This is the first post in a 5 part series of articles I will be sharing discussing how audio and video blogging are changing the landscape of the Internet and how you can use these tools in business and in your personal life.

How we share information online is transforming. A decade ago, simply having a website made you more innovative than your competitors. In the beginning, online communication was completely controlled by the author allowing the reader little control over the content they were exposed to. Today, several innovations have changed the way in which we share information online. For example, the ability to hyperlink to content within a site/blog or to a completely different site provides more flexibility for the user by letting them finish the blog post or follow a suggested link.

More and more information sharing has become vertically integrated and hyper-specialized. Conventional, generic text-based websites are growing obsolete. Now, websites are being constantly upgraded and integrated to include images that act as links to  audio, video and themed music. Your online content must provide a specific service, or solve a specific problem. Users are searching for exact solutions to solve defined needs. Generally, if the user is not satisfied with the content on the page he/she will link out to a site better suited for their query. Using audio and video to support your online content will help satisfy a users specialized needs.

Greater network bandwidth, the use of standardized formats, and the overall commercialization of the Internet has changed both the geography and how we communicate online. A newer medium of communicating online is via video blogging and podcasting.  Podcasting emerged into the mainstream in 2005 after Apple added Podcasts into its Itunes platform. Immediately exposing podcasting to 40 million people. Within one week there were over a million new users. When implemented properly it can help you to gain exposure, market, and gain an edge over your competition.

Podcasting supports your desired message to the user by providing an easy and effective way to distribute audio and video files.  Previously, if I was having problems figuring out the sum function in Microsoft Excel I would have to look for an online forum, or find step by step textual instructions to help me out. Today, I simply go to websites like youtube.com or mrexel.com and watch step by step instructions on how to effectively use excel via video.  In this way, video blogging increases the efficiency by which we share information.

Not only do podcasts and video blogs help you to share information to a targeted  audience but they are an excellent way to give voice to your business. Video blogging enables you to tell an online story about your business. Who you are, what you do, and what your product is. Over the next couple weeks, I want to discuss ways to instigate, develop, and market video casts into an effective tool for your business.

Check Digg’s founder Kevin Rose’s video blogs on his vimeo page . Through his videos Kevin demonstrates new applications he has implemented into his websites and educates users on how to integrate them into his existing platform. What’s really awesome is that besides marketing his product, he essentially grants the viewer a window into his personal life, sharing his interests and experiences with them through his video blogs. Another great place to visit for video blogs is right here at SmibsTV .

My next topic will deal with the steps around planning an effective video blog.