John Mahoney has this interesting article on how providing ‘embed codes’ helps in the viral propagation of content on the web. He uses the example of the ongoing US presidential campaign- and how the candidates have posted campaign videos……

My goal in making this post was to emphasize the underlying need for candidates to embrace the web in a different way – a more social way – then had been done in prior campaigns. It was a post about process, and not an attempt to promote – or deliberately ignore – any candidate in this race.

While I do wish I had correctly included John Edwards as a part of this overview, I still stand by the main thesis of this post – summarized in the last paragraph – on the changing role the web will play in this election.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1etlZaf6zUw

Do you know what you’re talking about, or are you blowing smoke?

Here’s his announcement from December 27th 2006.

Also – thanks for the correction about Sen. Clinton’s blog.

-j

Actually, Clinton has a placeholder for a blog, not a blog (yet).

John Edwards has gone straight to YouTube for all his video needs, and has a very active blog, with all the bells and whistles of a community blogging site in addition to the official posts. Nice to see a candidate willing to let posts that might not be exactly “on message” show up on their blog.

http://www.thenewsmarket.com/videoeverywhere

(Fair-disclosure: I am an executive with The NewsMarket and also an ex-Multex’r so whatever John says, I tend to agree with.)

Now my comment on the impact of the new media world on this election and the importance of not only having video on your site but also on ensuring that you are providing seamless access for all key audiences to take and use that video in the format that they need…

Immediacy and reach will be defining moments in this presendential election to a degree not seen in any other election in history.

As the nominees pour into the race, most still comment that it’s early – and oh how right they are. While just under two years away, the candidates’ direct ability to communicate and the voting populations’ direct access to information, as it happens, without the media even having time to react and shape opinion will have a profound impact. For the candidates, it will seem more like eight years as opinion and momentum is reshaped – again in real time.

John is right on here – providing the ability to embed is critical. I would add that enabling the media to use that video as well is key. Without BOTH of these abilities, and those of podcasts, you are dramatically limiting your reach and immediacy and therefore, your relevance and impact.