Just about every business that has a website on the internet is now adding some sort of video advertising to their sites.  This ranges from car dealerships, travel agents, real estate agents and even manufacturers.  They realize that they get the attention of a viewer right away if a video comes onto the screen instead of a simple advertisement. 

Department stores are also beginning to use video advertising on the internet not only on their websites, but also on internet advertising engines such as Google.  It simple captures the attention of a potential buyer more than just a plain photo.

Imagine that you have a website that sells T-shirts, for example.  A person goes to your website and sees a variety of T-shirts that are for sale.  These are often pictured in photos either by themselves or on models.  The prices are included, along with an ordering form.  Most websites have a search option so if someone is looking for a particular T-shirt, they can find it easier. 

The reason models are depicted in T-shirts is to make the product more attractive.  More people are apt to purchase a garment featured on a striking model than an average person or on a mannequin.  This is simply another way people are visual.  They imagine themselves as the model in the T-shirt and feel that they will also look this way once the garment is acquired. 

Now imagine you have this same website but decide to implement video advertising as part of your campaign.  Instead of clicking on to a website that just depicts a bunch of models in T-shirts, you have a video where a model is wearing the T-shirt and talking about how much she loves her T-shirts from your company. 

Or, you decide to go the humor route.  A video depicts an unpopular, geeky kid wearing a white shirt with a pencil protector in the pocket and getting his books knocked out of his hands at school.  He says something like “I’ve had enough of this, I’m getting myself over to XXX T-shirt company!”

The next clip shows the same student wearing one of the T-shirts and surrounded by a bevy of women.  He winks at the camera and says, “XXX T-shirt changed my life - they can change yours, too.” 

Corny?  Yes.  But entertaining and memorable.  As a matter of fact, the more humor or unusual aspects you can add to your video, the more people will remember it.  They may even like it so much that they post it on their blog or on “You Tube.”  Then you get even more advertising for your business.  For free.

Travel agents are quickly discovering that video is the way to go when it comes to advertising on the internet.  More and more travel agencies are not just depicting photos of exotic places, but videos of the attractions that can be seen when visiting these places.  People feel as though they are taking a trip.  They sometimes call this a “virtual tour” and it is really quite effective. 

A virtual tour takes the viewer on a mini vacation all from their home computer.  They get to see highlights of the wonderful sights, the hotels, the beaches and a lot of people enjoying themselves.  This sparks their imagination.  They envision themselves on the tour and it makes them want to visit as well.  The more someone knows about the positive aspects of a particular tour, country or vacation spot, the more apt they are to want to book a vacation to this destination.   

Speaking of virtual tours, we have already talked about real estate agents in the last chapter.  Many real estate companies are now adding video advertising to their websites.  Instead of just seeing photos of a home, they see the entire home, just as they were touring it.   

In addition to large businesses and professionals using video advertising on the internet, musicians are learning the value of this technology to promote their music and bands.  Music videos came out in the 1980s and were frequently depicted on MTV.  This was a very popular concept, but soon became very competitive.  More and more money was being used to make a more ‘creative video” for the band.  Bands who had creative videos depicting models or something unusual were selling more music than other bands who did not have the capital to create such videos. 

In the 1980s, video cameras cost over $1,000.  And if you wanted the video to look professional, you had to hire a director and some actors.  The music videos of the 1980s were actual commercials for a particular artist or a band.  And they cost a lot of money to produce. 

Today, not only professional musicians advertise by video on the internet, but amateurs as well.  Video cameras no longer cost over $1,000.  They are easy to use and the content can easily be downloaded into a personal computer.  It is just as easy to upload a video into your webpage as it is to upload a photograph or music.  So amateur musicians began promoting their bands on the internet. 

On MySpace, for example, there are thousands of artists doing this.  They do not even have to pay for their MySpace page.  It is free.  They simply have to have someone film their act with a camcorder, upload it to their site and they are advertising for free on the internet.  It sure beats the old days of recording demos for thousands of dollars and trying to find someone on the radio to play them. 

Individuals who have something unique to sell are also using video advertising on the internet.  They can do this with little or no expense if they choose a venue like You Tube.  You Tube allows anyone who is a member to upload their videos for others to see.  The more clever the video, the better chance of it being discovered.  If you want to draw people to your website, mention it in your funny video and put it on YouTube.  Millions of people use this website every day. 

The videos are often either e-mailed to friends or put on blogs and other spaces.  Suppose you have invented a special item to sell.  You have a patent but have no idea how to sell it.  You have a website and are trying to promote it, but are not having much luck.  You can advertise on television, but it costs a fortune; even on cable TV. 

Maybe you can come up with a funny video that will draw people to your website that involves your product.  You can post this on your site and then wait for people to discover the ad.  You can also place it on such video websites as YouTube.  

Have you ever dated on the internet?  Guess what?  You are advertising yourself.  You are adverting yourself in the hopes of finding a perfect mate.  Many people put false photos of themselves on these sites and many internet daters have grown leery of some of the ads.  Yet internet dating is big business. 

 In today’s busy world, few people have time to go out and meet a special someone.  So many people are taking advantage of the internet dating world.   

Some internet dating sites offer their clients a way to communicate with another individual through video instead of just plain text.  For a small fee, they can post a video of themselves on the site and talk about their likes, and dislikes.  In addition to just seeing a photo, a person who is interested also gets to hear a voice and finds out a little bit more about the person he or she is thinking of contacting.  It is very difficult to ascertain what a person is like from a photograph. 

They may have a voice that sounds like Mickey Mouse and really gets on your nerves.  Or they may have such an engaging smile and a sexy voice that  you really find attractive.  This person may look similar to many others who have turned up as your “match,” but chances are, you will watch the video and, if you like what you see, you will be more inclined to contact the individual.  They will seem like a real person to you, instead of a photograph and text profile. 

Car dealerships are another business that are using video technology to advertise on the internet.  Car dealerships have always been known for their “over the top” approach to advertising.  They sometimes run specials depicting happy customers getting great deals, or they show a video of a car being driven down the road and being able to make great turns.  This cost them much less than advertising on television. 

No matter what business you are in, video advertising on the internet can help you attract more customers, gain more exposure for your company and generate new leads and sales.  Best of all, it is easy and relatively inexpensive to use.   We will discuss how you can do this in the next chapter.