Computers and cell phones are increasingly competing with televisions and other forms of media for our eyeballs. According to a recent International Business Times article, 71 per cent of online users in the United States use YouTube and similar sites, up from 66 per cent in 2010 and 33 per cent in 2006. In addition, almost 25 per cent of cell phone internet bandwidth is taken up by YouTube videos.
Online video is dominating television when it comes to where people watch their television, but Youtube itself is also taking over television. User-submitted video is becoming more and more a regular staple of television news, and whole television shows are developed around user-generated content – like MTV’s Pranked, for example. Pranked is a show revolving around video pranks of the same caliber often seen on YouTube. In fact, the videos are of the same quality as YouTube videos – sometimes shaky, blurry or pixelated to the point of making the show a waste of a nice flatscreen. But the result is a cheaply-produced television show that gets its ratings.
People are busy making money off of YouTube, giving seminars, marketing themselves, becoming famous, providing information and selling their knowledge via online video. As use of YouTube grows, it becomes more accessible to the average user – and customer.
YouTube videos might not take over television, but there’s a good chance that streaming television through your computer might give older forms of media a run for their money. YouTube is also the go-to place to find anything on video, and makes it easy for users to share their own videos with their customers. If you haven’t started using YouTube for your business, consider doing so to increase your brand awareness and customer base. And to go one step further, make sure your videos are high-quality and professionally produced by a video production company for the maximum impact.
(image from http://waterpoweredcar.com)