Video is modernising the way e-learning businesses deliver their core product offerings. Driven by high speed broadband internet access, high mobile penetration rate, and the average consumers’ hunger for video content, educational organisations are capitalising on video to attract, engage and monetise their customer base. Here are the top five tips on how e-learning businesses can transform the way they deliver their product.

The student experience matters

User experience is critical for e-learning students, because if students are paying for online content they expect content to be served seamlessly, with a fast video playback and no buffering. Even in rural areas where the bandwidth tends to be low, an online video platform platform like Brightcove supports adaptive bitrate streaming to stream the best quality online video every time. Adaptive bitrate streaming creates multiple renditions for each video uploaded, automatically detects user bandwidth, and dynamically switches between renditions mid-stream to ensure smooth playback at the highest quality possible.

Once the basics of user experience are nailed down, it’s time to bring features into play. If you use a  fully customizable HTML5 player, incorporate interactivity elements like content chapters, quizzes, polls, surveys and feedback forms to engage student during their learning experience.

Live streaming or on demand? Offer both

For busy students, organisations can choose to offer the option of live streaming the content as well as offering on demand options once the stream is over. Live assets can be clipped and turned into a series quickly, using a feature-rich live streaming platform like Brightcove Live.

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It’s that time of year when we should all try to take a step back and be thankful for the amazing people in our lives. And one of the best ways to spread some festive cheer and show your gratitude is to create employee and customer appreciation videos.

Need a little inspiration? You’re in luck! We put together this guide with some tips, tricks, and examples.

Show your team you’re thankful

Creating internal video assets can be a great way to provide your team with useful trainings and keep them informed about the latest company happenings. But video can also be a powerful tool for celebrating the people who make your business tick. This holiday season, consider creating videos to:

• Highlight major team wins

• Recognize an employee of the month

• Call attention to impactful employee-run groups and initiatives

By creating these types of video assets that call out and celebrate the day-to-day work of your employees, you can show that you’re thankful for their time and dedication.

Create customer appreciation videos

Your customers are the lifeblood of your organization — and it’s important that you take the time to show your appreciation on a regular basis. There are many different approaches you can consider. As it’s the holiday season, it’s the perfect time to create a festive video to be shared with all of your current customers.

While there are ample opportunities for you to get a little creative here, you can also stick to a foolproof, easy-to-produce concept: Record a few of your employees on the screen sharing their season’s greetings and expressing their gratitude for your customers’ business.

Get inspired

Looking for some ideas on how to take your appreciation videos to the next level? Check out some of our favorites:

1. Deloitte

   At the end of this short, one-minute baking video, Deloitte thanks its customers and speaks to the future of their partnership with the following slogan: “Let’s see what we can cook up together next.”

2. Convergys

   When it comes to employee appreciation videos, another great format to explore is a message from the leader of your organization. In this video, Andrea Ayers, the president and CEO of Convergys, personally thanks her team for all of the wonderful work they do. Though this particular asset is geared toward Employee Appreciation Day, the same concept would work well as a holiday season-themed video.

3. Constant Contact

   Interested in saying “thank you” to each of your customers individually? Want to give some face time to all of the team members who make your organization tick? Get inspired by this customer appreciation video from Constant Contact.

Sure, making videos can be just one part of your overall employee and customer appreciation initiative this season — but it’s a tactic that packs a meaningful punch. Consider leveraging one of the formats above to show your gratitude in style.

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Earlier this week, I had the privilege of speaking at Streaming Media West in beautiful Huntington Beach, California. Throughout the engaging two-day conference, much of the conversation revolved around the ongoing convergence of the digital and linear worlds. In particular, my panel, The Future Of Server-Side Ad Insertion , addressed how this trend is projected to affect SSAI today and into the future. Intrigued? Read on for an overview of the major themes we discussed during the session.

SSAI 101

Before we dove into the future of SSAI , we opened the conversation with an overview of the technology. Server side ad insertion is a mechanism that dynamically stitches targeted ads into your content on the server — allowing you to deliver one continuous stream.

SSAI has three main value propositions: improved user experience, ad blocker prevention, and increased device reach. By leveraging this technology, you can prevent ad blockers from detecting your ads and eliminate undesirable buffering. In turn, you can deliver a better viewing experience to your audience and preserve your revenue. SSAI also gives you improved reach to connected devices like set top boxes and game consoles, where the concept of a client may not exist.

Monetization and measurement

As panelist Michelle Abraham (senior research analyst, media & communications, S&P Global) explained, current industry data supports the notion that audiences like choice. In this way, presenting tiered business models can be crucial to your success. During the panel, Abraham shared her belief that advertising will take a more native form within the content itself (as more content-driven creatives take hold of the marketplace).

Well, what about measurement? Amit Shetty (senior director, video & audio products, IAB Tech Lab) discussed the newly released VAST 4.1 and some key highlights of the new spec including standardization of the ad request, the SSAI spec — and splitting VPAID into verification and interactivity. He also expressed enthusiasm for expanding the Open Measurement SDK beyond mobile and into CTV down the line. Stay tuned for more major advancements in this area!

What does the future hold for SSAI?

There was agreement amongst all panelists that in order for the advancements in measurement and targeting to be successful, the OTT marketplace needs to expand and catch up. Without the appropriate buyers in place, these advanced targeting and measurement standards and technologies are worthless. Once buyers are more comfortable driving their decisions based on these new metrics, the possibilities will be endless. This industry shift will pave the way for exciting innovations like interactive creatives and in-content or in-app purchasing.

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It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year! And this holiday season, video marketing is all the rage. In fact, according to a new report from Slidely, over three-fourths of business owners and marketers are incorporating video into their 2018 holiday marketing strategy .

So, how can you ensure your ecommerce campaigns stand out amongst the holiday (music) noise? Here are some actionable steps you can take to optimize your video strategy this season.

Stay in the know

The video marketing landscape is changing rapidly, and it’s crucial that you maintain a firm grasp on the latest ecommerce trends and technology. According to our recent research on the customer shopping journey , customers have moved away from impulse purchases — and now spend a great deal of time comparing different prices and offers.

We found that consumers spend, on average, an hour and 20 minutes mulling things over and getting opinions from two other people before eventually making a purchase. As such, it’s more important than ever that you’re providing your audience with all the information and resources they need to be confident in choosing your product.

Highlight your products and services

Our recent 2018 Video Marketing Survey confirmed that video is a powerful tool for driving action amongst customers. According to the results, 45 percent of consumers find video to be the most engaging form of content — and 76 percent report they’ve purchased a product or service after viewing a video. What does that mean for your brand this holiday season? To capture your audience’s attention, you need to create engaging video content that serves to highlight the best of what you have to offer.

And if you really want to stand out from the crowd, think about how you showcase your offerings. Is there an exciting new approach that you can try out this season? Perhaps you can share footage of models sporting your new designs down the catwalk. Or maybe it’s time to launch an influencer marketing campaign. No matter your approach, remember that customers want to see video content with your products in action.

Try shoppable video

If you really want to take your holiday video content to the next level, consider adding interactivity into the mix. This can be a particularly valuable approach if you’re aiming to reach a millennial audience. In our 2018 Video Marketing Survey, we found that 30 percent of millennials want shoppable video.

And companies around the world are seeing amazing results from taking this approach. For example, Endeavour Drinks Group (EDG) drove huge holiday sales through their Global Christmas Menu . A whopping 26 percent of the unique viewers clicked on the products featured in EDG’s shoppable video campaign — and 41 percent of shoppers used the “add to cart” functionality. Overall, the campaign helped EDG increase brand and product awareness.

Are you ready to make this holiday season your most profitable yet? Make sure you have the right video marketing tools in place to take your ecommerce strategy to the next level.

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Streaming Media West is just around the corner—and I’m nearly ready to head out the door. I don’t know about you, but I like to be prepared for any topic that might come up. It sounds daunting—after all, we’re part of a highly complex industry that changes every day—but just scanning some industry news is enough to help get prepared. Before I go, I’m checking out these articles so that I’m ready for every panel and any conversation.

If you’re going to the…

OTT Leadership Summit

Read The State of Server Side Ad Insertion 2018 . Monetization is huge and SSAI will definitely be covered. Has it fulfilled its promise? Find out with this article.

Sports Summit

Read Go Beyond Live Sports Streaming: How to Extend the Reach of Your Video Content . This article touches on a major theme for sports broadcasters: leveraging social audiences for live events.

Live Streaming Summit

Read Best Practices for Monetizing Live Events & 24/7 Channels . This article will put you ahead of the curve, considering there’s an entire panel this year devoted to live stream monetization.

Video Engineering track

Read Why You Need Just-In-Time Packaging with Dynamic Delivery . Feeling techy? Study up with this article by yours truly.

I’ll be speaking on the panel The Future of Server Side Ad Insertion on Tuesday, November 13 at 4pm. Come hear how this versatile technology used for live broadcast is now starting to see adoption for VOD and livelinear. If you’re delivering ad supported content, you won’t want to miss this session.

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