Missing The Video ROI Trend

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Video screens were in every corner of the Smithsonian traveling exhibit on animals.

My daughter and I visited a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian this weekend, and it actually spurred a thought about video ROI. If you’re a business leader who still thinks video is a waste of money because people won’t watch, you’re falling behind the times. 

Actually, if that’s what you believe, you might not be a business leader for long because the next generation is hot on your heals… and its members all watch online videos.

This came to me as I watched my 2-year-old daughter roam from station-to-station inside the exhibit, using the touch screens and pressing the “play” button on every… single… video. There were about 9-10 of them scattered throughout the exhibit.

“my customers don’t watch videos.”

I know, I know… she’s 2-years-old. If you’re one of these business leaders in denial, you’re probably thinking adults are more mature and wouldn’t do such a thing. That’s not what the statistic tell us.

  • Over 85% of the country’s Internet users viewed online video content in September 2012 alone. —Oracle | Eloqua

“The Executives I deal with don’t watch videos.”

Okay, now you’re thinking… that’s the great unwashed masses. I do B2B sales and deal with sophisticated business types. They don’t watch online videos.

You’re wrong… so wrong. This comes from a Forbes Insights report

  • Video appears to have evolved from a novelty into a mainstream method for executives to receive business information. Younger executives in particular appear more inclined not only to view video, but also to create it and share it over the business-oriented “social” Web. Their growing influence within corporate America is likely to make business-related video even more prevalent in the coming years.

That’s Forbes talking… not me the video producer. You know what’s crazy about that report? The date it was published. If you didn’t read that in December of 2010, you’re now two-and-a-half years behind the trend.

Video marketing isn’t slowing down. It’s picking up steam. Don’t turn a blind eye on the direction communications is going.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.