The Online Video Snacking Trend
by Dave Jackson , Tuesday, February 24, 2009  "Video snacking" describes how millions of people are creating viewing habits around quick & consistent consumption of video. I see evidence of this trend everyday in my work with Grab Networks, based on our server data. And, last month somScore published highlights of its video reporting for November 2008 that support this trend: 146 million people, or 77% of the U.S. Internet audience, viewed online video. Those viewers watched 34% more online videos than they did last year. The average online viewer watched 273 minutes of video, up over 40% vs. the previous year. The average duration of online video is fairly short, at 3.1 minutes per video. And, the audience viewed 87 videos per month on average, 18 more videos per month than last year. The last two points highlight the trend of video snacking: "more people, watching more videos, more often." The average duration of online video was the only metric that remained consistent to last year, up only 18 seconds per video vs. the previous year. This is despite the fact that long-form sites such as Hulu did not exist last year. Americans still have relatively short attention spans when it comes to their online viewing experience. What is particularly interesting, though, is how women are using video vs. last year. According to the same comScore study as above: Women watch 41% more online videos than they did last year. They now watch 79 videos per month on average, up 33%. They spend 227 minutes watching online video, up 46%. The average video length for women is 2.9 minutes, vs. 3.4 for men. We also see some implications for marketers beyond the numbers. Through research we do to create content for clients seeking to reach women, we've found some distinct patterns in what women are looking for from their online video experience. Most women have extremely busy lives with work, home, budgets and kids (no new news there). They say that when they are watching online video, they crave content that transports them mentally away from their daily routine and reality. They also look for "information & inspiration" from relatable "sisters & situations." Video content that gives women real information, but that also allows for aspirational narratives, is particularly compelling. Video snacking is a real trend because online video meets a content need for viewers and is easily accessible to those viewers throughout their day. Marketers and agencies, particularly those that are trying to reach women, would be well served to look for ways to build on this trend to help achieve their goals. | Dave Jackson is senior vice president of ad sales for Grab Networks, a video content syndication network, and a partner in Accountable Content, a company that creates video content for marketers. |
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