Rachel Sklar Jason Linkins has an issue with video classifieds.
Uhm…okay. We are drawn to movement–and shiny things! But aren’t classified ads supposed to be simple, and cost-effective? Once you factor in the expense of the video equipment, the matte paintings, the storyboards and craft services, hasn’t the cost-to-benefit ratio been blown out of the box?
She’s reacting to a piece in the LA Times that says, “Video classifieds are new … ”
Except they’re not.
Video classifieds pre-date web 2.0 by a good couple of years. Digital Media Classifieds, now Digital Media Communications, started turning recruitment ads into video six or seven years ago, or further back.
When I first heard about DMC, I was skeptical, but then we instituted the program in Ventura and quickly learned three things — Advertisers loved it, job hunters watched the videos, and the up sell created a significant revenue stream.
Video classifieds are a no-brainer, and letting users generate their own ads get in on the fun just makes a lot of sense.
