So I was in the bath contemplating how I should best exploit video content in affiliate marketing. I've done a bit of video content now and recently bought a new camcorder to try and spur me on to increased output and better quality. I haven't actually done any video reviews since I got the camera as I need to do a fresh round of emails to companies to ask for evaluation products. One merchant did contact me direct with some software to review, which is on my to do list.

Previously, like with my review of the Kodak Wireless Digital Photo Frame, I created the video, stuck it up on Youtube and then embedded it into a couple of relevant blogs. The video was branded with a URL but I kept the content purely as a showcase of the functionality and didn't mention anything about where you could buy it - that came below the embedded video in a text link.

Then I noticed later on that someone else put the video in their blog and it was becoming content that they were monetising in their own way. I was pretty relaxed about that as they linked to my site too and I was I guess flattered that someone liked the video enough to post it on their site.

But I guess this raises the issue which has no doubt been raised before: what's to stop other affiliates using your video content and then promoting their own affiliate links? As far as I can see, if you're hosting your vids with Youtube and choose to allow embedding, anyone can make use of your content to drive their own sales.

But should you even care? If the video is nicely branded, the more eyeballs you get will result in you getting more kudos and credit and people may well remember you and come back to you in future even if on that occasion someone else got the click through.

Is there a solution? Well, there already be solutions that I don't know about but I saw something cool the other day which may show the way forward. Vzaar is a new video hosting service designed to be embedded into eBay auctions. Actually it's slightly gutting because my friend had exactly the same idea and was starting work on it, but you have to say these people have done a great job. And programmatically included into each video is a Bid Now link with pricing info from eBay.

What would be great is if YouTube allowed you to associate a URL with a video and then it became clickable throughout or at then of the video, or if there was an alternative video hosting service designed for affiliates, like Vzaar is for auction sellers, which had a Buy Now button embedded in it.

Ok, the more I think of it, a dedicated affiliate-leaning video hosting service is a great idea and if I had the skills I'd think about it doing it myself. How cool would it be if an affiliate network led the way and created one? That would be real innovation and interest me more than the widgets and content units we've seen lately.

Labels: affiliate marketing, video