Online Video Mania!

Online Video has made great strides in the past few years, especially with the introduction of YouTube into the proverbial “Cyberspace” over 3 years ago.  YouTube started as a way to upload user-generated content, giving amateurs the opportunity to star in their own homemade videos and make it visible to the World Wide Web for all to see.  Site users and visitors grew quickly and eventually Google snatched it up to add to its suite of online properties in October, 2006.

 

Eventhough YouTube is mostly geared towards video clips of movies or shows and those creating homemade videos for entertainment purposes, it has such a great viral effect in the Web 2.0 World (Social Networking sites) that companies have also started utilizing videos as a successful marketing tool.

 

Adding videos to your website, landing pages or video sharing sites is a great way to engage your customers.  It tells them what they need to know in a short, concise visual message versus forcing them to read paragraphs of information to make an informed decision.  It’s also a great way to instruct your visitors on next steps encouraging them to take action.

 

In a recent seminar I attended presented by a local Search Engine Marketing company, they recommend to write down the top 10 problems your customers face and address them in your online video.  Walk your customers through a process or product description/demonstration and instruct them on next steps in a short video clip.  Make the learning process as simple and straight forward as possible, then make sure you include a call to action.  The average video should be between :30 (seconds) to 3:30 in length, but no more than 5 minutes unless it’s a training video or sales guide.  In fact, online videos are a great way to train new employees without the added expense of air fare and hotel accommodations to send them to a training seminar and they’re available 24/7! 

 

Check out the outstanding product and training videos produced by the company we utilize in promoting online videos to our clients at MindGrabMedia.com.

 

Videos have proven to have strong viewership that continues to grow and favorable response rates.  According to comScore (comScore May, 2008 Press Release), U.S. Internet users viewed 11.5 billion online videos during the month of March 2008, which is a whopping 64% increase over March 2007.  Google sites lead the competition with a 38% share of all videos viewed online, with YouTube accounting for 98% of videos viewed on Google.  The next closest competitor is Fox Interactive Media with a 4.2% share.  comScore goes on to report that nearly 139 million U.S. Internet users watched an average of 83 videos per viewer in March. 

 

In addition to the astounding viewership of online videos, the response rate isn’t too shabby either.  According to a study conducted by the Online Publishers Association in June 2007, out of the 80% who had viewed an Online Video Ad, 52% had taken some sort of action.  More specifically, 31% ventured on to the company’s website, 22% searched for more information about the product and 16% actually made a purchase.  These numbers are only going to climb.

 

As you can see, online videos are not just a fad nor are they just for fun.  They should not be ignored as a way to educate online consumers about your company’s products or services.  (It’s definitely on our “to do” list.)  Don’t forget about utilizing video as a means to train your sales staff too.  The opportunities are endless. 

 

It’s only a matter of time before you too will join in on the Online Video Craze!