Blogging impact by design

Online video is here to stay. I probably didn't need to tell you that.

I'm not sure exactly what qualifies as "U.S. Internet audience," but according to these recent numeros from comScore, Inc., over 80% of this demographic watched online video in August. In fact, the numbers for the month of August, 2009 proved to be the highest in online video's history.

161 million U.S. Internet users watched online video during the month, the largest audience ever recorded. Online video reached another all-time high in August with more than 25 billion videos viewed during the month, with Google Sites accounting for more than 10 billion.

If there was any skepticism about online video's future, I think it can be safely dispelled at this point. This data from comScore and also some numbers rounded up by Luke Wroblewski (Senior Director of Product Ideation & Design at Yahoo!) are probably just specs in the mass of information telling us that video is a fundamental piece of the online world.

Moving forward with online content and business blogging.

That being said, try to pay attention to what you as a consumer or business person tune into online. What kinds of video are you watching? A few years ago, I would wage that YouTube had the stronghold on our online video viewership-- funny quirky weird viral videos passed along in emails. But today, there is more substance to online video as traditional media streams have really embraced the concept. We can catch up on our news, sports and even our favorite tv shows. I bet even my mom knows what Hulu is.

Or for those self actualizers out there, your can teach yourself new Photoshop tricks, nasty guitar licks, or just kick back and listen to some of the world's thought leaders for an afternoon on places like Ted.com. Some of the best videos online give us the chance to educate ourselves and others, or spread the word about things that we're passionate about. This is just the beginning.

Online video and the future of business blogging.

The proliferation of online video does not mean that all video will be watched, in fact it means quite the opposite. But if you are a marketer with a story to tell, and you understand the value of search marketing and business blogging, then exploring this popular and powerful medium is yet another way to engage your audience. Video blogging is growing in popularity because it is so accessible, and great for those of us who don't like to read. Just being honest. I tuned in last week to Crispin Porter + Bogusky's "Fearless Q&A," a live webcast integrated with twitter and whatnot, and I definitely plan to tune in again this week because I found it interesting, relevant ... something I can learn from. Long story short, these new online video outlets such as webisodes, live webcasts and video blogging can give visitors another reason to return to your site. Which is nice.

Thank you for reading.