According to eMarketer, approximately 80% of the US online population now watches online video at least once a month, consuming everything from news clips to college humor to sports highlights to full-length TV episodes. I wanted to shed some light on the demographic of these online video viewers, given the high percentage of users.

Based on the data from Emarketer below, online videos appeal to a wide demographic, so there are opportunities for most marketers. Online video users skewed toward females (55% to 45%), but mobile video users skewed towards males (54% to 46%). Males were more likely to be characterized as “heavy users” as compared to females. Around 40% of US viewers were age 35 and younger. Ages 45-54 had the highest percentage of online video users by age group. As expected, mobile video users tended to be younger. Unlike the Social Networking universe, ages 55 and older were well represented with online video usage – over 20% of total users.

As high speed internet becomes more and more common in US households, the percentage of online video consumption continues to grow at an impressive rate. Online video ads should be considered as part of your marketing mix, and are certainly worth a test.

It’s a fact that we are dealing with tough economic conditions which are showing little sign of short term improvement. We are all negatively affected in certain ways, and if you watch the news on a regular basis you may be even more skeptical.

As marketers, we need to be creative and continue to find ways to provide the positive results our clients are expecting. The initial reaction we have in tough economic times is to reduce or eliminate marketing budget, but drastic changes may not be the right decision in many cases. In fact, companies that continue to maintain an adequate marketing presence during tough economic times stand to benefit in a number of ways.

-Less competition: many companies will lower or eliminate budgets during tough economic cycles, which allows your marketing message to stand out better. Less competitors means more exposure to prospects/clients, and your branding impact should improve.

-Pricing: This is simple “supply & demand” – less buyers typically means more favorable pricing from vendors for ad space.

-Market Share: since your competition level is lower, you have a better chance of growing your market share – in most industries/verticals consumers are still consuming, and the customers you acquire now may stay with you for the long term.

A couple more important points:

Be creative with your marketing approach and focus on your current customers – offer a rewards program, discounts/special offers, and distribute a newsletter. Be sure not to ignore your base, especially in these tough times.

A strong value proposition is also vital to maintaining your customers during tough times, since we are all looking at ways to “tighten our belts”. If your product or service delivers great value, consumers will likely find a way to afford it.

Online marketers can reach their audience with many types of ad formats, but it’s critical that as we marketers leverage the formats that appeal to the particular target demographic. A recent report by eMarketer provides some insight on how users react to certain ad formats. Fully understanding the habits and preferences of your consumers can be very helpful in crafting an effective campaign. Many variables influence consumer behavior online including: age, income, education, occupation, and frequency of visits.

Which ad formats appeal to your demographic?
Text Ads and Banners seem to be effective with most age groups, but lose their luster with older individuals and higher incomes. Video Ads are much more effective with younger people that have lower incomes. Increased visits to a website help to increase clicks on all ad types.

Is the Internet the best form of media to target your demographic?
When it comes to average time spent daily with major media, Internet is the second most popular medium for all users behind TV. Radio, Newspapers, and Magazines follow behind TV and Internet usage. TV is consistently preferred by all ages, income, and education levels. Internet is most popular with age 64 and younger, income levels over 25k, and users with at least some college level education. Magazines and Newspapers gain more popularity as consumers grow older, and Radio trends in the opposite direction.

Given this data, it’s clear that marketers must have a full understanding of their target demographic and utilize a combination of channels to communicate their message. In addition to text, banner and video ad formats, there are some emerging channels that ought to be considered - mobile/sms, social, and interactive promotions.