Best-Ever Case for Social Media ROI

Ever since I had the chance to be part of the creative team that produced the uber-successful John Cleese "Institute of Backup Trauma" viral video, I've been a huge fan and booster of the power of small screen programming to entertain, inform, drive traffic & accelerate awareness and revenues.

One of the best wideos (web-videos) I've seen recently is "Social Media ROI: Socialnomics" from Socialnomics' author/creator Erik Qualman. This animation does a great job providing statistical proof of the Return on Investment of social media (or as I like to re-define ROI as "return on interaction).

Erik's masterpiece has all the right elements of an effective wideo:

1) Crisp, simple text treatments

2) Compelling content

3) A catchy, hip rock theme

4) Delivers value to those who watch it

5) Inspires virality

Check it out:

The Future of TV (and other media): "Monetization"

While many of my peers continue to watch TV for news, sports, movies-- surveys have been showing that broadcast/CATV viewship with 20/30somethings has plummeted.

My friend, Laura Locke (TIME Magazine contributor/first-rate tech observer) has an interesting new piece up on Conde Nast Porfolio.com: The Future of Television: Streaming Ahead.

Laura's prediction:

"more on-demand, ad-supported, free internet video interlaced with user-generated and commercial content, more personalized programming with interactive options-all watchable on screens of any size at anytime."

In a companion piece, Wired.com's Bryan Gardiner comments
"the real future of TV is on the Web".

My conclusion---Beyond TV.. the future of ALL media is on the Web (for the immediate future).

Who will pay for the creation, delivery and use of online info and entertainment content is in flux.
As Locke points out in her article: "Monetization remains the trick."

Or as Cuba Gooding told Jerry Maguire: "Show me the money!"

Newspapers have found out the hard way....
This week the citizens of Seattle became the latest major city to wrestle with how to
save their hometown paper (the Seattle Post Intelligencer).

The P-I's name and challenge in the new media world---is epyonymous for what print media
are faced with: where will we find intelligent commentary/thoughtful news in a Post-Newspaper world? A topic for Paul Gillin's excellent Newspaper Deathwatch blog?