Devoted to online marketing, viral marketing, and web marketing

AOL is attempting to become a full-blown Internet television network or possibly the equivalent of an entire cable broadcast offering.

One of the areas that has been a pleasant surprize for them has been what they have called their "Coaches" channel. This is basically a self-help area that began as a small niche strategy and has grown into a fully interactive video workshop.

It has become so popular that before the end of 2006, it will have a stable of 15 A-list self-help leaders and numerous others that are a level below the big guns.

"Coaches" takes full advantage of the online medium, offering tools, quizzes, resources, expert questions and answers, and exercises to improve consumers' lives. There are also links to purchase books and videos."

Possibly more important than the temporary growth and success, is that coaches is an online laboratory that helps AOL learn the endless ways that people are engaging the content that the various 'coaches' offer. From there they are creating new products and services that fit in with their customers' desires. Included with the coaches are John Gray and Stephen Covey.

Janet Rolle, who runs AOL's "Coaches" business as vice president/general manager of Women's and Lifestyle Programming, says that "It's a platform to empower people to get the answers to their questions," Rolle notes. For example, a video workshop with "The View's" Star Jones Reynolds addresses the question: "Is he 'the one'?" and proceeds to help women ask themselves the right questions before making a critical life decision. "Authors are trying to reach as large an audience as possible. We pay the production costs to make the workshops. There are no fees to the talent," Rolle adds. "If a particular author wants us to drive people to a particular destination for purchase, we do it. We don't preselect the destination for book buying."

For part one of the post go here.