eMarketer has a good report entitled ‘Who’s Watching User-Generated Video?‘.
So, good question. Who is watching videos? First, let’s talk about how many videos YOU are watching. 22 BILLION in 2007!
User-generated videos (UGVs) tallied 22 billion views in 2007, up 70% over 2006, according to Accustream iMedia Research’s “UGV 2005 – 2008: Mania Meets Mainstream” report. Paul A. Palumbo, research director at Accustream, told eMarketer that the 22 billion views was a worldwide figure. In other words, user-generated videos on US-based Web sites drew 22 billion views from users worldwide.
There’s no question that people are watching videos online. The bigger question is why they are watching them. Could it be that the writer’s strike is driving more TV viewers online? Could it be that people are just tired of reading? It’s probably a myriad of those things and more.
Good online videos tell stories more effectively than text. Online video provides a unique opportunity for your business to have face-to-face interaction with your customers, even if they are on the other side of the globe.
I think that it is a mix of all things. Plus YouTube is just so common now that even my mother who hardly ever went on the internet is now watching video online.
I agree its a mix of reasons why people watch online videos. So mamy people do so much online now why not watch videos while they are online anyway.
seo700 makes a great point, people are online a lot more now in general. Plus, the way YouTube offers related videos has probably increased the number of videos watched. Personally, I usually watch another video just because I see something that grabs my attention.
22 billion is an absolutely staggering number, if you think about it. And it’s almost certain to grow exponentially over the next couple of years before it reaches a point of diminishing returns.
I feel that people are watching online because they can see themselves. Joe American cannot just turn on the TV tube and see themselves.
You know Internet video has made it big when there’s a new term coined to describe the phenomenom of people watching Internet video on their computers during lunch break: “video snacking.” This was reported in a recent WSJ article. By the way, I myself am a regular video snacker and think some of my colleagues would also classify themselves likewise.
Saw the comment about related videos and saw no mention of Mimic, very odd for an SEO firm.
There is a company creating a lot of buzz in SEO circles and it is divinity Metrics with their Scope Video Measurement Platform. The feature in Scope is called Mimic. It basically analyzes millions of videos related to your audience and positions it towards that audience for search and also recommendations that come after other videos. If you have a video that is targeting “Mexican Food” put in Mexican Food in Scope, get all the videos that are related, have Mimic analyze the videos, and then it will tell you how to place that video on YouTube. Basically anyone watching or searching for Mexican food is likely to find your video. It is pretty cool.
http://www.divinitymetrics.com