Online video a win-win.

Broadband video streams are no longer nifty extras or at work time-wasters. Video is quickly becoming a useful, valuable standard of Web content. With new studies pointing to steep upward trends in video use, advertisers and media companies are taking action.

The feature-rich functionality of Roger Johnson's combo hoist and elevator earned him an award and profile in Agriculture Online's Top Shops section. Machinery Editor Dave Mowitz writes about the ins and outs of the versatile tool, but if that's not enough information, interested readers are one click away from seeing the Chandler, MN, farmer explain and use his creation in a three-part video placed beside the article.

"Video adds life to the text," said John Walter, editor of Agriculture Online (www.agriculture.com). "The ability to position a video complementing our traditional editorial with sound, motion and location is valuable to consumers and will only grow as an integral function of the medium."

ONLINE VIDEO ON THE RISE

"Video is no longer a novelty," said Jason Meeker, interactive media producer at Successful Farming. "It's a viable and growing vehicle for connecting users with relevant content, and the agriculture community is buying into it."

A recent survey found that 95% of Agriculture Online's user panel members have watched an online video. According to Pew Internet Project, 57% of all Internet users watch online videos. One in five of these users watch videos daily.

For the first time, young adults are spending more time in front of the computer each week than the TV screen, according to Ipsos Insight. But it's not just the "YouTube generation" devouring video content. More than half of all Internet users ages 30-49 watch videos online, a proportion exponentially larger than just two years ago.

The Pew study found that news and educational videos make up more than half of the videos streamed online, followed next by comedy and music videos.

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Patrons of Agriculture Online do not cower from new features. Discussion board activity is an important portion of the site's traffic with countless discussions on issues important to farmers, who find great use in networking and building community on the Web. Now video, bolstered by the new AGOL-TV platform, is the latest evolution of Agriculture Online.

AGOL-TV houses every video featured on Agriculture Online in a simple, streamlined video player. Since its launch last November, video hits on the Web site total in the thousands.

"Farmers learn a lot with online video," said Walter. "The Internet is a forum for ideas and a platform for the latest news affecting the agriculture community. All signs point to video being a critical part of enhancing the experience."

A NICHE FOR ADVERTISERS

Approximately one out of three videos streamed on AGOL-TV is prefaced by a 15-second advertisement that users must watch before seeing the video. The television-style ads are short enough to keep the viewer on the page.

Across the Web, advertisers are lining up to get their ads built into video players. According to the research firm eMarketer, U.S. online video advertising spending is projected to reach $1.3 billion in 2008--an increase of more than $1 billion from 2005.

The boom is occurring for many reasons. First, the tidal wave of internet use necessitates that traditional media companies reconfigure their outlook.

"The Successful Farming 360 degree approach to business is what our agri-marketing partners expect and demand from us," said Scott Mortimer, publisher of Successful Farming. "It's not enough today to provide a great printed product. We also have to provide solutions that cover a wide range of opportunities from Web, to broadcast, to database, to radio, to events and to market research. And all components must work together to provide a seamless communications solution for our customers."

The AGOL-TV player allows viewers to e-mail the video link to others within seconds. According to Pew Internet, nearly 60% of online video watchers share the videos they like with friends, family or colleagues. Additionally, 75% of Internet users say they receive links to online videos shared by others.

The prominence of online video in the agriculture community is not yet fully realized, but based on early trends and a growing demand, the new media venture appears set to become a powerful influence among industry marketers and consumer media companies.

by Ryan Hunt, Meredith Corp.