Be aware, video is changing the way people use the internet. To be fair, this should not be a shocking statement. Video has been a growing part of the internet for years now, and with advances in technology and the availability of high speed internet access, it’s only getting more relevant.

How is this affecting online marketing?

It’s become more and more evident that the use of video in marketing efforts is more effective, and in many cases more efficient, than avoiding it altogether.

Companies have started using videos to help explain their product or services to people, or using video in an attempt to draw a large audience and perhaps – go viral (gasp!). Some companies use video as a way to highlight some of the key reasons why they’re different, better, faster, or easier than the competition, adding video to their website, social media pages, or marketing emails. And some companies are using video as a new way of sharing testimonials from former and current happy customers.

Video in the eyes of consumers:

• Video is easy – for consumers, watching a video is a lot simpler than reading the same message or story.
• Video is fun – besides being easy to consume, video is also a richer form of media, creating an entertainment factor that previously only existed in witty copy.
• Video is cheap – now that more and more people have access to video from wireless devices and access to high speed internet in their homes, it doesn’t add any cost to the consumer to watch videos online.

Video in the eyes of marketers:

• Video is hard – it’s not something everyone can do well, and it takes time and money to get it done right.
• Video is short – videos need to short and sweet to get any attention, and they most likely need updating from time to time, making their shelf-life shorter too.
• Video is expensive – it costs more to produce quality video than it does to write a page of copy.

The bottom line is, marketers need to embrace video because the consumer has already done so. Video opens up new doors and opportunities to convey your message in ways you never could before. And every company should be thinking about how they can use video as part of their overall marketing message.

How do you plan to use video? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.