Internet Video Marketing is all the buzz right now.  And it has its pluses.  But for some people it also has its negatives.

So, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons which will hopefully help you make a better decision about when to use video marketing.

Pros of Internet Video Marketing:

• Some people are just visual people and learn better from something they see vs. something that they just hear or read.  So presenting something to these folks in this manner is probably good.
• Videos when posted on some authority site like YouTube can help bring traffic to your site.
• For some marketers who have the “gift of gab” it is easier and quicker to make a video vs. a printed document.
• Often times a message can be clearer and easier to understand by the viewer when presented in visual format rather than a printed document.
• Videos can often times be more colorful and entertaining than a printed document or audio.
• Once the product is sold, then videos are a good use for ‘how to’ instructional courses.

Cons of Internet Video Marketing:

• The opposite of the first pro is that that some people learn better from hearing or from reading.  So for these people, videos do not get the message across as well as an audio or printed document would.
• For people who do not have high speed internet connections or a lot of memory on their computers, videos are way to slow to load and play.  Often the video will pause for short annoying periods while the loading catches up with the voice and presentation.  Most of these people will close the message before they ever receive it, especially if it is just an advertisement.
• If the videos are training manuals then one cannot take notes on the video like a printed document.
• It is harder and slower to go back and find something on the video to review than it is to flip through a printed document.
• Some people like to print a document for later reading.  Maybe while waiting for someone (doctor’s office, child at sports, meeting someone for lunch, etc.).
• If people are at work they cannot turn up the volume and listen due to all the co-workers around them, where they could quietly read a sales letter or purchased e-book.

Give some thought to your audience before choosing your internet marketing method.  It may be wise to forgo internet video advertising and use video more for training materials. 

The ideal situation would be to give your internet customer a choice.  Send a text email or have a text/graphic sales page with a choice to view the content in video format. 

Remember the advertising rule that you only have so many seconds to capture someone’s attention and if you waste your seconds loading your online video advertising then these are customers lost.