Few years back, whenever one needs to learn about a subject or the history of a state or country, or the anthropology of a particular society, or a certain scientific principle one has to go to the library and look through one aisle of hundreds of books after another for sufficient information.

That would mean hours spent within the four walls of the library. Although some may have the convenience of borrowing some books from the library or have the option to purchase books, but these options could prove to be costly sometimes. Nowadays, you can search through the Internet for helpful information about anything and everything within the comforts of your room or while basking in the relaxing ambiance of the outdoors.

Additionally, the introduction of the flash player in the Internet widened the scope with which the web can be used as an effective tool for communication as well as for marketing. In fact, it is one of the best mediums to gain considerable audience. Moreover, it does not cost as much as the amount one needs to spend on producing a television commercial. One does not need to spend much on equipment and manpower for the taping of the video for product or service promotion. And because there are various free video hosting sites, any one can post and showcase videos online without having to fork out.

However, making an audience grabbing video is not as easy as it may seem. You see, the idea of video marketing is to attract potential audience and encourage them to check out your site and eventually make you popular in their respective networks. Thus, the term viral marketing. Of course, this does not only work for marketers who are selling particular goods and services, this is also a good way to promote aspiring artists. From writers to painters, musicians to dancers, the Internet is for everyone.

According to Tubemogul, the formula for an effective promotional video is: 50% Content and production; 20% Thumbnail; 15% Metadata; 15% Promotion. Now, for further details...

Content and Production: Generally, the video must be remarkably awesome. How? Well, a good video is made up of one or a good combination of the following elements: humor, unconventional, real talent, celebrities, special effects, pranks, spoofs, catchy music, pet tricks, cute kids, physical injuries, and sex. But of course, choose the right package for your target market.

Thumbnail: It is a single image that will be used to represent your entire video. Thus, it must be thought-provoking to entice people to check out the video.

Meta-data: Use a keyword loaded description for your video. The more meta-data used in describing your video, more people will find it.

Promotion: This can be achieved by getting involved with the various communities in the web. You can subscribe to other people's sites, make friendly, witty, and somewhat engaging remarks that would lead people to check out your profile. And of course, getting involved in forums will provide you with the opportunity to invite various people to check out your site.