We have entered a new phase in the development of the Internet. Communicating on the World Wide Web is no longer the static, text based medium we've grown up with over the past dozen or so years. Technology has delivered the resources to allow easy use of good quality streaming video and multimedia.
From marketing tools, to movie clips - from online infomercials to streaming TV and live webcasting. Like it or not, we are in the grip of a major shift in online communication and we will all have to embrace this technology as our 'first-generation' static (text-based) websites gradually become extinct.
Time scale? Probably two years.
The fact that Google has invested so much in Google Video is testament to the belief that streaming video will soon be a natural element of daily internet consumption for the millions of internet users around the world. This mindset is confirmed by their recent purchase of the popular YouTube website for a cool $1.65 billion...What a bargain! Why? Because Google knows how important it is to be positioned at the front of the online video curve.
YouTube was originally founded in February 2005 for video fans to see and share their home-grown productions. Within two years it has grown into a site where more than 70 million videos are watched every day (figures are climbing day by day so when you read this, the real numbers could be way above that).
Most experts agree that worldwide technology is rapidly moving to the point of true convergence between the Internet, television and telecommunications systems that will provide one single service or application for a truly multimedia world.
The huge benefit of YouTube-type technology as opposed to other video formats is in the ease of playback. Based on Macromedia FlashPlayer 7, online video can be played on more that 85% of computers connected to the Internet.
This offers a distinct advantage for viewers who can immediately play video files on their computers rather than have to download and install additional software. This allows for real point and click ease.
Online video is here to stay. YouTube's rapid growth has far exceeded that of other household name websites such as Craigslist, Myspace, even eBay and Blogger. That has to be absolute proof that online streaming video has at last arrived and is here to stay.
The reason for this short summary is to demostrate the huge influence online video has had - and will continue to have - on the both the Internet and more traditional marketing media such as network televison for example. Experts agree that online video will be the largest and fastest growing global advertising medium over the next few years.
A majority of video clips uploaded to Google Video, YouTube and similar sites are by amateurs searching for their fifteen minutes of online fame or simply wanting to brighten up someone's day with a laugh. However, with a little tweaking, this worldwide video delivery system can be used to drive traffic to websites and get your message in front of millions of potential customers, at almost no cost.
However, there's more to this than simply uploading a video and hoping people stumble across it. The basic rules of keyword research and relevant descriptions apply just as much to this form of online promotion as they do to promoting a website.
Whether you're selling a product, a principle or an idea, there's absolutely no doubt that (for the moment) online streaming video services provide online marketers with the perfect vehicle for massive global publicity - though it may only be for a limited period, as it's highly likely that the door to this particular free ride will be slammed shut within the next few months as more people catch on!
How To Use Video 9
The lifeblood of any company is a steady stream of traffic. If you're a brick-and-mortar business, you probably need a lot of customers visiting your establishment every day in order to make any money. This is even more so with the internet. If you don't have traffic (and a lot of it) you probably won't be making any money. Last time I checked, the name of the game is to turn a profit. Otherwise you might as well go back to Myspace or check your email.
Since we're all out to turn a profit in business, the game becomes maximizing your revenue. You need to bring in more money and send out less money. This is the goal of every business in the long run. So how can we do this effectively? Most companies use several different methods of advertising and get mixed results. They spend a boatload of money on an advertising firm or radio ads or a pay-per-click campaign and they don't do that well.
You might feel like you're in a catch-22. You feel like you have to advertise even though you're only getting mixed results. "How bad would it be if we didn't advertise?," you might think. However, you don't feel good about spending all of that money with an advertising company.
In online businesses, the goal is the same. You need to bring in as much money as possible without spending too much. The cool thing about the internet is that there are actually methods to generate free traffic. Yes I said free! That's not "almost free" or "cheap", it's free.
What is a method of advertising that can bring you a steady stream of customers for free every single day of the year? Video advertising. Video advertising brings you traffic for free all the time. If you do it correctly, you will be sending people to your website as much as possible.
You make promotional videos and upload them to a website like YouTube for hosting. Your video makes the rounds on the internet and the people start to visit your website as a result. The great thing about this is that you don't have to pay YouTube to keep your video up. It's just up until you take it down. This means that you'll be getting visitors from now on without spending a dime.
In addition to being free, the visitors you will receive from this form of advertising are higher quality. You'll be getting buyers instead of lookers.
You'll be ecstatic when you have better quality, free traffic than the traffic you pay for. When you can maximize your marketing budget, you'll be able to use that money to grow the company in other ways. Save money on the things that you need to save money on and spend it in bigger and better ways. This is the dream of every company and it is well within the realm of possibility with video advertising on the web. Why don't you give it a shot today?
This free video advertising is brought to you by www.mehype.com
Both Dave Foster & Simon_m Skinner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dave Foster has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Finances and Video Marketing. Dave Foster started his audio-visual career 27 years ago and moved from traditional to computer based multimedia production in 1995. He operates the "Solo Profits" blog and podcast, helping to educate individual entrepreneurs and home-based business owner. Dave Foster's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Dave Foster to your Favourites.
Simon_m Skinner has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Mehype.com offer general internet users the chance to create videos for corporations looking to advertise their products, services or brand. When people view these videos the producers (and the companies that are being advertised) earn money. Mehype is th. Simon_m Skinner's top article . Bookmark Simon_m Skinner to your Favourites.
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