ETHNIC BUSINESSES WHO ARE FAILING TO MAKE USE OF VIDEO ONLINE ARE LOSING OUT.

It's not only 'fun' stuff I write about on my blog, remember I'm an 'OPRAH WANNABE' and if you're a follower of my blog, I'm sure you are one too - so get reading the brief article below. Not only is it interesting, it may give you food for thought for your business.

VIDEO HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF WEBSITE DESIGN, BRAND COMMUNICATIONS AND SALES GENERATION. Many Black & Minority Ethinic (BME) businesses affected by the credit crunch are restructuring and re-assessing their online activities, whilst print, radio and tv audiences are dwindling, they are looking for more cost effective ways to market, network, promote and find new areas of to develop their businesses.

An Ofcom study by the government reported findings showing that, of all internet users in the UK, a higher proportion of people from Ethnic Minority Groups have broadband (80%) than the UK average (74%).(*1)

With the Ofcom report providing further information about mobile usage and DVD ownership, this study information would proved a useful in gaining insight into consumer trends, to leading to new sales opportunities and revenue.

Those businesses outside the BME sector are getting involved in the web video revolution, with the rise of the Google owned Youtube, many saw the benefits of properly managed video marketing campaigns, those same businesses are using all web platforms to get their brand, staff, marketing and promotion out there, generating new business, new leads and sourcing competitive suppliers.

HD Productions an online media production and web video marketing company, that advises business and provides training for those looking at creating a more effective web presence, got involved with creating video for the internet for clients, gave a few reasons as to why video is as important as a website.

“ We felt that, many people in the business world are hearing the buzzwords like - ‘podcast’, ‘web 2.0’, 'RSS', ‘social networking’, and wonder how they can market their products and services with them, we're able to simplify the jargon and show how it can work for their business. It's not hard having to explain the benefits of an online 24 hour sales presence.”

“Even newspapers such as The Sun, The Mirror commission and use video online to promote news items and reach out to a larger audience, than their paying readership. More recently *The BBC announced that they will launch six new Youtube channels, as a way to getting a larger audience via a multilingual news service.”

Web video as an advertising, sales and marketing tool, is more cost effective than television, radio or print.
With some of the world’s largest companies are now marketing their products extensively through the internet through video, at sites like YouTube, MySpace and other social networks.

It is up the BME businesses to take note or get left behind in the ever increasing online market, with web video topping 12 billions views in May, this figure has several more years to get even larger and accounting for more than fifty per cent of internet traffic by 2012. It would be wise to seek advice at the earliest opportunity to get your web video strategy right.

The above article was taken from a recent post on www.ethnicnow.com