "They may look like games. They may not look like games." They may look like a DVR channel, or IPTV. You never know... [photo under CC by flickr user Hachimaki]

Open Web Awards Category 2: Applications and Widgets Posted: 27 Nov 2007 07:49 PM CST Please leave a comment to nominate the Applications and Widgets you find to be the best of the Web for the Open Web Awards. Examples of these would be any widgets you have installed on Facebook such as iLike, Feedheads, etc. Obviously they don't have to just be on Facebook, nominate anything you deem appropriate. Nominations in this category will close on Tuesday, December 4th. Nominations Overview Page (you can also nominate here, which nearly everyone appears to be doing) Other Categories: Category 1: Mainstream and Large Scale Networks

The Joker Fully Emerges Posted: 27 Nov 2007 03:36 PM CST I like to break up the steady stream of tech posts with a movie post every once in a while (like The Incredible Hulk one yesterday). Today we get a shot fom January's Empire of Heath Ledger as The Joker from next summer's Batman Begins sequel - The Dark Knight. After months of teasers, viral marketing campaigns, and shots of the new batsuit we finally get to see what everyone wants, The Joker full-on. Everyone knows Jack Nicholson was great as The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman, but I really like the even more psychotic look they are going for here with Ledger. I just hope that is as far as they go because anymore makeup and he'll risk looking like Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. [via /Film]

Google Maps Edges Closer to Google Earth Posted: 27 Nov 2007 02:48 PM CST It seems fairly obvious that at some point two of Google's most popular products, Google Maps and Google Earth will become one in the same - and that conjoinment moved one step closer today as Google Maps added a 'Terrain' button. As you'd expect you can now see the contours of the land over the entire United States - but it's not just for the United States, the feature has already rolled out for the entire world. Check out the Himalayas, the Alps, it's all there. To show off this new great looking new layer, here's a map of the highest places in the U.S. To make room for this new button, the 'Hybrid' button has been axed, but that feature is still available directly below the 'Satellite' button when you click that. The next step for Google Maps will probably be 3D views - not 'Street View' (which should soon hit Europe and Australia by the way), but rather false 3D models representing buildings just as Microsoft is doing with Live Maps in select cities.

Renewable Energy: Google Puts Its R&D Where the Government's Mouth Is Posted: 27 Nov 2007 02:23 PM CST Whether or not you think they can actually pull it off, sometimes you just have to love Google. We're now full-swing into the election cycle and one of the first things on every candidates lips is "renewable energy". When pressed for more specifics on the issue, most quickly rattle off either 'wind' or 'solar' and then start into whatever particular technology for gasoline replacement they're supporting (if they're even supporting one). Specifics are lacking to say the least, and have been for a long time in this country. So in steps Google. Google has set up an initiative with a stated goal of producing one gigawatt of renewable energy that is cheaper than coal. They plan on pouring millions of dollars of research and development money into this over the next several years - and that's the key - they think it can be done within years not decades. They think it can be done and I absolutely agree - just look at some of the technology we have nowadays compared to what we had 50, 20, or even 10 years ago. Would anyone have thought the iPhone would have existed 10 years ago? I was still using a tape player and was in awe of my pager! Yet despite crazy advances in many fields, we're still using the same basic technology to power automobiles that we were 100 years ago. We were using coal for power well over 100 years ago - and today just in the United States alone we're still using about 1 billion tons of it a year almost all of which is going towards generating electricity. You think we don't have the brainpower to come up with better solutions than these in 100 years? Please. It's all political. That's exactly why someone with a high enough profile - like Google - needs to step up and make this happen. If you think they aren't serious about this, just look who wrote the post on their blog this morning - Larry Page, co-founder. [photo under CC by flickr user Mikko Italahti]

Apple's War on Customers

Cell phone carriers have created an impenetrable mess with a business model built on subsidizing mediocre handsets to lock in customers on long-term service contracts. I had no idea the situation could become so weird so fast.

As I noted previously, the introduction of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone was a significant development. The iPhone is a major leap forward in the pizzazz department, and even if it didn't include a state-of-the-art HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) cellular data interface, consumers love glitz. The iPhone had enough of it to get them to fork over a few hundred dollars of their money to get their hands on one.

However, Apple is turning out to be more authoritarian with regard to customer control than even the cellular carriers. On September 27, they released the new 1.1.1 version of the iPhone software. Ostensibly developed to add some functionality features like WiFi access to iTunes and to plug a number of security vulnerabilities, it also packed one nasty surprise. If the customer had installed any of the programs to unlock the device and allow it to be used on other cellular carriers' networks, upgrading to Version 1.1.1 wiped out the patch and disabled the phone. We're not talking about disabling that particular function, but completely disabling or "bricking" the phone.

While the iPhone's introduction shook the basic business model of the cellular industry, this new move pushes the whole issue into the area of property rights. Given Apple's almost total dependence on the consumer market, I'm starting to think that Steve Jobs' turtleneck might be a little too tight and cutting off the circulation to his brain. While Apple has demonstrated their ability (and willingness) to maintain control of products they have already sold, this could be a marketing blunder that costs them dearly in the long run. In essence they're betting on the consumer's willingness to roll over and take it.

Is That Legal?

Apple: What Could Go Wrong

from techcrunch.com

“Merry Christmas, Steve. Enjoy it while it lasts.” That is the sentiment of Fast Company’s December cover story about Apple, written by Adam Penenberg. (I got my hands on the cover at right, which is a computer-generated image of a sour-faced Jobs by Alex Ostroy). He argues that it is a “dangerous moment for Apple.” The stock is near an all-time high, with a P/E ratio about the same as Google’s. Everyone from Nokia to Amazon to Microsoft to Vivendi Universal to NBC is gunning for it, and its ability to sell 10 million iPhones next year—the famous third leg that is propping the stock up—is yet to be proven. Writes Penenberg:

But when you get down to it, the Apple phenomenon is as much about fashion as it is about technology. You might say that Steve Jobs is the Marc Jacobs of computers (minus the heroin), betting the house his products will be, season after season, cooler than anyone else’s. Yet fashion is, by definition, fickle. Lose the buzz, and you’ve got trouble. And for the first time in years, there are signs that Apple is not infallible and that Jobs’s reservoir of goodwill with his followers is not bottomless.

I’m not so sure I buy the arguments that Apple has to worry about the cell phone industry getting its act together, or the music industry, or the movie industry, for that matter. We still have not seen much evidence of this, although there’s been plenty of grumbling from all corners. The notion, for instance, that iTunes has anything to worry about from subscription music services is laughable. Rhapsody? Please. It is a great service, but hardly a business threat to the iPod/iTunes juggernaut. Apple should be more worried about free advertising-supported music services that are popping up.

I do agree, however, that the “iPod-iTunes pairing was the product of a historical moment that may never be reproduced.” AppleTV is certainly a bust, and Hollywood bosses will not be the easy marks that the desperate music executives were when iTunes first got started. Penenberg’s strongest argument is that in an era of increasing openness, Apple’s insistence on closed perfection might no longer fly:

What does Steve Jobs know that Albert Einstein didn’t? Einstein posited that a closed system would become stagnant over time. . . . Jobs may have to accept that Apple’s next wave of growth–or energy, as Einstein might have put it–depends on syncing up his products and platforms with those of his competitors.

In an age of convergence and simplification, customers are ever more insistent that computers, phones, TV, and music systems work together. For them, being “open” isn’t about sharing patent information or computer code but about compatibility and seamlessness, from the phones in their pockets to the movies playing on their flat screens. . . . Winning outright is a very tall order, of course. It means coming up with a self-contained system so beautifully functional that a critical mass of consumers are willing to enter that world and never leave

It all sounds good. Except that, it has been exactly this closed-world strategy that has worked perfectly for Apple so far. The digital device industry needs a control freak like Jobs to show the rest of us what is possible when everything works as it should. Open systems are great because of their inherent flexibility, but they can also be more chaotic and difficult to manage. The question is whether everyone else can learn from Apple, catch up, and surpass it. And if they do, whether Steve Jobs won’t simply join their parade (at the front, shouting loudly about his new-found open religion) just as it begins to pass by.

8 tips to make your YouTube video go viral

Webink.com

Here are some tips to make video go viral. Creating a video is easy and it is free to post onto YouTube. All you need is a simple $300 digital video camera and a YouTube account.

Most importantly: Your video needs to be funny or amazing or remarkable or have some fascinating information or be controversial. Basically the video needs a reason for people to pass it on. If you can find pass along value connected to your organization and its products, great. I'm not a fan of stupid contests or celebrity endorsements unrelated to a company and its products.

Tip # 1 – Homemade is just fine
You don’t need to hire a professional. A homemade quality video can work great. But plan ahead and shoot several takes to get it right.

Tip #2 –Your video should be no longer then 2 minutes (preferably less)
Think very short. Although YouTube will accept a video that is less than 10 minutes, smaller than 100MB try to make the video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.

Tip #3 -- Make your description clear and specific.
To best promote your video, you'll want its text description on YouTube to be accurate and interesting. Use descriptive keywords and language that people will find when they search for videos like yours. And use the correct categorizations on YouTube so people will find it.

Tip # 4 -- Don't attempt "stealth" fake customer insertions to YouTube.
Some companies try to sneak corporate-sponsored video onto YouTube in a way that makes it seem like it is consumer-generated. The YouTube community is remarkably skilled at ratting out inauthentic video, so this approach is fraught with danger.

Tip #5 – Try a series of similar videos to build interest
Sometimes a series of videos works great. The Blendtec Will it Blend? videos are a perfect example. The even sell t-shirts now!

Tip #6 – Tell everyone about your video!
When upload your first few videos, you are likely to hear a deafening silence. You'll be waiting for comments, but none will come. You'll check your video statistics and be disappointed by the tiny number of viewers. Don’t get discouraged. It takes time to build an audience. Make sure people know it is there and can find it. Create links to your video from your home page, product pages, or online media room. Mention your video in your e-mail or offline newsletters, and create links to your video as part of your e-mail signature and those of other people in your organization.

Tip # 7 – make sure bloggers know about the video
Sending a link to the video to bloggers or commenting on other people's blogs (and including a link to your video) is a good way to build an audience. If you comment on blogs in the same space as yours, you might be surprised at how quickly you will get viewers to your video.

Tip #8 – Experiment a lot to find something that hits
While I think it is difficult to purposely create viral marketing buzz, it is certainly possible. Create a number of campaigns and see what hits, then nurture the winners along. Think like a venture capitalist or movie studio and try a number of things in order to get that elusive hit.

Good luck. And if you do create a cool video, let me know.

Posted by David Meerman Scott on August 05, 2007 | Permalink

Webink.com

Here are some tips to make video go viral. Creating a video is easy and it is free to post onto YouTube. All you need is a simple $300 digital video camera and a YouTube account.

Most importantly: Your video needs to be funny or amazing or remarkable or have some fascinating information or be controversial. Basically the video needs a reason for people to pass it on. If you can find pass along value connected to your organization and its products, great. I'm not a fan of stupid contests or celebrity endorsements unrelated to a company and its products.

Tip # 1 – Homemade is just fine
You don’t need to hire a professional. A homemade quality video can work great. But plan ahead and shoot several takes to get it right.

Tip #2 –Your video should be no longer then 2 minutes (preferably less)
Think very short. Although YouTube will accept a video that is less than 10 minutes, smaller than 100MB try to make the video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.

Tip #3 -- Make your description clear and specific.
To best promote your video, you'll want its text description on YouTube to be accurate and interesting. Use descriptive keywords and language that people will find when they search for videos like yours. And use the correct categorizations on YouTube so people will find it.

Tip # 4 -- Don't attempt "stealth" fake customer insertions to YouTube.
Some companies try to sneak corporate-sponsored video onto YouTube in a way that makes it seem like it is consumer-generated. The YouTube community is remarkably skilled at ratting out inauthentic video, so this approach is fraught with danger.

Tip #5 – Try a series of similar videos to build interest
Sometimes a series of videos works great. The Blendtec Will it Blend? videos are a perfect example. The even sell t-shirts now!

Tip #6 – Tell everyone about your video!
When upload your first few videos, you are likely to hear a deafening silence. You'll be waiting for comments, but none will come. You'll check your video statistics and be disappointed by the tiny number of viewers. Don’t get discouraged. It takes time to build an audience. Make sure people know it is there and can find it. Create links to your video from your home page, product pages, or online media room. Mention your video in your e-mail or offline newsletters, and create links to your video as part of your e-mail signature and those of other people in your organization.

Tip # 7 – make sure bloggers know about the video
Sending a link to the video to bloggers or commenting on other people's blogs (and including a link to your video) is a good way to build an audience. If you comment on blogs in the same space as yours, you might be surprised at how quickly you will get viewers to your video.

Tip #8 – Experiment a lot to find something that hits
While I think it is difficult to purposely create viral marketing buzz, it is certainly possible. Create a number of campaigns and see what hits, then nurture the winners along. Think like a venture capitalist or movie studio and try a number of things in order to get that elusive hit.

Good luck. And if you do create a cool video, let me know.

Webink.com

Here are some tips to make video go viral. Creating a video is easy and it is free to post onto YouTube. All you need is a simple $300 digital video camera and a YouTube account.

Most importantly: Your video needs to be funny or amazing or remarkable or have some fascinating information or be controversial. Basically the video needs a reason for people to pass it on. If you can find pass along value connected to your organization and its products, great. I'm not a fan of stupid contests or celebrity endorsements unrelated to a company and its products.

Tip # 1 – Homemade is just fine
You don’t need to hire a professional. A homemade quality video can work great. But plan ahead and shoot several takes to get it right.

Tip #2 –Your video should be no longer then 2 minutes (preferably less)
Think very short. Although YouTube will accept a video that is less than 10 minutes, smaller than 100MB try to make the video between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.

Tip #3 -- Make your description clear and specific.
To best promote your video, you'll want its text description on YouTube to be accurate and interesting. Use descriptive keywords and language that people will find when they search for videos like yours. And use the correct categorizations on YouTube so people will find it.

Tip # 4 -- Don't attempt "stealth" fake customer insertions to YouTube.
Some companies try to sneak corporate-sponsored video onto YouTube in a way that makes it seem like it is consumer-generated. The YouTube community is remarkably skilled at ratting out inauthentic video, so this approach is fraught with danger.

Tip #5 – Try a series of similar videos to build interest
Sometimes a series of videos works great. The Blendtec Will it Blend? videos are a perfect example. The even sell t-shirts now!

Tip #6 – Tell everyone about your video!
When upload your first few videos, you are likely to hear a deafening silence. You'll be waiting for comments, but none will come. You'll check your video statistics and be disappointed by the tiny number of viewers. Don’t get discouraged. It takes time to build an audience. Make sure people know it is there and can find it. Create links to your video from your home page, product pages, or online media room. Mention your video in your e-mail or offline newsletters, and create links to your video as part of your e-mail signature and those of other people in your organization.

Tip # 7 – make sure bloggers know about the video
Sending a link to the video to bloggers or commenting on other people's blogs (and including a link to your video) is a good way to build an audience. If you comment on blogs in the same space as yours, you might be surprised at how quickly you will get viewers to your video.

Tip #8 – Experiment a lot to find something that hits
While I think it is difficult to purposely create viral marketing buzz, it is certainly possible. Create a number of campaigns and see what hits, then nurture the winners along. Think like a venture capitalist or movie studio and try a number of things in order to get that elusive hit.

Good luck. And if you do create a cool video, let me know.