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Citizens Say… “I’ll have mine with video, please!”

Thu, June 14th, 2007 by Suzanne Clarke Zurn | 1 comment

Americans consumed more than 7 billion video streams in March 2007, according to the latest metrics released by comScore, a Reston, VA based Internet measurement firm.  In total, more than 126 million Americans viewed online streaming video - or five out of every seven U.S. Internet users (71.4 percent).

There are many applications for video in advocacy campaigns. One of the most traditional is a short video message from the leader of your organization or a celebrity supporter who shares a brief message to inspire action. But don’t be afraid to use humor to make your point, and your own supporters can be very persuasive video messengers. Remember Jib-Jab?  Of course you do. Humor and irreverence is memorable and extremely viral – and isn’t increasing your numbers and leaving a lasting impression two of the more important aspects of a grassroots campaign?

Once you have your video created, integrate it into your home page, be sure to post it on YouTube, and link to it from your profile on social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook (don’t have a profile on these sites? Read Tom's post about the influence and reach of these sites). 

Now you’re ready to promote it!  Posting a video online is not enough – make sure you notify your supporters, members, family, and friends. Video e-cards are a great way to distribute your new production. Other easy ways to spread the word is to add a link in your email signature to your new video and to other traditional communications your organization distributes.  Remember to also leverage the media, including blogs, to spread the news about your video.

Other notable findings from the comScore March metrics include:

• Three out of every ten (30.1  percent) of U.S. Internet users streamed video on YouTube.
• The average online video viewer  consumed 55 video streams, or nearly two per day, during the month.
• Online viewers watched an  average of 145 minutes of online video in March 2007.

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