Devoted to online marketing, viral marketing, and web marketing

The overall ad spend with online video was an anemic $410 million in 2006, but that is projected to change in a big way over the next four years.

Growth projections have differed as various companies have searched out how quickly online video ad spending will grow, but most of them figure it to reach between $4 to $4.5 billion by 2011.

One of the unknowns that will become more clear in the months ahead, is the yet-unnamed venture between News Corp. (NWS-A) and NBC Universal. Once that type of professional online video is put up, we'll get a much clearer picture of how the advertising industry will respond.

For the user-generated online video market, ad spend will be much slower, although still projected to possibly reach $1 billion during the same time period.

While most online videe is presented as user-generated and professional, I think there will probably be a third player in the field: semi-professional video. What I mean by that is people who use the affordable tools that can make online video that is popular with online users and a step above the amateurish stuff we see now.

People with skills in this area could emerge as a viable force in the years ahead. I think advertisers would find them a good place to put market their products too.
 
As far as monetization of online video goes, the future in the semi- and professional video area. There will be exceptions to that rule, but overall that will be the trend.