Hooked on Web TV

We don’t have to tell you how video has become the must-have engagement tool on your website.  After even a casual tour through the wilds of web-land you’ll find not just plenty of video, but also plenty of new ways to use video to connect with your users. One such format that’s gaining popularity, even as it evolves, is web television (Web TV).

Unlike broadcast television, Web TV is produced for online delivery via broadband and mobile networks. The episodes are short, usually 2-9 minutes, and are sometimes serialized to tempt you to tune in next week. You may have seen such notable Web TV series as Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along starring Neil Patrick Harris. The series outgrew its broadband release and is now available for download on iTunes, instant viewing on Netflix and DVD sales on Amazon.

That’s the celebrity version of Web TV.  Then you have the guerilla version.

Popular among non-fiction, news, comedy and viral producers, these low-budget shows deliver hip, current and sometimes irreverent episodes, not necessarily serialized. On a site like Sometimesdaily, an interactive mobile TV show, there are  3 or 4 short topical episodes released every week and archived on the website. Featuring on-camera host Amanda Congdon, episodes include on-the street-interviews with experts and oddballs, road trip adventures, eccentric skits and news vignettes. A site like Sometimesdaily with its quirky image, frequent updates and lots of user feedback is able to pull in a core group of loyal followers. 

In other words, Web TV comes in all sizes.

So what? you say. So I say, consider a version of Web TV on your website. After all, you know building your brand on the Internet is not about pitching and hard sells, it’s about sharing tips, information, entertainment, laughs and ideas so your users want to return. They want to participate and join your community. Why not take a simple concept and produce a half-dozen 2-minute videos, then change them on your website every two weeks. What happens?  Your users comes back just to see what you put up next time. Instead of a single, broad-ranging video that lives on your homepage for 6 months, you post fish bait, something your users taste and savor, a clever, engaging hook. Give them a reason to come back, repeat, and they’re going to start nosing around, curious about your site, who you are and what you’re about.  In other words, hooked.

Have any ideas about how to hook loyal website followers? We’d like to hear them.

Related blogs: Translate your Brand into Cable Bait