Customer Reviews

Show Me: Marketing with Video on the Internet

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first thing you notice about this book is how attractively produced it is. With its glossy pages, text boxes, photographs and liberal use of red color, it has a quality feel to it and is easy on the eye. This is only to be expected, given that the author is a professional photographer and her subject is video marketing.

The approach is very high-level and business oriented. It is something that a marketing director would read, and require his management team to read. It deliberately avoids the nuts and bolts technicalities, although the author is perfectly adept at them.

The many quotes from industry luminaries tend to be jargon-heavy, not surprisingly. Thus, we are told that online video is 'an executable model' that has 'dimensionalized the community'. This media-speak will provide a comfort level for readers who are themselves in the business, and will intimidate or irritate those who are not. Kizorek herself writes clearly enough, and with obvious enthusiasm.

As this is a rapidly evolving discipline, the book has the obvious problem of being overtaken by events. Lists of websites and examples of successful campaigns are very enlightening but can become outdated very quickly. At the time of writing this review, the book is pretty much state of the art.

There is no doubt that Internet video marketing has a huge future and that the best way to get involved is to start with a high-level appreciation and work your way down to the specifics. As with most technology, jumping in at the technical level with an insufficient grasp of the business and legal issues is a recipe for disaster. Kizorek's book is not the last one you'll need on the subject, but you would do well to make it your first.

My daughter is a teen pop singer and on a number of internet social sites to promote her music. Many of these sites support the integration of video. She has gotten a great reaction to her videos, with thousands of views. We picked up Jessica Kizorek's book to learn more video tips and techniques.

Jessica's book does not disappoint. Though I knew that videos were popular, I didn't realize how increasingly popular they are becoming. Because they can engage the viewer so much they are an excellent tool to use to share information. Jessica Kizorek opens the book in the chapter, "Why Use Video?" with clear data on how our society is becoming more geared to internet useage and how we want to personalize our experiences. She explains in subsequent chapters how to use video most effectively regardless of budget, how to understand your audience, and how to gauge success and produce internet videos. She includes examples of successful campaigns, how to get your video watched, and how to avoid legal issues. Bonus chapters include a well thought out section on Non-Profit Organizations and a section on International Video Production.

The 194 page book is interspersed with comments from leaders in the industry and media fields. I found these comments interesting and adds to the buzz Kizorek builds about video marketing.

Overall the book shares alot of great information. There are several drawbacks to the book, in my opinion. Though she does an extensive job for non-profits she could have been more thorough for other groups of people likely to use videos such as musicians. Also the book lacks an index for easy reference. I also felt that the book cover and style was not very creative. It has the look of a primary textbook.

Overall though the book is a nice overview on internet video marketing.

~ Lee Mellott

There's no doubt that video is the big thing on the Internet. It is a great marketing vehicle and it's evolving all the time. But it needs to be done correctly.

This well-written book covers the basics of what's going on with video on the Web. It also covers what can be done with video, a little bit about such things as lighting, panning and zooming. Nothing is covered in great depth. That is both the weakness and strength of the book.

I only found one typo --- rare in book publishing today. It's an easy read on slick paper stock --- very nicely done.

I highly recommend this book to all those in marketing, advertising and related fields and also to people who are thinking of using video on their Web sites.

-Susanna K. Hutcheson

Jessica Kizorek's Show Me: Marketing with Video on the Internet provides a thoughtful discussion of the ever growing use of video on the Internet along with practical advice for addressing the many issues involved with incorporating Internet video into a marketing campaign.

Don't mistake this book for a technical "how to" manual for creating and publishing video. Rather, this book gives an overview of such subjects as:

- the role of Internet video in marketing

- how Internet video needs to differ from t.v. and other video formats

- how to gauge success

- getting your videos watched

- legal issues you need to be aware of

As stated on the back cover of this book, "Don't pretend to know what you're doing. Nobody does." - marketing with Internet video is still a young subject. Rather than pretend to give us a step by step guide, Jessica has given us a list of tools and issues that need to be managed to successfully add Internet video marketing to our marketing mix.

In my opinion, this approach makes this is a good book for business owners and marketing managers. It will help them prepare to make intelligent purchasing decisions and successfully incorporate Internet based video into their marketing mix.

J. Kizorek's book Show Me, on marketing with video on the internet does a fine job of living up to its title and its subject matter. This is a must have book, richly developed with innumerably diverse and immediately useable ideas. It effectively explores both the commercial and the creative potential of video on the internet. The ideas in the book range across the spectrum from suggestions for exploring the artistic potential of the medium to the multiple practical and technical problems that must continually be solved in order to express one's creativity and to survive commercially.

Part of the genius of the book rest on the fact that it manages to effectively mimic its subject matter through the use of a concise and highly visual format that very effectively directs and focuses the reader's attention on key points. Because it is intelligently designed and clearly written the reader can easily access any particular part that is of immediate interest and/or read it through, following the logical sequential development of the subject.

Kizorek illustrates with innumerable vivid examples of effective video campaigns while also providing important technical and legal information on critical subjects like intellectual property rights and such obvious, but often overlooked issues such as, access to electrical power, essential medical precautions, dealing with transportation issues in foreign countries etc.

Perhaps the greatest value of this book rest on the effective way in which it illustrates the potential for both creative and commercial success when the rich possibilities of video are mated with the explosive power of the internet.

Like Sydney Crosby, the youngest player in the NHL to ever be crowned a team captain, Jessica Kizorek proves with "Show Me" that sometimes wisdom comes before old age. In her up-to-date and technology savvy book, the twenty-something author provides anyone who is interested in the world of video marketing with an invaluable tool to throw in the box. As a freelance producer and videographer, Kizorek has provided me with a long list of do's and don'ts. If you're looking for information about targeting audiences, low to high budget production, legal no-no's, and much more, go order your copy today.

This book is definitely better than OK (3 star), but I'm certainly not in love with it. It was a short heavy book. I read the hardcover edition and the pages were thick and glossy. I haven't read a book built like it for some time now. Its contents included the following chapters:

1. The Evolving Internet

2. Why Use Video?

3. The New Marketing Model

4. Integrated Approach

5. Knowing the Audience

6. Gauging Success

7. Successful Video Campaigns

8. New Viewing Experience

9. "How To" Produce Internet Videos

10. Get It Watched

11. Avoiding Legal Entanglement

12. The Future

13. Nonprofit Organizations

14. International Video Production

And the Appendix included the following sample forms: Producer's Agreement, Director's Agreement, Employment Agreement, Actor Release, Posting for Public Filming, and License Agreement.

I've been studying marketing techniques and tools used on the Internet since 1998. Web sites were the first craze, then came search engine opitimization, then blogging, then social networks, and now the latest craze is downloadable video clips. The instant book tries to cover all (or most) of these Internet marketing topics as they relate to video production since the author is a video production expert. But when I turned the last page of the book and sat back in my chair to reflect whether the book covered what I expected from it I couldn't help but say the book fell a little short.

Internet marketing is a subject that can fill a few books. And how to conceptualize, design, direct, and produce video clips to be used as part of Internet marketing can fill a few books, too. The author has written a short book that attempts to cover both Internet marketing and lots about video clip production. A book that can be called at best an overview book. If you are new to Internet marketing and using video clips, then this book will probably be valuable to you as an introductory tome. Otherwise you may not be happy with this book.

I would have liked it more if there were not so many pages filled exclusively with quotes from friends, associates, or clients of the author. Those pages were distracting to me and I probably lost some of the flow of the book as a result. I also would have liked the book better if there had been a chapter on what equipment and software I'd need to buy in order to make my own video clips. A friend told me I'd need a Mac computer for $2,000, video editing software for $1,500, and the Panasonic Video Camera the author is pictured with in the book costing $5,000.

My favorite chapters were Seven and Nine. I can't wait to see the author come out with a new book focusing just on those two chapters. That is the book I was hoping for when I read this one. 4 stars!

Do you use the internet to market your business, product, or service? Notice that I did not say, "Do you have a website?" Anyone who thinks that internet marketing means having a website has just demonstrated that the internet marketing part of their business plan is doomed to failure.

The same is true for people who think that building an email list, having an opt-in page, or having a shopping cart means they're in business online-are also way behind the curve. The content of this book will help put the reader on the crest of the newest internet marketing wave - video.

Though many of her examples are drawn from companies with big budgets like BMW, Burger King, and GMC, the techniques and processes that Kizorek lays out can be applied by anyone who has a digital camera and simple editing software. The book could have been made more useful if Kizorek had either offered recommendations - or a link to a website where the recommendations could be kept current.

For those wanting to do it themselves, the chapters she provides for volunteer organizations are worth their weight in gold. For me, all the quotes from a variety of industry sources were distracting. If I weren't sold on the idea that I need to add online video to my marketing mix, I wouldn't be reading the book. So, too, were the occasional grammatical errors (like using personnel in one business contract when the word needed was personal).

Those issues aside, the book is filled with practical helps that will save the reader time and money. Especially valuable are the sample contracts at the back of the book. I'll keep this book as a ready reference.

Armchair Interviews says: If you want to take your internet marketing to the next level, you may want to read this book.

I think not only is this book a great reference on the subject but a much needed one.

Working in advertising professionally over the years I have had to evolve with ever rapidly changing technologies and come up with new innovative ways and ideas to put it to use.

This book accomplishes that and much more. I highly recommend it!

Marketing is a crucial component for any business. However, marketing today is very different than the past. The public is savvy; you have to capture their attention quickly as they are bombarded with over 8,000 ads per week. Kizorek says that "6 out of 10 high-speed Internet users download online video content on a regular basis". She provides concise information on how this can be accomplished. Videos are taking over the Internet changing the world of marketing forever.

This carefully written and well documented book details the evolution of the Internet, explains why you should use video, and what it takes to produce a quality video that people will watch. Even though topics are not covered in depth, the reader will be able to recognize if this is something that will work for their business. The easy to read format, slick pages, selective photos and usefulness of the appendix makes this an excellent tool for establishing your web based marketing plan.

Deltareviewer

Reviewing for Real Page Turners