The Fine Bros Backlash and the Problem with Licensing Video Content

This week, YouTube megastars The Fine Bros announced that they are offering a licensing deal on their “React” video series, but this has caused a huge outcry among other creators who say Fine Bros Entertainment have no hold on the copyright. We take a look at the details.

Vanessa Hudgens announces father's death; will perform 'Grease: Live' in his honor

Just hours before her starring turn as Rizzo in Fox's Grease: Live Vanessa Hudgens announced on Twitter that her father passed away Saturday night after a battle with cancer

See also: Secrets from the set of Fox's 'Grease: Live'

Hudgens still plans to perform the show tonight alongside contemporaries including Julianne Hough and Aaron Tveit. She tweeted:

Hudgens' long-time friend from High School Musical days, Ashley Tisdale, tweeted (presumably in reference to Hudgens):

Hudgens had revealed in August, while accepting an award at the 2015 Industry Dance Awards, that her father was battling stage four cancer Read more...

More about Obituary, Lifestyle, Work Play, and Grease Live

The Fine Bros Backlash and the Problem with Licensing Video Content

This week, YouTube megastars The Fine Bros announced that they are offering a licensing deal on their “React” video series, but this has caused a huge outcry among other creators who say Fine Bros Entertainment have no hold on the copyright. We take a look at the details.

#SocialSkim: Twitter's Darkest Days, Facebook's New Like Buttons, Plus More Stories in This Week's Roundup

This week is filled with drama and big changes at the biggest social networks. Get the scoop on Twitter's executive exodus and Facebook's "like" button alternatives. Also: Facebook's newly expanded ad network. Skim to stay social-savvy! Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Rediscovering Online Video: How YouTube Recommends to a Viewer Without an Account

A month into a project to rediscover online video in 2016, and we've noticed that there is absolutely no reason to create an account on any social video platform. Not even YouTube. A viewer is able to enjoy plenty of video content on various platforms without being forced into signing up as a user.

Rihanna embraces the radical middle on 'Anti'

A few years ago, audiences were preoccupied with seeing Rihanna as a victim — an identity she was never comfortable with — and eventually as a "bad" victim when (like many victims) she found it hard to make a clean break from her abuser.

Then the narrative shifted, and she became the weed smoking, man-eating BadGalRiri we know today, someone who's carefree to the point of caricature. Rihanna emerges from a black Escalade in formal pajamas, glass of red wine in hand, and we fill in the blanks ourselves. We've taken the scraps she's fed us and turned her into our Patron Saint of Not Giving a F*ck. On Instagram, red carpets and in videos, she exudes DGAF confidence; she's the girl you want to party with. Which isn't a bad thing to be, but is an impossible thing to be all the time Read more...

More about Music, Entertainment, Reviews, Album, and Rihanna

Rediscovering Online Video: How YouTube Recommends to a Viewer Without an Account

A month into a project to rediscover online video in 2016, and we've noticed that there is absolutely no reason to create an account on any social video platform. Not even YouTube. A viewer is able to enjoy plenty of video content on various platforms without being forced into signing up as a user.

When Should You Promote Video Content with Paid Media?

Given the huge amount of video content available on the Internet, marketers need to be aware of their options when it comes to reaching as much of their target audience as they can. If brands don’t already have millions of subscribers, likes, or followers, they’ll need to seed their video content when it launches, which means investing in paid promotion.

Top 5 Ways Consumer-Generated Content Is Amazing for SEO

The people writing consumer/user-generated content are the same ones performing search queries. If you can harness their sentences, paragraphs, and ideas, you can crowdsource search optimization. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

When Should You Promote Video Content with Paid Media?

Given the huge amount of video content available on the Internet, marketers need to be aware of their options when it comes to reaching as much of their target audience as they can. If brands don’t already have millions of subscribers, likes, or followers, they’ll need to seed their video content when it launches, which means investing in paid promotion.

Create a Buzz with Your Target Audience with Timely Video Content

As part of a Hero, Hub, and Hygiene video strategy, there is a great opportunity to gain exposure through reacting to the trend of the day in a way that properly reflects your brand or content.

Create a Buzz with Your Target Audience with Timely Video Content

As part of a Hero, Hub, and Hygiene video strategy, there is a great opportunity to gain exposure through reacting to the trend of the day in a way that properly reflects your brand or content.

Why a Mobile Video Marketing Strategy is Essential for Fortune 50 Brands

Although Fortune 50 companies can afford to advertise on television, their target viewers are watching as much video online as they’re watching on TV. And a huge number of that target audience is consuming video via their smartphones and tablets. That's why it's essential that those big companies need to embrace video as part of their mobile digital marketing strategy.

Why a Mobile Video Marketing Strategy is Essential for Fortune 50 Brands

Although Fortune 50 companies can afford to advertise on television, their target viewers are watching as much video online as they’re watching on TV. And a huge number of that target audience is consuming video via their smartphones and tablets. That's why it's essential that those big companies need to embrace video as part of their mobile digital marketing strategy.

Top 3 Facebook Video Ad Formats for 2016

Facebook video ads yield amazing results for creators and marketers who leverage the platform effectively, but which video ad formats are the most effective on the social network? We take a look at 3 of the most effective?

Top 3 Facebook Video Ad Formats for 2016

Facebook video ads yield amazing results for creators and marketers who leverage the platform effectively, but which video ad formats are the most effective on the social network? We take a look at 3 of the most effective?

YouTube Creator Rankings Leaderboard - Most Popular YouTube Channels for December 2015

Videos uploaded to YouTube in December 2015 generated over 60 billion views, and music, and children-focused channels were among those with the highest view counts. We take a look at the most-watched YouTube channels for last month.

Valentine's Day Online Search Trends: Most Popular Gifts and Dates

The volume of online searches related to Valentine's Day gifts starts to rise slowly at the end of January and spikes during the first two weeks of February, according to a recent report from Bing. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

#SocialSkim: Will Social Kill Websites in 2016? Plus 13 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

This week is packed with marketing portents: Why brands might want to prioritize websites less (and social content discovery more), and a Google ad tool to help brands market live to users across devices. Also: Foursquare's B2B plans. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

YouTube Creator Rankings Leaderboard - Most Popular YouTube Channels for December 2015

Videos uploaded to YouTube in December 2015 generated over 60 billion views, and music, and children-focused channels were among those with the highest view counts. We take a look at the most-watched YouTube channels for last month.

Top Vine Stars & Most-Watched Vine Creators: December 2015 Leaderboard

According to the latest online video ranking leaderboard from Tubular, the most-watched Vine creators for December 2015 include top Influencers Lele Pons, and Thomas Sanders, as well as top sports brand the NBA.

How to Seize the Untapped Mobile Opportunity in 2016

Mobile marketing has come a long way, but there's still progress to be made in technology, analytics, and strategy. Most notably, it's time for a paradigm shift: to think of mobile as the home for omnichannel marketing. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Top Vine Stars & Most-Watched Vine Creators: December 2015 Leaderboard

According to the latest online video ranking leaderboard from Tubular, the most-watched Vine creators for December 2015 include top Influencers Lele Pons, and Thomas Sanders, as well as top sports brand the NBA.

Top Online Video Creators Across Social Platforms: December 2015 Leaderboard

According to the latest online video ranking leaderboards from Tubular, The Ellen Show, BuzzFeed, Justin Bieber, Adele, and the WWE were some of the top video creators across the big social video platforms in December 2015.

Top Online Video Creators Across Social Platforms: December 2015 Leaderboard

According to the latest online video ranking leaderboards from Tubular, The Ellen Show, BuzzFeed, Justin Bieber, Adele, and the WWE were some of the top video creators across the big social video platforms in December 2015.

Food and News Dominate Facebook Video Views in December 2015

BuzzFeed Tasty, BuzzFeed Food, Tastemade, NowThisNews, and AJ+ were some of the most watched brands on Facebook for video content in December 2015, making food and news some of the most popular video content on the site. Take a look at the brand new Tubular Leaderboard for top Facebook creators for more information.

Facebook Beefs Up Lead Ads

Facebook announced new features for its lead ads option: context cards, carousel format and availability on desktop.

The social network announced the new features in a Facebook for Business post, saying that the goal is to provide more information to users who are pondering signing up for whatever brands are offering in the ads.

Facebook detailed the new features as follows:

A context card is an added (and optional) tile that pops up after someone clicks on a lead ad but before they get to the form, giving businesses a place to offer more details on the information people are signing up for. So if a business is using lead ads to find new email subscribers, they may use a context card to explain what type of content they offer in their emails. Context cards help businesses ensure that the leads they receive are high-quality.

Lead ads are now available in the carousel format, enabling businesses to showcase three to five images and headlines before people click through to the lead form. Advertisers can use the carousel tiles to provide details about and benefits of submitting their form.

Lead ads are now available on desktop, as well as mobile, making it easy for businesses to connect with people on any device. Advertisers can use ads reporting to see which devices their audiences use most and use the information to set the devices on which they want their lead ads delivered.

Advertisers: Have you ever used Facebook’s lead ads? What are your thoughts on the new features?

Food and News Dominate Facebook Video Views in December 2015

BuzzFeed Tasty, BuzzFeed Food, Tastemade, NowThisNews, and AJ+ were some of the most watched brands on Facebook for video content in December 2015, making food and news some of the most popular video content on the site. Take a look at the brand new Tubular Leaderboard for top Facebook creators for more information.

You betcha Sarah Palin said these 5 things about Donald Trump

Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin gave Donald Trump a big boost in Iowa with the GOP base today — and in her typical fashion, was as disinterested in completing her thoughts and sentences as she was in making the "lame-stream media" happy

See also: As if 2016 wasn't ridiculous enough, Donald Trump just got Sarah Palin's endorsement

Here are five of Palin's most Palinesque quotes from Tuesday's rally.

On cronyism:

"You know that he doesn't get his power, his high, off of opium, other people's money, like a lot of other dopes in Washington do. They're addicted to opium where they take other people's money and their high is getting to redistribute it." Read more...

More about Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Us World, Politics, and Iowa Caucuses

Are Video Advertisers Targeting the Right Audience on YouTube?

Did you know that 40% of baby product consumers actually live in homes without children? Or that only 31% of mobile searchers for video games are men ages 18 to 34? Video advertisers could be missing out on a huge share of audience and never even know about it.

Are Video Advertisers Targeting the Right Audience on YouTube?

Did you know that 40% of baby product consumers actually live in homes without children? Or that only 31% of mobile searchers for video games are men ages 18 to 34? Video advertisers could be missing out on a huge share of audience and never even know about it.

5 Annoying Direct Messages on Twitter (And Why You Should Stop Using All of Them)

When was the last time you checked your Direct Message inbox on Twitter, and actually found an important, worthwhile, or interesting message? Sure, Twitter is doing its best to improve how DMs work, by enabling group messaging and allowing anyone to receive DMs from anyone else, regardless of whether the two are following each other… but the day-to-day DM experience remains frustrating for most Twitter users. And these are some of the main culprits:

Annoying DM #1: Welcome!

These DMs welcome you as a new follower of that account. As if you had forgotten that you followed that account in the 30 seconds between pushing "follow" and receiving the DM.

Example: "Wow, thanks for the follow! We really hope you like our Twitter community and can't wait to read your tweets!"

Annoying DM #2: Download now!

The "Download now" DMs appear, at first glance, to offer up useful content. However, since the DMs are sent to anyone and everyone who follows the account, that content definitely won't appeal to the majority of followers. Plus, they're usually trying to sell you something.

Example: Hey! If you're into [topic of account], why not check out our free [whitepaper/ebook/blog post/podcast/cupcakes-with-cute-flowers-on-them fan site]: [link]?"

Annoying DM #3: Follow us everywhere!

OK so you've followed them on Twitter… but now they want you to follow them everywhere they have even the smallest web presence. Ready to spend the next hour filling in forms and signing up for networks you've never heard of to support this Twitter account in need?

Example: "We're so glad you followed us on Twitter… so why not Like us on Facebook, Pin some of our blog posts, join our community on MyOtherSpace, give us a five-star rating on Yelp, and subscribe to our seven-times-daily email list?"

Annoying DM #4: We're adding value!

These DMs are similar to the Download Now messages, in that they are offering something "free" as a thank you for following. But, just like gated content, consultations and appraisals are rarely free in the long-term (and if they are, they probably won't be of much value to your business).

Example: "Thanks for the follow! Want a free consultation? Send us an email and we'll set one up!"

Annoying DM #5: We're blatantly selling to you!

At least these DMs are honest about what they're trying to do – take your money. With not even as much as a "thanks for following," these guys go right into the sales pitch.

Example: "We're the number one [type of business] in the country! Our product has a gold star rating. Buy our product today! [link]"

The reason these DMs don't work is simple: they come off as spam. Plus, most are trying (usually with little to no subtlety) to sell you something.

Any user that sees one of these DMs is going to know that they are built off a template, and not targeted to their Twitter profile. Regardless of how casual the language, the content simply cannot be effectively positioned so that it feels "personal" to each user. And so, ultimately, these types of DMs will, at best, be ignored, or used as a reason for a quick unfollow.

Keep your eyes peeled for next week's post about the right ways to use DMs to improve your brand awareness, marketing efforts and more.

#SocialSkim: Peach Buzz.... All About the New Messaging App, Plus 10 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

What's Peach, and why's the world abuzz about it? You'll also find out who's rivaling Facebook in mobile video views, how Messenger's getting a serious boost, and score a handy guide to A/B testing (and how social can help). Read the full article at MarketingProfs

#SocialSkim: Peach Buzz.... All About the New Messaging App, Plus 10 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

What's Peach, and why's the world abuzz about it? You'll also find out who's rivaling Facebook in mobile video views, how Messenger's getting a serious boost, and score a handy guide to A/B testing (and how social can help). Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Giant fireworks-powered wheel lights up the sky... and the ground

Have you ever wanted to watch a huge spinning wheel shoot off a glorious cacophony of fireworks? It's Friday, so here's to ending the week with a little bit of crazy.

To celebrate reaching 2 million subscribers on YouTube, DIY inventor Colin Furze crafted this intricate set up on the back of his pickup truck. The video is a flurry of bright explosions, punk music and yelling, and comes only eight months after his 1 million subscribers celebration video, where he set off 300 fireworks straight into the air from the back of his truck. In his latest video, he lights 120 rockets starting from the inside of the wheel and moving to the outside, and isn't afraid to get close. Read more...

More about Diy, Tech, Gadgets, Conversations, and Viral

2016 Advertising Rate Increases Forecast for Nearly All Channels

Advertising rates in the United States are expected to increase across almost all channels in 2016, driven in part by the Summer Olympics and Presidential elections, according to a recent report from the American Association of Advertising Agencies and Havas Media. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Marketing and Customer-Experience Trends You're Bound to See in 2016

With the start of the year comes the opportunity to re-evaluate your marketing and customer-experience strategies--to plan how you can up your game in the year ahead. Here's what three trends have in store for you this year. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Which U.S. Presidential Video Campaigns Are Actually Engaging Viewers?

There are huge budgets available to promote video campaigns, but how are the frontrunners in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election faring when it comes to engagements? Anyone can buy video views, but we're much more interested in how election videos are actually engaging the average viewer.

Which U.S. Presidential Video Campaigns Are Actually Engaging Viewers?

There are huge budgets available to promote video campaigns, but how are the frontrunners in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election faring when it comes to engagements? Anyone can buy video views, but we're much more interested in how election videos are actually engaging the average viewer.

3 Ways to Kick Start Your Video Marketing Campaigns in 2016

With new video trends on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about how you will refresh your video marketing campaign to meet consumer demands in 2016. We bring you three ways to kickstart your video marketing for the coming year.