A recent study by Yahoo found that 44 per cent of internet users watch news videos as part of their regular routine. With 259 per cent growth in online video since 2007, nearly 25 million views of videos lasting five minutes or less are made every month. And to underline this point, YouTube has become the second biggest search engine after Google.

Video is no longer something PR practitioners can leave at the periphery of communications planning. Consumer appetite for video has grown exponentially, so industry good practice says that “not having the budget” is no excuse.

Video for public relations previously meant producing high-end B-rolls for distribution to broadcasters which many believed was a risky, even unlikely, way of securing coverage. That’s not entirely fair and when used correctly, there is still an important place for B-rolls in the PR mix. However, the more exciting opportunity is online.

The Press Association’s Video Wire puts out 20 to 30 video stories a day to its subscriber list of online publishers, making it Europe’s largest digital news agency. Digital Spy, the UK’s largest entertainment website, has openly said its major focus in 2012 is video. This represents a massive opportunity for PROs to secure new and diverse coverage.

Commissioning still images to accompany a press release is routine. PROs now need to apply that same commitment to video, in order to broaden and grow exposure for clients. The beauty of video is that it is engaging, memorable and in demand. It can be earned, owned or paid for.

Newspaper websites and online magazines, forums, niche and blogger sites and social media have all become fertile ground for well-produced video. The Sun has a dedicated video desk and its content often trends as the most watched videos of the day. But alongside earned space in The Sun’s editorial output, there is room for PROs to fill their paid-for pre-roll slots with content that is editorial in nature, campaigning or simply brand-affirming.

As brands seek to own their online platforms, the variety of content becomes crucial. Google ranks video above text and when video thumbnails appear in search results, click-through rates for those links are higher. With Google’s recent announcement that search results are now influenced by freshness of content, the need for clients to commit to regular, relevant and engaging video is clear.

The age of video is here. The job of our industry is to embrace it, take ownership and seek to exploit it through creative and clever content creation.