Show and Tell

Posted on 12 May 2010 | by Christina Quist

My high school English teacher used to say, “Show us, don’t tell us.” She was talking about the art of creative writing. Today, marketers are taking that same advice to the bank. According to a recent study from video ad network BrightRoll, video is the fastest-growing online advertising format. Studies show a 40 percent growth rate in 2010 alone.

More than half of the agency executives who participated in the study indicated that video was the most effective form of advertising. Eighty-three percent said they were getting more value for their video advertising dollar this year more than last. An astounding 94 percent said they plan to spend more on online video campaigns than they did last year.

One deterrent to online video advertising: using videos that start automatically. It’s like being rushed to place an order in a restaurant when you’ve barely had time to see the menu. Don’t do it. Show us, don’t tell us. But let the audience decide when they want to see it. Because evidently, they will want to see it.