A new whitepaper (linked at the end of this post), produced by Adobe Scene 7, a video software, has some great facts on its pages about how much consumers love video. While you do have to supply some email information in order to download the whitepaper and yes, these guys are selling some video software, I think the information is worth it. (I only received one very polite marketing prod after signing up.) Presently, CatStone does not use Scene 7, so please do not think we are promoting the product itself as the end all be all to video production. Knowing Adobe, it's great. But we simply recommend starting small and using what you have - JUST JUMP IN. With digital pubs you can make use of your videos not only on your websites and blogs, but in your direct email pieces, your magazines, your annual reports, your newsletters and your catalogs.
A few of the highlights:
"82% of online video in the U.S. today is Flash-based (73% worldwide)—making it the #1 format for video on the web today.~ Flash offers publishers key benefits that other platforms can’t match and because the Flash Player is installed on over 98% of all connected desktops spanning all platforms and browsers, publishers can deliver video completely confident that it will be seen by their viewers in a consistent, high quality experience regardless of the viewer’s platform."
This is precisely why we publish Flash-based digital publications. Very user friendly! And your videos pop right on the pages.
"Consumers do love web video—a lot. And not only do shoppers enjoy watching videos, videos have further closed the experience gap between the “touch and feel” store experience and the web. Videos can be used to even surpass the in-store experience by providing more detailed product information both visually and narratively than the typical sales associate. Videos are exceptionally suited for product demonstrations, showcasing products in use along with the related actual results, and for showing complex specific product details."
Start harnessing this power right now. There are many inexpensive video cameras on the market and just creating the video and starting to use it is perhaps more important than worrying over quality issues and NOT doing it.... this again, from the report:
"The feedback from our customers who have started using video typically is:
1) The products on which I post videos significantly outperform other products; and
2) I have figured out a cost-effective way to produce my videos (such as the list above)—and it was the right decision—it is less important to strive for ‘perfection’ in video production and more important to produce as many videos as possible."
Want to read more? Here's the link for downloading the white paper:
https://www1.scene7.com/registration/evidwpr.asp?emaillist=Adbelst_videowp_eml