Market Your Business with Streaming Media

By ThinkAvenue Editor

In fact, 53% of all adults say they view online video, according to a recent Forrester Research study (October 2006)

Streaming audio and video on your Web site is a simple and effective way to deliver your message to customers. They effortlessly see and hear your message without straining their eyes reading small type on the computer screen. Even better, they don’t have to wait for an entire video to download before it begins playing. What could be easier than that? In fact, 53% of all adults say they view online video, according to a recent Forrester Research study (October 2006).

Seeing Is Believing

Streaming media offers you an opportunity to prove that what you say about your business is true. What sort of video should you stream on your Web site? The answer can be as creative or commonplace as you wish. The important thing is to remember that the video is part of your marketing efforts. You can turn it into a powerful sales tool that fits with the overall tone and style of your business identity.

For example, a Web design firm might stream Flash animations created in-house to highlight the staff’s talent. Consultants might demonstrate their expertise with a digital video recording of a keynote speech. A manufacturer might stream a product demonstration on its Web site. An organization can present its vision for the future.

True Streaming: High-Tech, but Expensive

True streaming media runs on a server with advanced software that can send content to the browser while that content is still downloading the server.

Streaming media is video and audio files that play while they download on the user’s Internet browser. True streaming media runs on a server with advanced software that can send content to the browser while that content is still downloading the server.

The advantages of true streaming are:

• It can broadcast live events.
• It’s efficient and can handle large traffic loads.
• It can detect a user’s connection speed and send an appropriately sized file.

If it sounds expensive, that’s because it is. Cost prevents many small- to mid-sized businesses that would like to stream media on their Web sites from doing it. While true streaming media may be worth the price for large businesses and some small- or mid-sized businesses, there is a less expensive option for businesses that decide true streaming media is not economically viable.

HTTP Streaming: Simple and Inexpensive

HTTP streaming is an open connection from the user’s Internet browser to the server. The server pushes new information into the data stream that flows to the user’s browser and doesn’t close the connection when it is finished, continuously updating the content displayed on the user’s screen.

The Upside:

HTTP streaming has some advantages over true streaming:

• It is essentially free with most Web hosting plans.
• Servers already run on the HTTP protocol, so no additional software is required.
• The only extra requirement is that your Web host recognizes the multipurpose Internet mail extension (MIME) types for streaming media files—and most Web hosts do.

The Downside:

For most Web sites with relatively low traffic, however, HTTP streaming is cost-effective and satisfies the needs of customers who want to view videos.

While you can send the same quality content, and users don’t have to wait for the file to download in order to view it, HTTP streaming has these disadvantages:

• It serves only a small number of visitors at one time.
• Users must choose the file that best fits their connection speed.
• It cannot broadcast a live event.

For most Web sites with relatively low traffic, however, HTTP streaming is cost-effective and satisfies the needs of customers who want to view videos.

Put HTTP Streaming Files on Your Web Site

Your more technologically savvy Web visitors probably already have Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or both installed on their desktops. Adding media to your Web site that plays in these two programs is simple.

Step 1: Create a media file and save it in a streaming media format.

• Step 1: Create a media file and save it in a streaming media format.
  • RealPlayer formats include these file extensions: .ra, .ram, .rm and .rpm.
  • For Windows Media, use: .asf, .avi, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .au, .cda, .dvr-ms, .m1v, .mid, .midi, .mp2, .mp3, .mpa, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .rmi, .snd, .vob, .wav, .wma and .wmv.
    
    
• Step 2: Upload the file to the Web server where your Web site resides.
  
  
• Step 3: Create a hyperlink to your file or embed it in your Web page.

Start Streaming!

By streaming media on your Web site, you give customers a feature they’ve come to expect from the Web sites of large, successful companies. It makes the impression that you’re on top of the latest trends and ready to deliver value to your customers. Best of all, you have a bold new medium for communicating your message in a way that’s easy for customers to receive.