Can't Buy Me Traffic – At Least Not Always!
There’s lots of techie and geeky buzz about Justin.tv of late, an EdTV scenario made real in which a random tech-warrior of the geeked out west (that would be Justin) records himself 24/7 amidst Silicon Valley adventures.
Not too long ago, another .tv had some buzz, or at least some paid buzz behind it: Bud.tv, the Anheuser-Busch backed site that was supposed to usher in a new era of original online video content, presumably aimed at right-thinking sports-loving beer-swilling young gents.
However, after a massive outlay of between $30 million and $40 million, traffic has plummeted some 40% – from 253,000 in February to 152,000 in March – according to Advertising Age. Hilariously, AdAge rubs salt in the wound by noting that according to ratings service Quantcast, Bud.tv currently sits between a porn site and the “comprehensive source for sheet rubber” in terms of popularity on the Internet.
Just as in politics, money can get you somewhere, but it can’t take you all the way. Media Landscaping gets to the heart of the matter by noting that: “These Ad-Driven-Traffic models will never hold up long term without really compelling content; which to this point they do not have.” It’s then pointed out – and I hugely agree – that original and expensive online video isn’t enough. Other kinds of content, blogs, podcasts, as well as the ability to embed that content anywhere are essential parts of any new large scale online media play.
By the way, Justin’s still sleeping at the moment I’m writing these words. Wake up dude!
