Watching TV has trained generators of viewers for internet video. We’re attracted to the big screen and we’d rather watch than listen or read. We’re already adapted to commercials, infomercials, sitcoms, news, etc. Virtually everyone has a VCR and a wide variety of entertainment and educational videos. Watching a video on a computer screen is a natural thing for most of us. We’re much more apt to watch a well done internet infomercial than we are to read a long, boring web page.
News services and some businesses have been early adopters of video. Remember the BMW mini movies directed by big name Hollywood types. Those took a few minutes to download but were a great marketing tool. The current generation using Flash just loads up and runs in a few seconds. Now we have Internet TV showing reruns of old broadcast TV shows along with a very broad spectrum of internet video.
Many technology forecasters believe that Internet TV will replace cable and broadcast TV as the media of choice for most viewers. Most believe that the adoption of internet technology is accelerating worldwide.
Early adopters of internet video will gain a long term advantage over competitors. Just as popular TV shows make tough competition for new shows – topical web sites that use video to explain, instruct, entertain, or build goodwill with customers will be well ahead of competitors who wait.
There will come a time in the very near future when prospects and customers will simply surf on when they don’t find video on a site. We’re not there yet but its coming.
Its often said that the Internet has leveled the playing field for small businesses versus the large corporation. As noted above, internet video is exceptionally inexpensive for the do-your-self crowd and well within reason for those that choose to hire a video professional.
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Steve Beard is a 22 year computer industry veteran, internet technical expert, webmaster, and the co-owner of an award winning video production company producing TV commercials and company videos.
