What is Spark360?
Spark360 is a professionally produced business news television program that features small and medium sized businesses and is produced exclusively for the web.

What is the focus of your show?
The focus of our show is telling the stories of small and medium sized businesses. We like to zero in on the “spark” of innovation or ideas that are moving the needle in an organization or the industry they do business in.

How do you define “small to medium sized business”?
We define SMBs as a privately held business that generate $1M to $100M in annual revenue and have less than 1,000 employees.

Do you ever cover businesses run by sole proprietors?
We wouldn’t want to rule out a show on an amazing entrepreneur, but our focus will be SMBs that meet our core criteria.

Will you ever cover public companies?
Again, we don’t want to rule out the possibility, but our focus for the immediate future is the privately held SMB marketplace.

Why limit your focus on just one part of the marketplace?
Several reasons really. The biggest reason is that SMBs have the toughest time getting their stories out to the world. Traditional media tends to look them over and most cannot afford large public relations efforts to “sell” their stories to the media. We want to provide a venue where these stories can be told in a credible and quality way. Another big reason is that most big companies take to long to make decisions…and we hate red tape. We want to focus on stories that are relevant and newsworthy. We usually deal with the decision maker in an organization and we like the efficiency that provides.

Do you accept story ideas for businesses wanting to be featured on the program?

Yes. Simply click on the “APPLY” button on the top of this page. You will be directed to an online form that you can submit your idea for a story.

I want to be featured on Spark 360. How does it work?

A segment producer will contact you and set up a quick interview. If it is determined that there is interest, a script questionnaire will need to be filled out. Our producers will meet and make the decision on whether or not to go forward with a feature story. A production coordinator will then get in touch with you to coordinate a location shoot and studio date for the taping.

Does it cost anything to appear on the show?

Yes. The Spark360 business model is a combination of subsidized content and advertising. We invest 100% of the revenue that advertising generates to drive traffic to our site and exposure for your programs. Participant fees paid by our featured companies covers the cost of production and distribution of the show.

How do you keep journalistic integrity if this is a paid content model?

We could spend a lot of your time discussing our perceptions of journalistic integrity in the mass media, but let’s just say we have come up with a very simple and elegant solution…We control 100% of the story. Our team of professional journalists have built their careers on finding “stories” that have appeal to an audience. Every business has a great story that needs to be told. We’ll find it and we’ll tell it in an engaging and compelling way.

Does the company have any say in the direction or focus of the show?

Of course. It all starts with the initial interview. Our segment producer will get most of his/her direction for the story from this first stage in the process. There are multiple opportunities to dialogue with producers prior to the location and studio shoots. While we require editorial control, we view the process as a collaborative one. While it has never happened, we will happily refund any fees if we cannot agree on a story direction prior to filming.

Does the company get to look at the program prior to being broadcast?

No. Again, this is an area we feel that we must control and have final say. In the end, companies engage with us because of our track record of telling credible stories. We risk that credibility if the clients get involved in the storytelling process.

My business is a B2B business. How would I benefit from this type of program?

B2B businesses can benefit greatly by having their company featured on the program. Not only will we tell a great story about your business, we will distribute over the Internet via our 360 Distribution platform. This means your video will be featured on more than a dozen sites and SEO optimized. So when your potential customer is searching for products or services like yours, chances are they will find your spark360 feature video…and then find you.

Will video really help me reach my audience?

The short answer is yes. And it is a big yes. Video has quickly become the most popular content category on the Internet today-even passing search engine inquiries. Neilsen research estimates that 90% of all Internet traffic will be video by 2012. In other words, your audience is already looking for your video. If you don’t have one or if it doesn’t tell your story in a credible way, you should consider having spark360 feature your business on the program.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is very important if you want your company to show up on the major search engines. Recently, Google and the other major search engines have been giving video content a lot of weight in their algorithms. To take advantage of this trend, we have developed a sophisticated video SEO platform that will publish your video and favor the keywords that potential customers will most likely use when searching for the products and services you offer. Coupled with our “360 Distribution Best Practices”, your video will become a powerful prospecting tool and lead generator.

What kind of time commitment is involved on my end if we decide to participate?

It will require at least 2 hours of your time to complete the required interviews with our producers and fill out the questionnaire. The rest of the time commitment is totally up to you. Most of our featured companies will invest the time necessary to set up a hassle free location shoot by our crew. You also have the option to be present on the day of taping your segment in the studio. Studio interviews are an option you also have. If time investment is a strong consideration for you, ask your Production Coordinator about ways to economize and reduce the amount of time you need to invest even more.