How many times have you watched the news and heard about some no name business going viral because of a Youtube video? And how many times did you wish it was your business?

I know how you feel because it has happened to me plenty of times. As a business owner we have to stay on top of what works and what doesn’t. We take risks and try new things to get our business name out there, right? This is why I got all excited when a friend came to me with My Video Talk.

The Pros:

1. I send out text emails to my prospective and existing clients all of the time. With this particular product I was able to cut out all of the text and use video which is more compelling. Aside from being able to insert a video into the email, you can add your own logo and banner to reinforce your brand.

2. Youtube is where I normally upload videos. My Youtube channel has a custom background and everything but with this product I was able to set up my own webshow without all of the ads and Youtube logos. The individual pages with my videos are not cluttered with other people’s uploads and only show my brand’s message. I like this because it keeps my audience focused solely on my content.

3. The webshow feature allows you to create numerous channels and all of them can have different branding.

4. Upon doing a full video email campaign I received a lot of positive feedback. I got several phone calls asking “how did you do that?” As a result, I shared the information with some of my contacts and they ended up signing up for the service and immediately started using it for their businesses.

5. I can do live broadcasting and pay per view when ever I want with my own branding. For my business this is perfect because I’m able to consult with my clients live and even do product demonstrations catered to their specific needs and concerns.

The Cons:

1. I found that designing the email was easy and just a matter of picking colors, uploading a pre-made banner, uploading a video, uploading a logo or image. What irritated me about this process is there is nothing to tell you what size your banner should be and the application does not automatically resize your banner.

For a complete novice (which I am not) this can prove to be frustrating. I had to click on a preview of the default video email and right click on the banner to find the right dimensions to use when creating my banner. I’ll save you the trouble, use 728×90.

On that note let me add – if you don’t know how to make banners or don’t have the resources to make banners you will need to learn or pay someone to create custom banners reflecting your brand. The other option is using the generic My Video Talk default banner which for a business owner like me defeats the purpose entirely.

2. After sending out 13 test emails to friends, 2 of my friends said it went directly to their spam in-box, and one just didn’t get it at all.

3. Upon customizing my web show I noticed that under the custom header my customer ID number appears as the host and according to customer service there is no option for removing it or changing it to my name or my business name.

The other thing I discovered is that when you create multiple channels on the webshow, each channel has a box that displays “other channels from this user”. I asked customer service if there was a way to hide this box and I was told currently there is not.

Also, at the bottom of the web show page there are logos for Facebook and Twitter but there is no way to make it so that those logos are linked to my accounts with those sites.

4. In order to use the live broadcasting feature I have to use my PC instead of my Mac because a major component required is only compatible with a PC. As a Mac user that’s painful. While there are ways to make a Mac run like a PC, I just don’t want to jump through those hoops.

5. In order to set up a Pay Per View or Paid Live broadcaster you need to have a way to process your payments and system for collecting your money. There is no payment gateway included. This is not a problem for me but for a novice this could be a problem or learning curve.

I’m the type of person that reads reviews so that I can make an informed decision before buying anything. I couldn’t find a thorough review before I purchased. That is why I wrote this article so that you at least know what to expect. Savvy entrepreneurs that are used to using various softwares and online applications will find this pretty easy to use. A newbie might experience some frustration initially.

Overall, I have to say that I am pleased with the products and customer service. For my business needs the pros outweigh the cons. Despite the minor frustrations I would give My Video Talk a 9 out of 10.

For more information about My Video Talk visit: www.myvideotalkservice.info