Now you have the power to make any online video you produce full of clickable links. I’m not talking about placing links next to your video, I’m talking about making the video clickable.
This is incredible!
Let’s say you are selling golf clubs. Viewers of your website can now click on your video showing the golf clubs and be taken to a page where they can purchase the golf clubs.
But let’s say you’re a musician. Video viewers can click on your guitar and be taken to a page that sells guitars. Or, you can add a link to your video that takes viewers to a page where they can buy your CD or tickets to your next concert.
With this technology, you can bring video viewers anywhere on the web. To your My Space profile or to your blog. Anywhere.
This is the future of online video marketing. Someday soon, this technology will be as common as silly cat videos on You Tube. Right now, it is emerging as the world’s latest and greatest in online video marketing.
One of the main providers of this technology is Veeple dot com. There are around two dozen players here, but Veeple seems to be emerging as the leader.
YouTube recently added similar features to what you find on Veeple, but YouTube isn’t quite as comprehensive in its offerings.
On a technical level, this process works by placing an interactive flash overlay on top of your video. The link is contained within the Flash overlay. You can make the Flash overlay contain words or images. You can even make it invisible if you want.
I spent several hours the other day at Veeple playing around with its editing tool. I found it extremely easy and versatile.
Here is the process in a nutshell. I created an account. It was free. Then I uploaded a full video to Veeple. Using its editing tool, which has a simple design, I was able to place various overlays, move them around, change their appearance, and save the new version of the video.
Veeple generates an embed code that allows you to place the video on any web page you want. Hosting your video is part of the package, although veeple is not an internet video sharing site. There is no veeple website where people can see your video, you have to embed it somewhere else.
Veeple is something you can try for free. If you stick with the basic service and your video gets fewer than 5,000 views, veeple is still free. Above that and you pay $49 and up.
So the technology is not only amazing, but also surprisingly affordable.
Expect this technology to grow and spread. I’ll continue to explore and write about this as I’m really gaa-gaa about it. Things like this make me feel like I woke up in an episode of The Jetsons!