In September of 2017, CISCO released their latest Visual Networking Index report forecasting that by 2021 82% of all consumer traffic on the internet will be Video.
The report goes on to say:
“It would take an individual more than 5 million years to watch the amount of video that will cross global IP networks each month in 2021.” – CISCO Systems
Of course, that was before last week, when Instagram launched IGTV.
Video is here to stay, it’s just not going to be through Television anymore. No surprise there, TV has been declining for years and it’s only a matter of time when the day will come, much like the by-gone days of the physical newspaper when traditional TV viewing will be something we did in ‘the old days’.
It’s the CISCO statement that always makes me think though. At first, back when they were forecasting 71% of IP traffic by 2018 and here we are. Now, however, I’m stunned by that quote above. 5 Million years to watch the amount of video in ONE MONTH by 2021.
Think about that for a second. That is a Staggering number about an equally staggering amount of video.
Here’s another nugget of information from that report.
Live Internet video will account for 13 percent of Internet video traffic by 2021. Live video will grow 15-fold from 2016 to 2021. – CISCO Systems
I actually believe that 13% forecast is low. At Loclyz Media Services, we are seeing a rapid increase in our LiveStreaming services year over year.
The point is, if there will be more video that any one person could possibly watch, and there will. If there will be a 15-fold growth in Live Video, and there will; how will you use video to differentiate yourself, your business, your message?
When websites became the new calling card everyone scrambled to get one until they became common-place and now the trick is to make sure you have one that will grab people’s attention and keep them engaged.
The same is, and will be true, for video. How will you make your video stand out? It won’t be enough to just have cell phone video (like everyone else) on your site. It won’t be enough to have video logs and text videos, like everyone else.
You have to get creative, constantly adjust to the ever changing audience and what THEY want to watch. By the time you do what everyone else is doing it will be too late (because everyone else will be doing it).
Talk to your customers, your viewers, your peers, your employees. Find out what they want to see and watch and then get creative about how you can give them what they’re looking for through video in a way that meets their needs, not the way 82% of the other videos are doing it.
Dare to be different. If you focus on trying to create viral videos you’re going after attention. Focus on what your audience/customers want. Go for quality not quantity and you will stand out from the crowd to the people that matter the most in your world… your business stakeholders.