Video-based entertainment on the Internet has been gaining popularity for some time now. A new study confirms its explosive growth: Internet users in the U.S. aged 12 and older report spending 6.1 hours daily with TV and online video-based entertainment, according to the report from Solutions Research Group. Approximately one-third of that time was devoted online video.
The company predicts that by 2013, total hours spent with video-based entertainment will grow to an average of about eight hours per day. Most of that gain will go to online video rather than TV. Eight hours. That’s as much time as most of us wish we were sleeping every night!
It’s no surprise that video is growing in popularity. What’s uniquely engaging about video is its ability to transport the viewer—albeit momentarily—into a complete, absorbing audio-visual experience. Compared to other forms of communication and entertainment, such as the printed word, video most closely emulates real life. It tells a story, constructing a narrative (think: video gaming) in a way that other means of communication cannot.
The take-away for marketers is that audiences, both business and consumer, are growing increasingly accustomed to being communicated with by video. They find video captivating and entertaining. Companies should be taking seriously the opportunity to engage with their clients and prospects in this preferred medium, both through video on their own company websites as well as via social/networking sites and You Tube.