By Chris Lee

As NMK reported this spring from the Internet World expo in London, video marketing is hot!

Research group Forrester estimates that nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) of Web traffic involves online video, while network technology company Cisco believes this figure will rise to 90 per cent by 2013.

Leila Makki is at the forefront of a new wave of online video journalists helping companies create video content, and NMK caught up with her to learn more about what organisations should be doing to make the most of the opportunities presented by online video marketing.

Why is video so important to businesses nowadays?

People expect to instantly understand what a company does when they land on its website. No one wants to sift through the site index to search for the ‘about us’ tab, which is often packed with loads of marketing jargon that most people don’t get. A video on the homepage explaining the business makes it accessible, simpler and more engaging to potential customers.

Moreover, video provides a succinct and compelling visual to help you stand apart from competitors. The connection we feel from seeing the business explained, or case-studies or infographics illustrated is far more powerful than any amount of text on your site. And if done well, can really impact your bottom line.

Why is professional-level video so much more important than the home-made video, which is so easy to create?

With online video there is no proven formula of why some become very popular and go viral whilst others do not. It often tends to be the DIY, jerky, low-quality, bad resolution video of a kitten hugging a teddy bear that becomes an overnight sensation, whilst a higher-quality, well produced video barely hits 200 views. This lack of logic leaves many marketing and production companies dumbfounded. And those assuring a certain number of hits per video or promises of a viral are to be avoided as there isn’t a guarantee (yet).

So then why should companies use professional-level video? The simple answer is because they can afford to and they should! A certain level of professionalism should be maintained in producing a corporate video for the very same reason why you wouldn’t want to put out a press release that was poorly written. Very few would take a business seriously if they produced poor quality videos on mobile phones - unless of course it involved kittens.

What’s an example of where video has really made a difference for a business?

UK high-street retailer French Connection used its YouTube channel to link viewers directly to the brand’s site for purchase. Called YouTique (YouTube + Boutique), French Connection featured a series of stylist videos where they modelled the latest clothes, showed shoppers how to accessorise and offered interactive fashion advice. French Connection integrated contextual links within the videos to create a seamless user experience that ties in personalised recommendations with commerce. Definitely expect to see more brands and companies doing something similar.

Do you think businesses are afraid of using video? If so, what are their concerns?

The number one reason I find companies hesitant to use video boils down to costs and secondly, lack of understanding of how they can monetise it.

Tackling the first issue is very difficult because some companies don’t have the budget set aside for video. However, some companies feel they shouldn’t have to pay for video or at least not that much. A lot of effort, creativity and money goes into producing a high-quality video. While cost may be a deterring factor, it shouldn’t prevent your company, as there are a lot of different options and ways to reduce the overall cost.

Moreover, many companies haven’t figured out how to monetise video on their site or at least get a return on investment (ROI). It seems like a lot of money up front with no guarantee that it will improve business. However, many case studies demonstrate the importance of having video on your site such as large retailers who have integrated the shopping experience with video to maximise conversions.

According to research firm Forrester, online video can increase page views by driving traffic to your site, enhance the time people spend lingering on your site (giving you more opportunity to market to them) and help increase conversion.