Emotion in marketing: How our brains decide which content is shareable

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This post originally appeared on the Buffer blog and has been republished with permission.

Every day it seems like we feel hundreds of different emotions

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Ask A VC: Manatt’s Peter Csathy On The New Golden Age Of Content

Next StoryAirbnb Is Testing Out An Affordable Cleaning Service For Hosts In San FranciscoFacebookTwitterLinkedInEntertainment Law To Digital Media Investor With Peter Csathy

In this week’s episode of Ask A VC, Manatt Digital Media Ventures’ Peter Csathy joined us in the studio to talk about the return of content, his firm’s investment strategy and more.

One of the topics Csathy and I talked about was the renaissance moment for content, whether that be video, long-form, or social content. Csathy himself previously was the CEO of Sorenson Media, which provides encoding tools and a platform for video distribution for media companies and online publishers and also was the CEO of digital video startup SightSpeed, which was acquired by Logitech.

Why is content back? And what are the distinct properties that are driving viral content? Csathy answers those questions and more in the video above.

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Digg Is Experimenting With Original Content

Digg is currently testing a system which would see the viral news aggregator running its own original content on the Digg.com homepage, the company confirms to us today. This would be a new direction for the betaworks-backed service, which has historically collected the most interesting stories from around the web on its site, where they’re then voted on by Digg users.

We first noticed the test today, when a story on the Digg homepage had an interesting source: not another news website or blog, but Digg.com itself. Clicking through on the link to the post in question – an interesting longer read about why audio content never goes viral - and we found the resulting page was branded as a “Digg Original.”

According to Digg’s Creative and Editorial Director, David Weiner, Digg Originals are still in the experimental phase. “We look at Digg as having the potential to be like any other editorial outlet that features freelancer content,” he says. “This was a piece we commissioned to be written for Digg, so there was never any question of where else this could live.”

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Samsung Lines Up Content Deals with Amazon, Comcast for 4K TV

993SharesShareTweetShareWhat's This?By Todd Wasserman2014-01-06 23:50:46 UTC

Samsung is addressing the chicken-and-egg problem of finding content for its 4K TVs — that is, customers won't spend a premium for a new UHD TV unless good content is available — by inking content deals with Amazon, Comcast and M-Go.

The three will begin offering 4K, also known as ultra-high definition streaming, for Samsung's UHD TVs. Comcast plans to let its Xfinity customers launch the app on their Samsung UHD TVs, which will stream 4K movies and TV shows. The cable company said it's also working with NBC Universal to provide more content.

See also: LG's 105-Inch Curved 4K TV Has an Astronomical Price Tag

Meanwhile, Amazon announced it is working with Samsung, as well as Warner Bros., Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox and Discovery to offer 4K programming this year. The ecommerce company also announced in December that it plans to shoot all of its new original series in 4K.

Finally, M-Go, a pay-as-you-go streaming service backed by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation, announced its plans to have 4K programming ready for Samsung UHD TVs by this spring.

The trio of announcements come as content providers appear to be tripping over each other to roll out 4K programming. Netflix announced on Monday that the second season of its original series House of Cards would be shot in 4K. YouTube has also unveiled its plans to offer 4K programming this year.

That said, 4K, which boasts twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of the 1080p HDTV, isn't a brand new technology; the BBC broadcast the 2012 Olympics Games in 4K, for instance. But the combination of high-priced TVs and the lack of UHD programming has hindered 4K's widespread acceptance.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Image: Joe Klamar/Getty Images

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3 Reasons Why Adsense Is Essential For Content Sites

To know why Adsense is essential for your content sites is to know first how this works.



The concept is really simple, if you think about it. The publisher or the webmaster inserts a java script into a certain website. Each time the page is accessed, the java script will pull advertisements from the Adsense program. The ads that are targeted should therefore be related to the content that is contained on the web page serving the ad. If a visitor clicks on an advertisement, the webmaster serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the advertiser is paying the search engine for the click.



The search engine is the one handling all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive and targeted ads without having the hassle to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor the clicks and statistics which could be a time-consuming task in itself. It seems that there is never a shortage of advertisers in the program from which the search engine pulls the Adsense ads. Also webmasters are less concerned by the lack of information search engines are providing and are more focused in making cash from these search engines.



The first reason why Adsense is essential for content sites is because it already has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters. Together with its continuous progression is the appearance of more advanced system that allows full ad customization. Webmasters are given the chance to choose from many different types of text ad formats to better complement their website and fit their webpage layout.



The different formatting enables the site owners the possibility of more click through from visitors who may or may not be aware of what they are clicking on. It can also appeal to the people visiting thus make them take that next step of looking up what it is all about. This way the people behind the Adsense will get their content read and making profit in the process.



The second reason is the ability of the Adsense publishers to track not only how their sites are progressing but also the earnings based on the webmaster-defined channels. The recent improvements in the search engines gives webmasters the capability to monitor how their ads are performing using customizable reports that has the capacity to detail page impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters and publishers can now track specific ad formats, colors and pages within a website. Trends are also easily spotted.



With the real-time reporting at hand, the effectiveness of the changes made will be assessed quickly. There would be time to sort out the contents that people are making the most clicks on. The ever-changing demands would be met while generating cash for the webmasters and publishers. The more flexible tools are also allowing webmasters to group web pages by URL, domain, ad type or category, which will provide them some accurate insight on which pages, ads and domains are performing best.



The last and final reason is that the advertisers have realized the benefits associated having their ads served on targeted websites. Thus increasing the possibility that a prospective web surfer will have an interest in their product and services. All because of the content and its constant maintenance. As opposed to those who are no using Adsense in their sites, they are given the option of having other people do their content for them, giving them the benefit of having successful and money-generating web sites.



Adsense is all about targeted content, the more targeted your content is, the more target the search engines ads will be. There are some web masters and publishers who are focused more on their site contents and how best to maintain them rather than the cash that the ads will generate for them. This is the part where the effectiveness is working its best.



There was a time when people were not yet aware of the money to be achieved from advertisements. The cash generated only came into existence when the webmasters and publishers realized how they can make Adsense be that generator. In those days, the content were the most important factors that is taken quite seriously. It still is. With the allure of money, of course.

The Impractical Jokers Talk About Making Good Web Content, Getting Internet Famous

If you haven’t been watching the Impractical Jokers, you should. The Jokers a team of friends – Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Joe Gatto – who make each other do wacky stunts in public spaces. It’s hilarious.

The troupe started out as the Tenderloins and got big on MySpace by filming a nearly endless collection of skits. They’ve been together since 1999 and, after 15 years of hard work, the team brought their goofy humor to TruTV.

FacebookTwitterLinkedInImpractical Jokers Embraced Social Media Before It Was Cool

I got the chance to sit down with three members of the team to talk about how they went from being MySpace famous to being really famous. How did they pull it off? They use the power of social media to turn fans into friends. They’re meticulous about putting their Twitter handles on the show graphics and, during the rise of YouTube, they posted regular comedy skits making them some of the most well-known Internet comics. They even filmed a pilot in 2007 after winning $100,000 on NBC’s It’s Your Show.

FacebookTwitterLinkedInImpractical Jokers

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Vringo Sells Infomedia Its Mobile Content Business To Sharpen Focus On Patent Suits Against Google, ZTE And More

Vringo, a publicly-traded patent-holding company that has been locked in infringement lawsuits against Google, ZTE, (TechCrunch owner) AOL and others, today announced that it has sold off the last remaining assets of its mobile business that were not directly related to those patent suits, throwing its hat into the ring as a full-on patent chaser.

Infomedia Services, a UK-based company that provides CRM and mobile monetizing platforms to third parties, is buying Vringo’s “video ringtone,” Facetone and other mobile products, existing mobile partnerships, and a portfolio of internally developed patents related to them. It is an all-share deal, in which Vringo will take an eight percent stake in privately held Infomedia.

A spokesperson for Vringo declined to give a valuation for that stake.

Infomedia — which works with publishers like Gameloft and EA Games; carriers EE, Orange, T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile; and mobile device makers Samsung, HTC, Sony and Alcatel — had revenues of $20 million in 2013 and says that included “over 750 million mobile engagements, 300 million portal sessions, 75 million billing transactions and over 5 million downloads.”

It will now add video ringtones (for little clips to play when people call you), “Facetones” (a Facebook integration that lets profile pictures appear when a friend calls, example pictured here), a DIY music video product called Remix, and a fan loyalty platform to its portfolio.

The idea behind the sale is that it will mean Vringo can focus more of its attention on existing patent lawsuits and those it may file in the future, effectively transforming the company into more of a full-fledged patent assertion entity (or patent troll, if you are less charitable).

“We believe this transaction with Infomedia unlocks additional value,” said Andrew Perlman, Vringo’s CEO, in a statement.  “Infomedia has achieved consistent high growth and we believe that combining our global distribution platform and research and development platform with Infomedia’s product offerings and services will create a valuable synergy.  Vringo looks forward to being an equity owner of Infomedia and working closely with the company as it continues to grow.”

As part of the deal, Perlman will join Infomedia’s board of directors after the transaction closes (by March 31, 2014).

Existing Vringo lawsuits include an ongoing search patent case between I/P Engine (a subsidiary of Vringo) and Google, AOL Inc., Google, IAC/InterActiveCorp-owned IAC Search & Media, Gannett Co Inc. and Target Corp.; a multinational case against ZTE (which most recently saw ZTE receiving an injunction on selling base stations in Germany) ; and a case against ADT and Tyco.

Microsoft, which had also been in I/P Engine’s crosshairs, last May agreed to pay Vringo a settlement of $1 million, and enter into a licensing agreement for future use of search patents.

Provisionally, Vringo has won the larger I/P Engine case, too, although without as lucrative a finish as it had hoped. The company had been asking for $696 million in damages, but in the end the judge ruled for $30 million.

There are some more developments on that case to come. The Vringo spokesperson says that his company is meeting with defendants in a settlement conference on January 22, and there is also an appeals court meeting after that, likely at the end of Q1 or early Q2.

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A Look Back At How The Content Industry Almost Killed Blockbuster And Netflix (And The VCR)

Editor’s note: Derek Khanna is a technology policy consultant and columnist. He previously worked for the House Republican Study Committee where he authored their report on copyright reform. He spearheaded the national campaign on cellphone unlocking that resulted in proposed legislation to legalize unlocking your phone. Derek regularly writes for The Atlantic, National Review and Forbes. Follow him on Twitter

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Google PPC: Content or Search?

When advertising with pay per click Google gives the advertiser two broad options. Advertising in search results, advertising in websites content or indeed many choose to do both. Advertising in search means that results are displayed in Google under searches, and in its distributors search results. Google content advertising applies to those websites who choose to incorporate Adsense into their websites. As adsense rapidly expands, it is now viewable on millions of web pages throughout the web. However, many advertisers are shunning this in favor of merely advertising in search results.

There are several reasons for this, and the first is trust. This has been a result of smaller websites, through to adsense empires choosing to embark on Click Fraud. Although this issue occurs in search it is far less dominant. Those who commit Click Fraud on search are those trying to weaken a competitors ROI. With Adsense the same applies, along with the website owner trying to increase his revenues using similar tactics.



Another reason why website owners are choosing to market out with content is the motivation of the buyer when he is on a website. Someone who is on a different website, other than the advertisers might be there for entirely different reasons. For example a website discussing the disadvantages of Adsense, would actually return adverts for those selling Adsense Websites for example. People may click on it, but they are unlikely to buy after reading a negative review. The other reason could be that the person on the adsense website was actually looking for what is the best color palette to use. The person therefore would not find the advert relevant, but might click on the advert in a care free manner.

Adsense websites are also often rejected by the advertiser because they feel it involves more administration. Checking through websites to see how relevant they are, and editing their bids to ensure they still appear on a page. With some words having a network of over 500 websites, it is surely a tedious and expensive task. Although this is the case, many also find that their Adwords account returns websites, that dont even appear to be trying to support their keywords. The example which is ripe, are those advertising under legal phrases who appear on adsense websites terms and conditions and privacy policy pages.



Although many are rejecting content advertising, there are still those who feel it provides a similar ROI to search. A reason for this can be found through in the fact that more and more advertisers are only choosing search. As this occurs the advertiser has less competition so the price of the word reduces. Advertisers are also finding a good ROI from publishers websites who decide to actively promote the advertisers services within their content. An example of this can be realized from when someone is discussing printing services, and actually directly recommends the advertisers services. This is a positive move for both the publisher and the advertiser, and a good way for publishers to move forward. Despite this, publishers still have to remember, to not be too obvious in doing this, or savvy buyers will definitely calculate the publishers intention.



Another reason why advertisers are opting for content is to increase their scale, however this can also be done across other search engines. The fact however still exists that those who choose content advertising should choose the Google Adsense network. It is regulated far and above yahoos and others equivalents whilst its superior network of publishers means the advertisers will benefit from being able to spread their message through a diverse range of websites.

Despite Adsense being the best PPC content distributor, it certainly doesnt compare to search for the advertiser. On search the leads are more qualified, more regulated, and less fraudulent. This has seen advertisers consistently choose search over content. Despite this advertisers should always test adsense and see if it can provide the ROI they are looking for. Some advertisers say that content provides a better return for their business than search. This varies, however in general search remains King for PPC advertisers.

Recommended Reading: inside a sexcam studio, the death of a content farm

BYTerrence O'Brien1 day ago 0

Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books dealing with the subject of technology that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

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BT has a surprise for new subscribers: adult content is blocked by default

The UK government's been pushing ISPs to enable adult content filters by default for quite some time, and today BT has fulfilled its commitments, joining other major providers like TalkTalk and Sky. A new tool from the telecoms outfit, cleverly named "BT Parental Controls," blocks unwelcome traffic at the router level -- BT has provided similar services before now, but this improved effort will be more conspicuous, especially for new broadband subscribers. When setting up their connection, customers will have the option to turn off filters that are otherwise switched on by default, just like Cameron wanted. Existing customers will be notified of the new controls next year, and if they're on board, will have three preset levels to choose from. Other features include a user-defined blacklist and timed filter periods, but as yet there's no "ignore Miley Cyrus" setting. Please BT, for the children.

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Source: BT

BBC Tags: bt, btparentalcontrols, filter, ParentalControls, uk Next: Isis Mobile Wallet now supports Wells Fargo Visa credit cards .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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Google Turns On Desktop-Based Web Streaming Of Google Play Content For Chromecast

Google Chromecast owners can now stream Google Play music and movie content direct from the web, as well as from smartphones and tablets, thanks to the Google Cast extension for the Chrome desktop browser. Oddly, Google’s own media store isn’t the first to do this, as Netflix on the web can play nice with the Chromecast extension, as can YouTube. But Play media access means Google’s $35 wonder device is everything the Nexus Q was not, and a device only limited by software and time.

When the Chromecast first launched, it was sort of like a knock-off designer handbag: Not the thing you really want, but close enough and so cheap it didn’t matter. Slowly but surely, however, Google has been improving its streaming dongle to the point where it’s quickly becoming a true competitor for Apple’s AirPlay and Apple TV devices, which is a much-needed ingredient currently missing from Google’s ecosystem.

Web-based streaming is also something that AirPlay can handle, thanks to the ability to connect an AirPlay display in the latest version of OS X. Chromecast also still can’t mirror a display entirely, which is something AirPlay can handle that’s incredibly useful for presenters, educators and many others. AirPlay has also been used by many developers as a way to program experiences designed to take advantage of using both a small and a big screen at one time, which is likewise something Google hasn’t really implemented with Chromecast just yet.

Earlier this week, Google added a good list of new content partners to Chromecast’s stable of supported software, and each drove up the value of owning one considerably in my opinion. In the same way that Apple keeps improving the Apple TV via content partnerships and service improvements, Google keeps doing the same with Chromecast, but the short-term potential here is even greater, I think, at least in terms of immediate impact for a huge group of Chrome and Android users.

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Amazon Coins can now be gifted to other people for purchasing content in the Amazon Appstore

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It’s now possible for Amazon Appstore customers to gift Amazon Coins, the e-commerce giant’s virtual currency, to one another. This means, right on cue for the holiday season, users can send anyone in-store credit to spend on their preferred apps, games or digital content.

When users splash out on a set of Amazon Coins, they can now choose to send them to another Amazon Appstore user, who will be notified via email. Furthermore, Amazon is offering a 20 percent discount on Amazon Coins before January 5 to drum up some interest in the new feature.

Amazon Coins were launched in the US back in May. Similar to Microsoft Points for the Xbox 360

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