We’re looking for Why wingding™?
Our Story – The Early Days
Our story began as a small company with a passion for video production and the desire to produce live video. We’re still a small company (by design) with those same desires. We (Zeus Social, LLC at the time – Zeus Digital marketing, LLC now) began the journey in 2008. Producing live video was a massive challenge in 2008 when most internet connections were either dial up or DSL. Most consumer equipment was barely able to connect to the internet. Streaming live video wasn’t pretty. Video on-demand was easier, but still less than desirable. Simply storing and moving (upload/download) video files was a challenge.
First Live Race Broadcast in 2008
We were first on the scene several times along the way. Being first isn’t always attractive. In 2008 when we broadcast a live (to our website) stock car race from the Nashville Motorplex with a selection of (then) current and former NASCAR stars, we were the first (by 4 years) to accomplish such a production. The RacersReuniuon.com Shootout was a very proud moment that turned ugly when we realized most of our audience couldn’t watch the race on our website due to ISP latency issues. The buffering, skipping, and freezing content wasn’t due to our lack of production abilities. We were fully capable of producing a great show. We hired a professional television crew, switched multiple cameras, utilized a sportscaster with color commentary, and created an awesome pre-show to lead into the live race production. Few, back then, fully understood the term bandwidth, let alone understanding the impact and characteristics of bandwidth over time and how that effects the stream. Service providers were not well versed in that type of use. The ISP at the time promised us a minimum of 5 gigs up. That’s where we started and within about 90 seconds dropped to .75 up and fluctuated between .75 and 1.5 for the balance of the race. We were educated quickly and had to produce the race on DVD and upload it to the site to save face with the audience.
Internet Radio
We very quickly gravitated (we felt) backwards to online audio production. It was much easier, took fewer resources, and the file sizes was manageable. Back then we called it internet radio. The name podcast became a better description of our online talk show product, but the word was unfamiliar. I can’t remember the first time I heard the name, but I do remember thinking it was a weird name for internet radio. The name is believed to have originated from the combination of (Apple) iPod and broadcast. But podcasts were originally audio. The definition below is current Merriam-Webster posting.
Video Podcasts
In 2009 we began putting a camera on our internet radio talk show host. We sent the feed, that only had the host along with anyone in-studio, to our website. We were blown away by the number of people who liked to “watch” our internet radio show. Gradually we worked our way back into the the live and on-demand video business as equipment and ISP technology improved. In 2016 when Facebook began allowing live broadcast to the platform, we rushed to get there. Again, we were among the first to use (OBS) broadcast software, green screens, virtual sets, and professional audio to the Facebook platform. The results were not that pretty initially, but miles ahead of where we were back in 2008, and eventually became pretty impressive….to most.
What We Offer
Being Found
Most creators want to be paid for our content. YouTube has worked well for many, but the majority can’t seem to move the needle there. There’s so much competition for attention on the platform, it makes standing out an impossibility for most. Content isn’t actually categorized there, but rather found by way of searching titles, keywords, and sometimes tags. Competition for those titles and keywords requires a solid SEO background, and most creators do not posses it. Getting paid for content first requires being found. We categorize and catalog our content to attract consumers quickly to the content they desire. Our creator’s content will “stand out” on wingding™!
Content Availability
Our slogan really says it all. @Home. @Work. @Play. Anytime. Anyplace. Any Device—Mobile. Desktop. Television. With distribution to Roku (50 million subscribers) , Amazon Fire TV (55 million subscribers) , and Apple TV (40 million subscribers), we’ve maximized distribution. We’ve made all that distribution available to iPhone and Android users via the wingding™ app for free in their respective stores. Consumers can access our content quickly and easily anytime, from anywhere, and on any device.
Digital Marketing
During the planning and development of wingding™ we surveyed many in the OTT industry. The single biggest challenge in this business is getting traffic to the network. Our parent company, Zeus Digital Marketing specializes in driving internet traffic. Zeus Digital has been a premiere web design and SEO firm in Myrtle Beach, SC since 2008. That challenge is handled. We’ve been engaged in content marketing since 2008. We also offer those digital marketing services to our creators who manage a website and social media.
What We Are Looking For
The categories tab on this website is a starting point for discussion about the content we will accept. We’re fairly wide open in that regard…at least for the time being. In the early stages of fulfilling content to the network, we are willing to consider any content with good production value. Having a decent following on social media is huge help. We consider the relationship between ourselves and our creators a team effort. We will do our part to provide a professional platform with wide-reaching availability and efforts to get viewers to your content, but we want creators who are willing to roll up their sleeves and share in the effort. together we can make wingding™ and amazing option for content distribution.
Why We’re Different
Let’s face it….all of us would prefer to have our content on Netflix, Disney, Discovery, or (insert platform here). Getting content to those platforms is certainly possible, and we encourage striving for the top. But, in the mean time, there are millions of us who need a wingding™ dedicated to creators with original content. We feel this is a badly need void in the OTT space. We’re looking for variety and “original” content from veteran and emerging talent. This is an opportunity to build an audience and earn ad dollars on highly trafficked content.
We are also a one-stop shop for creators who need more than a place to distribute content. From website development, search marketing, and social media strategy to production and training, we will help you with all aspects of the journey.
Reach out! Contact us HERE. Let’s discuss your content and your goals.
Jeff Gilder
President, Zeus digital Marketing
Creator, wingding™.