I can still hear it… the click, click, click, click sound of the film reel when the spool ran out.  It was so exciting in grade school, learning by video rather than a static old textbook.  Next I remember the gentle whirrrrrrrr of the high school VCR rewinding at the end of the tape.

Today, something odd happens.  When I get to the end of an online video clip … there is no “Pavlovian sound” to signal things are done! 

Instead, there are buttons allowing me to replay the video, see related content, forward to a friend, or embed the video in my website or blog.

The “sound of video” has changed forever.  And if you’ll pardon the pun, we B2B communicators will be “reeling” from its effects.  Whether we like it or not, a few immutable truths are rapidly emerging.  These include:

• The Internet’s need for content is never ending

• Internet users want, seek and prefer dynamic content

• Video is a highly sought-after item

• If you don’t provide it, someone else will

Given the quantum leaps in connectivity, video software and the skill level of the average Internet user, video is quickly moving from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have.”  How are B2B marketers from the manufacturing, energy and technology industries tapping into the growing popularity of Web video?

In one example, IBM created a superhero character to market its green solutions to businesses battling high energy costs and overcrowding in data centers. The video clip features IBM’s Green Data Center Man springing into action.

Video (2 minutes, 19 seconds)

The B2B video from IBM has proven to be quite popular among the green IT community because it effectively brings together good storytelling with solid marketing techniques. The video’s high entertainment value does not detract from its business objectives because it successfully:

• Introduces a problem that is familiar to its intended audience

• Associates the brand directly with the solution

• Concludes with a clear call to action for viewers to engage with the brand

So if you are waiting for the click, click, click sound of the reel to tell you its time to move to online video, you might be waiting a long time.  As for me, I’ll be silently cruising Hulu, YouTube and your company’s Website lamenting the fact that there is no audio signal to tell me when the lesson is over.