Advice, How-Tos Hoping for Broad Appeal

A recent spate of announcements indicates the 18- to 34-year-old male geek isn’t the only target audience for professional broadband video. Videos focused on everything from fashion tips for the budget-conscious clotheshorse to child-rearing advice for new mothers define some new content offerings that have recently been announced. Will these broad but well-defined niches bring advertising riches? We shall see.

Newbaby.com is born: Parenting guru Maria Bailey’s BSM Media conducted a study that concluded “80% of mothers are watching videos online, with 43% preferring videos that provide expert advice and solutions” according to the release.

So she co-founded NewBaby.com, a destination site for parents geared towards mothers. Besides a friend network and a series of blogs, it features advice from experts and “NewBaby TV” with plenty of questions and answers from both professionals and other parents.

Could video reduce health costs? That’s what a research study being conducted by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare is trying to determine. The key element of the study is a site from MultiMedicus called the “Child Health Guide,” which features searchable video of young patients with everything from acne to whooping cough, to better help parents diagnose problems at home. Harvard Pilgrim’s goal is to reduce “inappropriate” emergency room visits and costs.

$6 million for your thoughts: Expert advice is the new user-generated content, according to a Series A round announcement from iAmplify, which scored $6 million in funding from Kodiak Venture Partners. Among the broad interests that the company serves are everything from parenting to weight loss. The service offers paid downloads, and features self-improvement personalities like Marilu Henner and Marianne Williamson.

Top Model joins Chic.tv: Lifestyle site Chic.tv has hired America’s Next Top Model veteran Mel Rose to host a series giving clothing tips to beautiful people on a budget called Fashion Forward: The Mel Rose Show. Though geared toward young women, it’s one of over 200 shows that the site boasts in its announcement. Topics include style, dining, nightlife and wine, with a focus on the greater New York area.