Monday, October 23, 2006
Niches Aspire To Be "YouTubelets'
Niche publishers hope that they can have similar, albeit on a much smaller scale, success to YouTube by creating video sites aimed at vertical markets.For example, companies are pursuing travel videos as a way to give a first hand look at vacation spots. A new site called Travelistic (via MediaPost) combines user-generated, company created and tourism board videos.
Similarly, Travelzoo is adding videos to its travel package website. Seeing some video from Joe Tourist of destinations could make all the difference in deciding where to go.
Travel is a perfect match for online video. For example, a quick video that shows that a discount hotel is actually in a seedy area could dissuade some travelers, while the view from a window overlooking the ocean could make the sale.
These companies should compensate travelers for submitting videos in the form of discounts on future travel. For example, I gambled on staying at the Hotel Del Sol in San Francisco recently, and it turned out to be a great place with modern rooms that were surprisingly quiet for the neighborhood. An unbiased video would have given me much more information than the user ratings I read.
Other likely areas for online video niches include life on campus, sports bloopers, and product review videos. What am I forgetting?
Posted By John Gartner at 10:00 AM
Permanent Link: Niches Aspire To Be "YouTubelets'
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