Online Video Technology Dominates 2012

In that last 12 months, online videos have had 182 million views. According to Sunday Sky’s 2012 State of Online Video Research Report, online video made up 56% of consumer web traffic in 2012, up from 51% in 2011 — but it hasn’t just been Psy’s Gangnam Style.

It makes sense that 2012 would be a good year for online video — the US held a presidential election and London held the first online Olympics. But the types of video that showed the most growth were those that were personally relevant to the viewer.

It’s not just waiting for viewers to find your video, though. Delivering video has evolved as well. Marketers have learned that incorporating video content into email marketing greatly increases the likelihood of email opens. Additionally, when the video is personally relevant to the recipient  — such as a bill, statement or account status — open rates jump to 40-60 percent.

Of course, most videos include advertisements. Video ads have become the most popular rich media format for ad buyers. And while advertisers are recognizing the return on online video advertising, Forrester predicts online video advertising will grow from US$ 2.9 billion in 2012, to US$ 9 billion by 2017.