Blip.tv Introduces 'Do-it-Yourself Targeted Advertising' for Online Video Shows

Blip.tv Introduces 'Do-it-Yourself Targeted Advertising' for Online Video Shows

MAKE Magazine First to Implement Company's Innovative Advertising Model for Online Video Programming

NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Blip.tv, the video sharing site focused on independently produced shows, announced today that it has introduced a new way for content creators to make money through online videos. The model, "do-it-yourself targeted advertising," allows shows to promote products, services and causes that are directly relevant to their content. The do-it- yourself (DIY) ads can be used by shows to sell t-shirts, DVDs or other promotional products in addition to promotion for pledge drives, charities or content partners.

Before the introduction of DIY advertising independent content creators' opportunity to monetize their own content was exceedingly limited. Blip.tv is the first video sharing service to offer its users the ability to include their own clickable advertising in their own content. The DIY advertising platform places the power of ad creation and serving in the hands of independent content creators while still offering professional advertising sales services both through blip.tv's sponsorship sales program and through blip.tv's open advertising marketplace, which offers advertisements from more than half a dozen advertising partners.

MAKE Magazine, the do-it-yourself (DIY) publication from O'Reilly Media devoted entirely to DIY technology projects, will be the first show hosted on blip.tv to incorporate the new model in their videos.

At the end of every MAKE video podcast hosted by Bre Pettis, an advertisement created by MAKE will run that allows the viewer to purchase the materials required to complete the DIY project featured in the episode or unique electronic kits from the Maker store (store.makezine.com). Purchasing is accomplished with a link in the video -- requiring viewers to simply enter shipping and credit card information. MAKE also plans to use DIY advertising to promote upcoming conferences and other MAKE events, products and services.

"This represents yet another major shift of power from the big-name networks and studios towards the content creators themselves," said Mike Hudack, CEO of blip.tv. "The ability for a show to turn a profit is central to blip.tv's mission, and 'DIY promotion' technology allows us to help an entirely new breed of shows make money from their hard work, creativity and often very substantial audiences."

MAKE Magazine offers a highly visual and personal approach towards showing their audience the best way to use existing, normal technologies to create not so normal and sometimes extraordinary inventions. The MAKE video podcast brings a significant amount of creativity and credibility to the online video space and will use the new advertising model to make shows even more relevant and engaging for viewers.

"For over two years MAKE has delivered some of the best do-it-yourself projects in print, online and video -- and now we can finally put our own clickable relevant ads in our popular weekly how-to videos," said Phillip Torrone, Senior Editor of MAKE Magazine. "From USB charging mint tin kits, build it yourself MP3 players, to back issues of MAKE we now have a lot of creative control -- it's perfect for us and I'm sure it will be extremely valuable to anyone who uses blip.tv for their video content."

The MAKE podcast is available at www.makezine.com/podcasts, on blip.tv's destination site at www.blip.tv and is syndicated throughout the Web to platforms such as Apple iTunes.

About blip.tv

Blip.tv provides services including hosting, distribution, marketing and advertising sales to thousands of Web-based TV shows and videoblogs produced by independent artists around the world. The company's goal is to allow talented creative personalities to concentrate on what they do best -- making great video -- by providing all the services necessary to help them sustain their efforts. Founded in May 2005, the company distributes media throughout the Web: to blogs, iTunes, the video iPod, MySpace and myriad video search engines and aggregators. The company offers an opt-in advertising program and splits all revenues with its users 50/50. Blip.tv also distributes videos to people's TV sets through partnerships with Akimbo and TV Tonic. In an August 2006 review, Light Reading ranked blip.tv the #1 video sharing service. To learn more, please visit http://www.blip.tv/

About MAKE Magazine

MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help you make the most of your technology at home and away from home. This is a magazine that celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.

Published as a quarterly since February 2005, MAKE is a hybrid magazine/book (known as a mook in Japan). MAKE comes from O'Reilly, the Publisher of Record for geeks and tech enthusiasts everywhere. It follows in line with the Hacks books and Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks, but it takes a highly visual and personal approach.

Our premiere issue showed you how to get involved in kite aerial photography -- taking pictures with a camera suspended from a kite -- and how to build an inexpensive rig to hold your camera.

We've also shown you how to make a video camera stabilizer, a do-it- yourself alternative to an expensive Steadicam(R) and how to create a five-in- one cable adapter for connecting to networks. Some projects are strictly for fun, others are very practical, and still others are absolutely astounding. MAKE Magazine http://www.makezine.com/

About O'Reilly

O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism. http://www.oreilly.com/

Source: Blip.tv

CONTACT: Todd Barrish, Dukas Public Relations, +1-212-704-7385,
todd@dukaspr.com; or Phillip Torrone, Senior Editor, MAKE Magazine,
+1-707-827-7311, pt@oreilly.com

Web site: http://www.blip.tv/
http://www.makezine.com/
http://www.oreilly.com/
http://www.makezine.com/podcasts

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