As YouTube comes up on the 10 year anniversary of its first video, Me at the Zoo, it’s almost mind-blowing to take a step back and look at how online video has evolved since then. While its beginnings may have been inspired by a famous wardrobe malfunction, it’s no secret that YouTube was the beginning of a major shift in the way we interact and share content online.

As YouTube comes up on the 10 year anniversary of its first video, Me at the Zoo, it’s almost mind-blowing to take a step back and look at how online video has evolved since then. While its beginnings may have been inspired by a famous wardrobe malfunction, it’s no secret that YouTube was the beginning of a major shift in the way we interact and share content online. In fact, many experts predict 74% of internet traffic will revolve around video by 2017.

So why should you care? Because social video isn’t just about flying poptart cats and kids coming home from the dentist anymore! With an average 4 billion views per day on YouTube, it’s no wonder that many marketers are taking advantage of this opportunity; over 80% of senior marketing executives say they use online video content in their marketing programs.

But here’s the best part—it’s working! Internet users are turning to video for information that can help them make purchase decisions. According to Marketing Land, “in 2014, online shoppers who viewed video were 1.6 times more likely to buy than shoppers who did not view video.” Additionally 43 percent of all 2014 views occurred during the holiday season; Black Friday accounted for the most video views in a single day.

Also important to note, this drive towards video isn’t limited to consumer products; it’s happening across multiple industries including entertainment, non-profits and even news outlets. If you’re still not sure if social video is the right direction for your company, here are a few statistics that might get you on board:

• Video is shared 1200% more times than links and text combined

• Click-through rates increase 2-3 times when marketers include a video in an email

• 75% Of users visit the marketer’s website after viewing a video

• 80% of your online visitors will watch a video, while only 20% will actually read content in its entirety

And it’s not just YouTube that marketers are using to share video; several other social media sites have found ways to incorporate video into their platforms. Most recently, Twitter acquired a live video app called Periscope that allows users to stream live video to their followers. This move came shortly after they announced that users would (finally) be able to shoot, edit and share video directly from Twitter; before this announcement, users could only link to videos that were hosted elsewhere.

Other platforms that have gotten on board with video as well, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and Tumblr. Bottom line, people love video. They love watching it, they love creating it, they love talking about it and, most importantly, they love sharing it.

Sharing video on social media is a great way to get your company noticed. With SocialToaster, you can share your video in an even more powerful way. With the help of Superfans, your videos can reach more audiences and drive traffic to your website. If you’d like to find out more about increasing your video views, shares and overall impact, give us a call!