Part 2: Streaming advertising, clients, forums and keeping up to date

Can you talk about the advertising use of streaming media and its response success?
All the research done by Forrester, Media Matrix, Ad Relevance, and others shows that streaming and other forms of Rich Media evoke higher response rates than static banner ads. Rich Media allows for user interactivity and gives a site owner the ability to provide an experience that can't be matched by traditional forms of media.

Unfortunately, Rich Media is still an infant technology and has not yet been willingly embraced by the advertising community. But where it has been used, click-thru rates can be as high as 60% and conversion rates rise accordingly. Real Networks, the company that "invented" streaming, reports that they've been sold out of all of their in-stream advertising, and that those companies who have tried it are clamoring for more.

As broadband becomes more pervasive, Rich Media advertising is poised to explode.

How do you see broadband (universal) access impacting Internet media?
Broadband access will open the floodgates for those eager to showcase their creative talents in many industries. I think that we'll have an explosion of experimentation across all media, and there will be a dizzying array of choices. The next five years are going to be exciting.

What about those who believe Rich Media and its forms are overused?
I'm one of those people who does NOT advocate using technological bells and whistles just because they exist. I think that's a waste of resources for the site creator as well as the visitor.

That being said, streaming works extremely well when products or services are difficult to explain and/or demonstrate using just plain text or simple graphics. It's also useful to give "added value" to your website.

For example a short facility tour to show your manufacturing capabilities and machinery would be wonderful for potential clients. It could also be used for customer service enhancements such as walking customers through the order process. I've written many articles on how to utilize streaming on a website.

How do most of your clients come to you?
Many of our clients have come to us after reading my articles and visiting our website. I also try to participate in advertising forums and discussion groups. We count on referrals from web developers and designers who have clients that want to place streaming on their websites. Our services are not purchased on impulse. Site owners have needs that are not being met by traditional means, and they are usually seeking solutions to specific selling problems when they make their initial contact.

What are your favorite websites in relation to your business area?
For obvious reasons, the Developer's area at Real Networks is one of our top destinations. We also regularly keep up with developments at the WorldWideWeb Consortium, and at the Windows Media area at the Microsoft site. I rely more on my newsletters to direct me to relevant sites than anything else. The people who produce them are usually on top of the latest developments in their particular fields and have already done the legwork for me.

Are there resources in addition to newsletters that you use to stay ahead in regard to advertising and marketing?
I regularly read I-Advertising, Online-Ads, I-Sales, I-Branding and the ClickZ Forums. These keep me up to date with what's happening in the marketing and advertising end of things.

I was really a novice at online marketing when we started WBC Imaging, and these forums are better than formal schooling! I also subscribe to several marketing newsletters. Rob Frankel's weekly chats are also on my "must do" list as well as several small business forums such as Digital-Women. (Editor's note: See our interview with Rob Frankel in the interview archives.)

I'm constantly reading about developments in online advertising as they directly impact what we do and how we approach our audience. Many of our small business clients look to us to provide them with the latest technical developments.

We also have an uninterrupted stream of technical magazines that arrive regularly. We try to be as diligent as we can when it comes to keeping up with what's happening in our field.

Finally, what is the most important thing for people to know about streaming media?
When streaming is used appropriately, not just as an afterthought or for the "wow" factor, it's an economical and very elegant method of delivering information. It enables a site owner to truly get creative with their product or service offering and presents the visitor a compelling alternative to text-based messages. It's affordable and effective, and I encourage people to explore the various ways it can be utilized.

Thank you, Ronni, for providing some very timely information about the rapidly changing current of streaming media.