Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The direction that we are headed on the web is towards more and more live interaction. On this Overflow Podcast we discuss some recent applications of the live technologies and review the perceived pros and cons of this evolution of the web.
Jim Kukral is an example of an internet marketing practitioner who has embraced the live web, and uses his Ustream Channel as a way of inviting real time interaction. Recently, Jim was speaking to a group in Cleveland and streamed the presentation. He posted a tweet inviting others to join in, and participants could interact with his presentation via the chat functionality on Ustream. (Note, I’ve noticed they have added a simple Twitter capability on the show pages as an alternative to the chat.)
A major application of live web technologies will piggyback on location based tools such as GPS or Google Latitudes, which will distribute content based upon where you are at any given point in time. This will be of particular interest to local business such as restaurants and service companies.
We talk on the podcast about a music festival that decided this year not to offer a live stream of the annual event. Rumors circulated about funding situations and conflicts with selling recordings … but a common consensus stated that the festival was concerned that live streaming was a hinderance to tickets sales! We want to make sure to turn that perception around and state wholeheartedly that distributing the content to a worldwide audience can only capture a wider community and grow the ticket base.
And for those that absolutely cannot attend or will not become a ticket buyer, you have new content to build a monetization strategy around. Look for ways to attract some form of conversion.
Sporting events have become a great place to participate in the live web by participating on Twitter. Watching a baseball game with an entire community of Red Sox fan conversing on the Twitter stream has become an extremely enjoyable element added to broadcast.
It has gotten to the point where NOT having that interaction during a live sporting event is a negative. In order to preserve the final results of the Nascar race from Talladega before watching a Tivo’d version, avoidance of Twitter was required at all costs. Watching the event later that night was lacking because there were no more conversations taking place live and in real time, because I was the one who had time shifted my viewing.
From a business perspective there are certainly live web applications. One is encouraging live tweeting of conferences and meetings via the use of a hashtag, to promote and expand delivery of the content that is being presented to the audience.
We are also about to see an explosion of Virtual Trade Shows as a way to eliminate exorbitant travel costs, booth design and development, and costs in terms of time. Having a real time interaction with vendors and partners through a well designed, immersive, online experience might just be complete enough to supplement the face to face events.
We are looking for any input that listeners might have regarding good retail or consumer goods virtual trade shows. Please share with us in the comments if it has worked for you.
Does the downturn in the economy propel the expansion of live web technologies?
NOTE: After recording this podcast this morning, good friend Desiree Scales , co-host of The Bella Buzz podcast, appeared on a live streaming video show http://startuplucky.com/live/. Way to go Desiree! Great use of the Live web …
