Online videos are here to stay.
What started out as a way for unknown content creators to be discovered, online video has turned into a multi-million dollar industry that involves not only the little guy, but also major corporations as well. All thanks to the wonders of broadband.
It is safe to say that a vast majority of online users have watched at least one video online. Whether it is a home movie of a little girl on Youtube, an Anderson Cooper newscast on CNN.com, or the latest episode of Lost on ABC.com, one thing is for certain; online video content has exploded in popularity and only continues to grow.
Newsites such as MSNBC and CNN have sections on their sites where users can click and see video clips of the day's top news stories, instead of reading an article.
All 4 of the major networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX now offer viewers to login to their websites and watch full length episodes of their popular shows for free. All that is required is that viewers sit through a few 30 second commercials. Many online users are annoyed by the use of advertisements. To me, it is less than you would be watching had you watched it on the television, so I see no room for complain. I am a frequent user of NBC and ABC's online video service.
We have to thank the pioneers of online video, those who made sites such as YouTube. Think what you want about the plethora of user generated content, but it paved the way for online video. Yes, personalities such as Chris Crocker are QUITE annoying, but there is a lot of entertaining content on these video sites.
Which brings us to a problem. How can advertisers tap into this market? It is a debate that has been going on since the beginning, and a successful strategy has yet to be ironed out. Visitors to these sites dont want to see ads, and if they are there, they may be turned off to the content. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explains the use of bugs, skins, and tickers as a way for advertisers to get their messages across through the use of online video. These have proved to be successful in the beginning, but only time will tell if the strategy behind them will equal long term success for advertisers.
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