** Upgrade Announcement **

What a month!

We just finished constructing the next-generation of streaming video, specifically created for the speaking industry. eSpeakers new video system offers important advantages over YouTube and Flash-based video — see more details at the bottom.

As usual, you'll automatically get the latest features next time you start the eSpeakers App. If you haven't already installed the App, download the iPhone, Mac or Windows version right now. Or, retrieve your username or password if you need it.

(These badges indicate which membership levels the feature applies to: )

New & improved in your eSpeakers Service:

• 

  The new video upload process makes it easy to get your video clips onto your eSpeakers profile. We recommend you have 3 to 5 clips lasting 3 to 5 minutes each (your account provides for a total of up to 30 minutes).

  The new system can accept video files in any popular format/size. It can even copy your clip from YouTube if you already have it there.

  To add video clips to your profile, click the MARKETING button at the bottom of the eSpeakers App (or launch via the web), click the MULTIMEDIA tab, then find the VIDEO section and click the ADD button. Easy!
  

• 

  The efficiency of the new process has reduced our cost to process video clips. You can upload your first video clip at no charge, and after your first free clip, each additional clip can now be uploaded for only $4.95 (vs. previous fee of $35/clip)

  To give you a chance to replace your existing video clips with high-quality HD (widescreen) format video supported by the new system, we're completely waiving the processing fee: it is $FREE until November 1st.

  note: Because videos on eSpeakers are published through our partners (associations and speakers bureaus), we watch every single video to make sure it looks great and is bureau-friendly (no direct contact information). The one-time $4.95 fee covers this labor and the bandwidth costs for the life of the clip.

  Curious to learn why we think eSpeakers video is better than YouTube? Read the technical info at the bottom of this email.
  

• 

  Working in partnership with leaders at the National Speakers Association (NSA), we've added a new feature to the profiles of Starter members which lets them add in a link pointing to a webpage of videos on their own website or sites like YouTube or Vimeo.
  

• On your marketing profile, the field BUREAU-FRIENDLY URL has been removed because it was not needed.

• 

  On your marketing profile, a new field has been added: MEDIA SPECIFIC URL. If you have a special page, or even an entire site where you send members of the media, this is the place to put it. It's currently used only for speakers published on one of our new directory publishers, the Women Speakers Association, but may be displayed on other publishers in the future.

  Any value in the old bureau-friendly URL field was copied to this new field. You should login in and update or clear that value.
  

Everyone at eSpeakers is working hard to keep you out doing what you do best for your audiences. The way you run and promote your business makes a big difference over the long term, and we're with you all the way.

If you have a speaker or staff friend who hasn't discovered the eSpeakers way yet, please send them over for a Starter account so they can start using the core features to improve their business.

Do take advantage of the $0 processing fee for new video clips during October. Take the opportunity to replace all of your video clips. Even if you just put the same video back up, it will look much better after having been processed through the new system.

Cheers!

Dave Reed

eSpeakers

Technology

If you're curious to know why we think eSpeakers new video is better for speakers than YouTube, read on...

NO FLASH

We've launched new technology YouTube is only experimenting with right now: Flash-less video. YouTube still relies on Adobe Flash technology, which a growing number of meeting planners cannot see, particularly on mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone. Apple also ships their laptop and desktop machines without Flash installed.

Flash video is being replaced with "HTML5 video," which refers to the fact that newer web browsers (IE 9, Safari, Chrome, Firefox) have the built-in ability to play video without an extra plugin like Flash.

The result? eSpeakers video will play beautifully for a growing pool of viewers where YouTube can't. That's a Pretty Big Deal, in my humble opinion. If your personal website still uses YouTube or other Flash-required video, I encourage you to take advantage of the video plugin that puts our new technology on your personal website and is included at no charge with your PLUS or PRO account.

If you're not sure whether the video on your site requires Flash, try right-clicking on a playing video on your site and look in the pop-up menu for "About Adobe Flash Player..." near the bottom of the list. If you see it, you depend on Flash.

BEST PLAYLIST

Another big advantage of eSpeakers new video player: a built-in playlist of your other clips that is always visible next to the playing video. This encourages viewers to watch more of you.

LOOKS LIKE A PRO

I've talked to speakers who just don't like "the YouTube look." It cripples good page design when you have to make space on the page for the full size of the playing video (and what if you have more than one?). With eSpeakers video, the link can be a small video thumbnail, a text link, or any other image. When clicked, the page fades out and a player instantly appears in a box (it looks really nice; check out this example).

SEARCH ENGINE PLACEMENT

There is one thing you'll still want YouTube for: search engine placement. Being owned by Google makes YouTube an important part of your search engine placement strategy.

For your professional profile and your own website, use eSpeakers video. But I highly encourage you to post duplicate clips to YouTube for the purpose of SEO.