Online Video Content
Go back a few years and the idea of delivering video via your website seemed costly and frankly a pretty poor experience for the end user. Now in 2008, delivery of high quality video to increase viewer engagement and help tell your story is a normal part of the web experience. Whilst we have YouTube to thank for normalising video viewing on the web, there is a whole lot more now being done with video online.
Here are some facts to keep in mind:
The US is a leading indicator (one to two year lag for Australia) of internet trends.
As of March 2008:
- 75.7% of all internet users watched videos online
- 9.8 billion online videos were shown
- 2.9 minutes average online video duration
- 70 videos per online video viewer (2+ per day)
- Monthly online video consumption grows
- 2.8 billion increase in views / month within 9 months (Mar 07 to Jan 08)
Source: comScore Video Metrix
In Australia Broadband now has 4.7 million users
- 2007 penetration grew 23% on 2006
- The Labour Party investing $4.7bn to create a national broadband environment.
Source: OECD, 2007 and Labor Media Statement, Peter Garrett
And according to a recent Nielsen report, Australian internet useage has taken over TV viewing for the first time - an average of 13.7 hours per week on the Internet and 13.3 hours per week watching TV.
A quick survey across websites has revealed video is being used in a number of ways;
Product Demonstration.
How much easier and more effective is it to show it rather than tell it? The simplest example of this is the proliferation of ‘how to’ videos on YouTube showing ways to hack various pieces of electronic equipment and, perhaps, the most sophisticated example is Audi now having their own on-line TV channel. One of the primary benefits of video is that you can demonstrate a process or product without having to deal with the language barrier.
Audi - http://tv.audi.com/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQpr3W-YmcQ
Information Sharing and Training.
Any environment where new information needs to be conveyed quickly to customers, staff or suppliers can benefit from the use of video either embedded on a site or used as a newsletter. Do you have training information being delivered to a geographically wide base of people? Video delivery via the internet can be a very cost effective solution.
ASX Videos - http://www.asx.com.au/resources/videos/index.htm
Rees group - http://www.reesgroup.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=132
Calyton Utz - http://www.claytonutz.com/vodcasts/index.html
Connecting with people.
All of the AFL teams and a number of Rugby teams have woken up to the increase in engagement that providing video on your website can achieve. For South Sydney Rabbitohs, their web provide Viostream has reported ‘that adding video increased eyeball retention from two minutes to eight minutes”.
Collngwood - http://collingwoodfc.com.au/CTV/tabid/9238/default.aspx
Rabbitohs - http://rabbitohs.portal.viostream.com/
Article supplied by Paul Baiguerra, Director, Catfish, http://www.catfish.net.au/
To find out more information on adding the power of video to your website, contact DDG.