- by Dave Foster
Copyright © Dave Foster – All Rights Reserved
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Streaming video is here and the Internet is rapidly spreading the
use of streaming multimedia, no longer is it about the technical
ability to download audio-visual files before playing them.
Technology has moved on (right in front of our eyes) to deliver
full-blown, good quality video streaming.
From marketing tools, to movie clips – from online infomercials
to streaming TV and live webcasting. Like it or not, we are in
the grip of a major shift in online communication and we will
all have to embrace this technology as our ‘first-generation’
static (text-based) websites gradually become extinct.
Time scale? Probably two years.
The first true video search engine, Google Video, shows that
this streaming video technology is becoming part of the day to
day Internet experience for millions upon millions of people,
hence the recent Google take over of the widely used YouTube
video site for a conservative $1.65 billion…What a bargain!
Why? Because Google knows how important it is to be positioned
at the front of the online video curve.
YouTube was founded in February 2005 as a means for people to
watch and share original video. Within two years it has grown
into a site where more than 70 million videos are watched every
day (figures are climbing day by day so when you read this, the
real numbers could be way above that).
Most experts agree that worldwide technology is rapidly moving
to the point of true convergence between the Internet,
television and telecommunications systems that will provide one
single service or application for a truly multimedia world.
The major advantage of YouTube-type technology over other forms
of internet video is the playback system, based on Macromedia
FlashPlayer 7, which is already preloaded onto more than 85% of
computers connected to the Internet.
This offers a distinct advantage for viewers who can immediately
play video files on their computers rather than have to download
and install additional software. It provides true point and
click functionality.
Online video is here to stay. YouTube’s rapid growth has far
exceeded that of other household name websites such as
Craigslist, Myspace, even eBay and Blogger. That has to be
absolute proof that online streaming video has at last arrived
and is here to stay.
The whole point of this brief synopsis is to illustrate the
massive impact online video has had – and will continue to have
- not only on the Internet, but also on traditional media such
as network television. Experts agree that online video will be
the largest and fastest growing global advertising medium over
the next few years.
Most of the video clips posted on sites such as Google Video and
YouTube are by amateurs looking for a few laughs, some notoriety
and their 15 minutes of fame. However, with a little tweaking,
this worldwide video delivery system can be used to drive
traffic to websites and get your message in front of millions of
potential customers, at almost no cost.
However, there’s more to this than simply uploading a video and
hoping people stumble across it. The basic rules of keyword
research and relevant descriptions apply just as much to this
form of online promotion as they do to promoting a website.
Whether you’re selling a product, a principle or an idea,
there’s absolutely no doubt that (for the moment) online
streaming video services provide online marketers with the
perfect vehicle for massive global publicity – though it may
only be for a limited period, as it’s highly likely that the
door to this particular free ride will be slammed shut within
the next few months as more people catch on!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dave Foster owns and operates the “Solo Profits” blog and podcast,
guiding individual entrepreneurs and home-based business owners to
online success using audio, video and multimedia techniques. Dave
also explores the virgin territory of multimedia psychology and how
to present your message effectively through these new communications
channels.
Want to discover more? Go To ==>> http://www.soloprofits.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Subscribe via RSS