Imagine a place where you can still secure a killer domain name for your business, product or service, book it for peanuts, and get all the tools to build your own customized-rich media site – with videos, blogs, widgets, social networks, advertising and more – thrown in free.
Fiction? Time warp? Nope, it’s real and it’s here now at ChannelMe.tv – a potential-laden corner of the Web called .TV. But even parent company Demand Media, which has so far pitched it mainly to individuals, hasn’t (yet) grasped the power its new platform could have for small biz.
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 Web 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 and other celebrities do). But unlike .COM where the best names disappeared shortly after dinosaurs did, great .TV domains are still available.
Many domain registrars offer .TV names. GoDaddy, for instance, charges $39.99. But since Demand Media itself owns the primary .TV engine, including a vast inventory of premium names, ChannelMe is the best place to go. You get an all-in-one channel building kit free with a $24.95 .TV domain 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, and the Me.TV tools let you instantly integrate it into your channel. Talk to your customers. Make entries public or private.
Post photos of your products, 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. 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 is a small-biz Web opportunity at its very beginning. •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at
editor@business.com.
