Justin.tv Cleans Up Its Act, Makes it to Adoption Phase

This past May, we reported that online video site Justin.tv was on the cusp of the Adoption phase of their Tippingpoint Labs New Media Life Cycle. We even offered some suggestions for fostering the production of higher quality content:

• Highlight the most popular and broadly accessible content above the fold.
• Clean up the content.
• Limit the ads. Focus on content.
• Attract a big brand or mass media broadcaster. A little credibility is going to go a long way for Justin.tv.

They haven’t followed our suggestions to a T, but they’ve done quite a bit. Their homepage now promotes major upcoming broadcasts above the fold, and they’ve introduced paid pro accounts that eliminate the ads.

Traffic has been stagnant but quality is improving. Justin.tv is doing a better job of consolidating and promoting their best material.

Big splashes, ripples may follow

Justin.tv’s innovations have gone beyond the cosmetic. They also recently announced a 100% free, ad-supported API that developers can use to include video content in their applications.

The free API makes the channel content much more valuable by extending its reach and usefulness into new platforms. While the API doesn’t immediately affect content quality, it makes the channel more attractive to new producers looking for a home for their content.

The Adoption phase is marked by a small upswing in a core group of early adopters coming to understand the value of the medium and providing relevant, frequent, high-quality content to a wider audience. It’s also usually when ‘internet celebrities’ for the platform or channel are discovered.

Justin.tv may have a celebrity in the recently launched The PC Hookup, something of a late-night talk show, hosted by Christian Lander, creator of the Stuff White People Like blog. Here’s a recent episode — watch at your leisure, it’s pretty long.

Watch live video from PC Hook-up on Justin.tv

It’s not a great use of online video. The runtime is cumbersome and the slick production values don’t quite fit in with the homegrown feel of a lot of other video on Justin.tv. But, it’s a step in the right direction for Justin.tv. The show is sponsored by Microsoft Windows. A recent broadcast was so popular that it was a trending topic on Twitter.

Getting to Escalation

Justin.tv has made good strides to improve the channel, but they have a lot of work ahead to get to the next phase of their life cycle, Escalation. That phase — marked by a dramatic upswing in traffic and content generation (Twitter’s currently in Escalation) — brings with it much mainstream media attention.

There are a lot of video sites out there competing for similar audiences. YouTube is the big name, but smaller players like Justin.tv, Ustream, and Livestream are trying to define their niches in the online video space.

Justin.tv has really caught on with a tech heavy audience and gaming crowds. In fact, our last, somewhat critical piece on the channel drew some attention on Hacker News. I wonder if Justin.tv could become a good channel for live, interactive tech how-tos or community-generated educational content. Screencasts of complicated developer activities — taking questions live — could be very engaging for folks new to the world of programming.

Takeaway

Justin.tv’s technological innovations have advanced it into a higher-quality channel. It’s a channel ripe to produce some new stars in the internet space. If their development and quality continue to grow, they will become a powerful channel of focused users.

My question to you

When you hear “online video,” what’s the first thing you think of … after YouTube? Anything? And when you hear “online live broadcasting,” does anything come to mind?

About the author

Brad Schwarzenbach -

As an analyst on the Tippingpoint Strategy team, Brad explores new opportunities for clients to build relationships with their customers. He’s always testing new social media channels, poring over analytic data, and identifying emerging trends. He also speaks at conferences & events about uncovering powerful messages hidden within brands' unique values.

Brad’s research has contributed to the development of content & contributor strategies for such clients as Breville, Rodale, Long’s Jewelers, and Fusionapps, as well as being a frequent contributor to the Tippingpoint blog. He’s been “listening” to the way we communicate online since the old AOL People Connection days and watched the way that digital communication has evolved.

An English and Creative Writing major at the University of Connecticut, Brad’s spent most of his career creating web content and becoming intimately familiar with web theory for Bayard, Inc. and TomTom Inc., giving Brad keen ears and eyes to what, exactly, makes web content valuable.

Outside the office, Brad feels most at home with his beautiful wife-to-be Kristina, or on the golf course. “There’s a distinct pace and rhythm to the way people communicate online.  Understanding and taking part in them yields amazing opportunities for my clients to not only grow but to improve their business. I’m constantly looking for those opportunities.”