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Home » Computers And Internet Articles » Video Streaming A Market Unto Itself

Video Streaming – A Market Unto Itself

Video streaming is not just a marketing tool anymore. Perhaps it never was designed for marketing purposes alone.

Today popular video seminars are available by video streaming downloads. The content has its own value so other tools are used to market a fee-based video seminar.

These could be strategic lessons about a specific industry, motivational streams or self-help and religious instruction.

Sometimes these video streams are for a specific course and may have password-protected pdf file downloads for note taking or testing.

Some web users are assigning a monetary value to content rich video streams that can empower them for greater success, give them tools to help cope with loss, provide step by step directions for a specific skill set or simply provide a unique opportunity to be encouraged by someone skilled in the arena of motivation.

In some ways video streams may be a bit like renting a series of DVDs, but the side benefits are much more acute and bring a comprehensive value to the overall download. Take for instance interactive online polls, reference material downloads and links to specific complimentary products. These are all things that are not available with existing DVD technology. One of the primary things that may hold video streaming from a broader acceptance is that there are still a significant portion of the population who are not utilizing the web for this type of interactive information.

The overriding principle of Internet functionality is the hybrid of complimentary technologies – one application that works in concert with a separate and distinct application. Imagine being able to gain access to a highly valuable training video stream and then gaining priority access to a forum where other members who have viewed the same material can meet to discuss certain aspects of the training. These benefits only add to the value of a paid video stream.

Colleges and Universities have long recognized the importance of making offsite video available for distance learners, but the Internet also allows individuals to view the video stream from the comfort of their own home or even in a Wi-Fi hot zone using headphones while drinking a latte.

What does this say about video streaming? Well it tells us that this entertaining application that was ultimately used as a marketing tool has grown into its own. Something that was deemed useful to businesses as a marketing tool can, and in many cases does, stand on it's own as a marketable product in much the same way an ebook can be used as both a marketing tool as well as a marketable product.

This versatile tool can still be used for the amusement of the masses (ala YouTube and similar video streaming sites), it can still be used to pass along free content rich information, but it can also be used to enhance an existing fee-based ecourse or study program making something accessible that was never available in such a dynamic way before.

How does this affect the way you view the potential in video streaming for profit?

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Recession-Proofing Employee Motivation

(ARA) - As we hear more predictions of an economy showing signs of weakening, managers around the country are asking a couple of key questions: Are we prepared for a recession reminiscent of the early 1990s? Did we learn enough from experiences nearly a decade ago to improve how we perform in 2001? The answer: probably.

While the financial experts monitor and project the extent of an economic slowdown, little doubt remains that the early years of this decade will likely feature layoffs and restructuring across every industry. These staff reductions, or even the anticipation of them, can have a dramatic influence on employee motivation and productivity. Recognizing the warning signs of declining motivation and overall morale can allow managers to respond quickly with intervention strategies aimed at propping up declining productivity.

According to Brian Dailey, a business consultant to the staffing industry in Oklahoma City, there are many warning signs of declining employee motivation that can be expected during recessionary economic times. Some of these include: increased sick days as employees interview for other jobs, increased employee use of Internet time to surf job boards and send out resumes, fewer requests for long vacations, and greater interest among employees regarding company sales or financial strength.

Dailey suggests that while employee motivation may lag for a time, some incidental benefits to employers may include less tardiness and improved work habits as employees position themselves to survive potential staff reductions. Few employees will want to be perceived as marginal performers if the possibility of recession and restructuring looms in the near future.

The real challenge for managers is to develop strategies aimed at protecting employee motivation, despite the fear and concern normally attributed to tough economic times. Dr. Larry Craft, developer of the Craft Personality Questionnaire -- a tool that measures personality and motivation for pre-employment selection systems, understands the impact of uncertainty on employee productivity. According to Dr. Craft, companies looking to reduce expenses by slashing personnel need to take a hard look at the impact on current and future employees before choosing a course of action. "Future employees will tend to look for companies that offer consistency and will likely shy away from jobs in the long run where the potential for turnover is the highest." A company that receives media attention for staff reductions may find that candidates are few and far between when economic times allow for hiring increases.

Dr. Craft agrees however that most companies find it difficult to consider the impact on hiring it will undertake after a recession when the numbers suggest the need for staff reduction in the near term. His best advice is to understand the unique personalities of current employees and open the lines of communication early to avoid many of the problems associated with rumors and false claims.

Thousands of companies have used Dr. Craft's various testing services to do just that in the last two decades, and many find that the resulting productivity requires fewer staff reductions during tougher economic times. Rick Daughtrey, a consultant with CraftSystems(800.228.5866) of Bradenton, Florida, suggests that "it's really a matter of investing the time and resources on the right people and then cultivating them along the way, therefore reducing the need for cutbacks because the right people can typically pay for themselves over the long run."

Managers must learn to assess how they respond to good and bad economic times. Too many companies over-hire in good times and quickly look to downsizing as a temporary fix to slowing demand for their services. It has long been acknowledged that employees are a company's most valuable assets, but many are slow to recognize the full impact of these tough decisions on the motivation of surviving employees. A carefully thought out plan can go a long way in preventing the potential nightmare associated with cutting expenses while attempting to maintain productivity.

Finally, the biggest threat to employee motivation may be a shift in focus to self- preservation rather than team performance. What once was a finely tuned machine may break down as the individual parts become more concerned with whether they can meet their own goals, while failing to recognize that the team's performance may be their greatest hope for individual survival. The lessons learned from the early 1990s are simple: seek expert advice in selecting the right employees for jobs, teach managers to incorporate an understanding of personality and motivation into their communication, develop a game plan that utilizes cross-training to add flexibility to existing staff, and if you must downsize, do it wisely and do it rarely.

For additional information on measuring personality and motivation, go to www.craftsystems.com or www.daileyconsulting.prodigybiz.com.