Vimeo Migration that Never Happened!

I run through a lot of possible scenarios here – sometimes I’m absolutely convinced that I will follow-through only to realize that the path is either not worth the time right now and best delayed or just plain wrong.

In this case, last week, I was convinced I’d move my stuff from YouTube.com to Vimeo… since then, I’ve had second thoughts… not because the idea was bad or not well supported, but because I’m still on the fence – I fell off to the side then got back on as you’ll see! My biggest concern – being able to add my own advertising on the videos… Viddler allows this as do a few other systems but Vimeo is really the site I want. I want to advertise products and services that I use and recommend… like my books etc.

I’d hate to go through all this legwork just to go through it again once a system that uses the power of YouTube.com, the “cheapness” of Vimeo and the functionality of Viddler pops-up. Yep, back on the fence for now and like a vulture, a holding pattern until I see something worth jumping into.

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If you’ve been following me from my WoodMarvels.com beginnings, you would have noticed that every few years I seem to switch video providers… at first I was with Reever.com (went under) and move to YouTube.com and now, the next logical step is a VimeoPRO account. I also tend to up-render my animations on a regular basis when I have some extra bandwidth on my workstation… so there is a gradual replacement of the old with the new in one form or another.

Why pay for video when it’s free on YouTube.com?

Not only that, YouTube.com cuts me a check for hosting my videos there, unlimited plays, bandwidth etc… it’s an incredibly sweet deal. Well, I need to focus on developing long term partnerships for CNCKing.com and allowing advertising on my videos (via Google Adwords) is a loophole that I need to close. It’s interesting how I’ve managed to get things this far without any advertising on either the blog or the main site but I have rejected them so far.

There is some incredible value on my site due to the nature of the niche I’m serving… being paid 1-10$/CPM just doesn’t cut it. I always saw this business as the Rolex of the woodworking world, relying on pennies to fund dollars doesn’t fit in that world or the image I’m trying to display ON my site, off my site, I don’t care as the equation there is awareness, not monetization.

Sure, I could remove YouTube.com advertising completely from my videos but the point is if you are NOT on CNCKing.com – I see no harm in getting some residuals. I want CNCKing.com to be a professional site in every way… from custom branded videos players (what VimeoPRO offers) to an awesome blog with courses on how to do all this stuff (paywall videos etc.). There is a real thirst in the market, I see it everyday when I talk to visitors on my site… I need to address it in a big way.

Since the very beginning, I branded ALL my videos with my website, no matter where the video ended-up, people always knew where it came from… including screenshots. This won’t change with Vimeo of course but it allows me to really push hard on several fronts that I’ve allowed to stagnate on purpose as I was focused on other endeavors.

It’s quite incredible the number of paths I can take with CNCKing.com… and now with CNCKingdom.com really gaining steam… wow… awesome global potential if I partner with the RIGHT manufacturers and service providers. When your customers buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machines – and you know for a FACT that they will be buying more… you catch some attention.

Why invest to go up-market?

In the online video marketplace, very few people actually make a return on their investment, CNCKing.com has managed to do this despite my videos and all the other stuff I do. I’m going to have to iron my shirt one day!

You know that Wooden Big Wheels that cost me 500$AU to make out of wood? Well, it’s already turned a profit multiple! CNCKing.com has sold machines as has CNCKingdom.com and both together have taught me so much about global business. Manufacturers are increasingly fighting for this space that I occupy and although I’ve already picked my ducks (which becomes obvious if you watch my live videos), there is so much I haven’t done and put on hold.

I have an awesome base of mostly “toys” right now on CNCKing.com, the reason for that is they are easy to design, build and cut on a small format machine… I haven’t done much if any CNC engraving (laser or router), furniture and other more advanced projects. Cabinetry is a massive market, people buy machines and don’t know where to start (purpose of my last volume was a new beginning and intro to CNC machines, how to design, buy and build for them) and the next one will be focused on generating profits from your work. Point being, a toy that costs 50-200$US to cut and build doesn’t leave much fat for the operator but a beautiful desk that’s well designed and can sell for a few thousand – plenty of fat there to live from for all involved.

Why VimeoPRO?

I actually played with VimeoPRO when I launched my wife’s HowToChinese.com online Mandarin Chinese course… I liked the ease of the interface, the power I got on a per-video basis and a host of other features. I will of course still upload my videos to YouTube.com and other sites, but only embed Vimeo stuff on my blog and main CNCKing.com site. There are other providers of course, I have been waiting for YouTube.com to come-out with a private-label version like VimeoPRO but why keep waiting when I have an awesome solution right now with another company?

Diversification is key

An early lesson I learned in life is that diversification is key, CNCKing.com is no different, I have a variety of CNC machine file types, a variety of media and a variety of other designers… I’ve made instructional videos, cutting/building videos and a bunch of other stuff. What people find surprising is that even if you don’t buy anything from my site when visiting it, I still made money from visitors watching videos – although that will be weaned slowly (updating and upload a bunch of videos isn’t an overnight process) – with all the books, interviews etc…one thing seems to tumble into another generating a sale somewhere down the line or an opportunity that more than pays for what I invest in time and treasure. Although it was tough, the decision to rebrand from WoodMarvels.com to CNCKing.com was by far one of my smarter moves on this site.

Blogging from the start

What makes all this so much fun is that I’ve documented the rise of this site from the very beginning, you can actually go back and see how decisions have played themselves out since I launched this site in 2008! Opportunities arise and doors open… it’s been a wonderful ride and it just keeps getting more unpredictable over time. For instance, I got a magazine request from a major publisher just last week who wanted to promote my Wooden Big Wheels! Random stuff like that is awesome… in this case, a great promotional piece for the manufacturer ShopBot Tools who have supported me for years. These little wins are becoming more frequent!