Fiction? Time warp? Nope, it's real and available now at ChannelMe.TV, a potential-laden corner of the web known as .TV. But even parent company Demand Media, which has so far pitched its new .TV-based platform mainly to individuals, hasn't (yet) grasped the powerful potential it could have for small business and startup entrepreneurs.
The ChannelMe.TV service is still wet behind the ears. But as an added piece to your existing web presence (think "Click to see our new web TV channel"), or even a primary touch point, having your own .TV channel is a quick, inexpensive and downright cool way to make your brand stand out (and be in, too).
The .TV domain extension is open to anyone, just like .COM or .NET. You don't have to be a television mogul to own one (though late night star Carson Daly does). But unlike .COM where the best names disappeared shortly after dinosaurs, fabulous .TV domains are still available. You can register a .TV name at many different domain registrars. GoDaddy, for instance, charges $39.99. But since Demand Media owns the primary .TV engine, including a vast inventory of premium names, ChannelMe is the best place to register a .TV domain name for your business since you get an all-in-one channel building kit free with a $24.95 registration that will allow you to:
~ Program your channel: Upload your own videos, or link to others on the web. Let customers, prospects and other visitors rate and comment on your channel's content.
~ Create and customize your business profile: Select a channel design template; customize an avatar, display "About" text and more.
~ Start a blog, forum or survey: It's never been easier. Talk to your customers. Make entries public or private, with moderated or unmoderated comments.
~ Post photos of your products, place of business, customers, staff or whatever you like.
~ Start your own business (a.k.a. "social") network: Invite customers and prospects to view, join and participate in your business channel. Share links and build a community.
~ Make some money: Turn on the advertising feature to include search ads on your site and share in the revenue. This won't get you much right now, but the service will likely improve.
In short, .TV is a small biz web opportunity at its very beginning.
Business.com's "What Works for Business" blog is a great way to keep up with the latest solutions, trends and strategies for small and medium business — including business technology and Internet news.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Search for the perfect .tv name
The first step to creating a .TV web channel for your business is to register a great name.I recommend: Start by searching for names at ChannelMe.tv. Don't stop with just your business name. Consider other catchy names, or names related to the specific products or services you offer. Some of the most sought-after names may be available as "Premium" names, which simply means they cost more. Depending on the price, it might be well worth it. Premium names start at about $100 per year, and go up to tens of thousands.
Check out other channels for ideas
The channel building race at .TV has just begun. But it will fill up, so don't wait.I recommend: Visit different topic categories in the .TV Channels Guide. Some are super and have gained over a million visits in less than four months. Others, as with the early days of any new service or technology, are less than appealing. Think of it as MySpace before anyone had heard of it. In fact, ChannelMe is headed by the former chairman and co-founder of MySpace. Here's his channel.
See what you can do, and how to do it
Be creative. As a business-building tool, this is untapped territory.I recommend: Find fast answers on how to customize, program, share, manage and post advertising on your channel. And ChannelMe.tv will no doubt be adding new features in the future.
Join the .TV discussion
Entrepreneurs interested in building businesses around .TV names are trading ideas across the web.I recommend: Check out the latest .TV discussion at NamePros -- a very lively place -- and keep up with .TV news at AllThings.tv. You'll also find interesting comments at Dot TV Nation, a blog about the .TV extension.
Own an entire product or service category
Why stop with just your name?I recommend: Say, for example, your business is oranges. If you think that owning this entire fruit in .TV land is worth $500 per year, you could buy it as a premium name. On the other hand, if you aspired to corner the .TV market in raisins, that domain was still available recently for a mere $24.95. Search for your .TV names here.
Keep checking back
Prices may change and services may be addedI recommend: ChannelMe.tv is still so new that it can't quite make up its mind what to charge for .tv domain registrations. The usual price seems to be $24.95, although the site has offered domains at $19.95, $17.95 and even $15.95.
Create your own video ads for upload
New low-cost services are available for small businessI recommend: AditAll a new web-based platform for small and mid-size businesses to create, customize and distribute video ads. Average costs for AditAll video ads range from $300-$700; well below costs of creating quality videos other ways. It's also a distribution channel for video and audio content producers and developers. Advertisers can post a request for specific audio/video needs; producers can then create/post clips for potential purchase.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Adding a welcome video to your site will help promote your business and make the site more inviting to customers and prospects. You can either upload a video, or record one directly via a camcorder.
- "Grab It" is a cool tool that lets you link videos to your .tv channel from places like YouTube, Yahoo! Video, Google Video, MySpace Video and many others.
- Use bookmarking tools to place links on your channel to the most popular bookmarking sites on the web, such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Squidoo and many others.
- Program a "playlist" of videos to appear on your home page with a simple drag-and-drop tool.
- A great way to promote a .TV channel is simply to invite other people to "join" or become friends of your channel.
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