Three years ago, Cisco released a study stating that by 2013, online video will account for 90% of all internet traffic. As we get closer to that date, we keep seeing that never ending increase in the demand of video from consumers. Just in Canada alone, online videos views increased by 37% from 2010 to 2011. The question that all organizations should be asking themselves is, how can we benefit from videos?
To start off, there are several ways an organization could benefit from using videos as a communication medium:
1. Marketing tool
Videos are proving to be an excellent marketing tool for companies to get their message across. You can see more and more websites are now using short 1-2 minute videos to explain what they do and why users should choose them over competitors. These short videos also help spread the message beyond just the users who visit your website. Adding the video to video search engines like Youtube instantly gives millions of users a chance to find you.
2. Educational tool
Videos are also a great medium to spread educational content. They are more engaging than just reading text or even just audio. We are starting to see more organizations move towards monetizing their seminars and training sessions. Instead of just selling their live events, they record these events and sell them to anyone who didn’t have the chance to attend the live event.
To get started with online videos, you will need some kind of online video hosting. There are different video hosting companies out there, each with their own focus. Keep in mind that the length of the video and whether you will want to sell the videos online, will affect which company will work for your organization. As traffic and demand increases, the benefits of online videos will only become more obvious.
What are you using videos for? Tell us in the comments.
Photo by Spencer E. Holtaway’s
