Now that online video has become mainstream in the U.S., video portals are venturing abroad. Does this represent a new opportunity for online marketers? Let’s take a quick look at the new developments:
YouTube
Google will be rolling out navigation, framework, and domain names for localized versions of its market-leading YouTube video portal. Right now, YouTube is already home to thousands of foreign-language videos. The rollout will allow YouTube to put those videos front and center, giving each country its own unique portal.
The initial rollout covers Brazil, the UK, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands , Poland and Spain.. YouTube is also signing content deals with major TV networks in these countries, and is also making deals with soccer teams to provide highlights and news coverage.
MySpace
MySpace is also solidifying its video offerings under a new banner, MySpace TV. The new site will launch tomorrow, offering a revised mix which promotes professionally-produced content (NBC, Fox, Sony) alongside amateur videos. In a classic me-too move, the new site will launch with international versions from Day 1 (15 countries, 7 languages.)
Marketing Potential
Since most of the developed world has higher broadband penetration than the U.S., it’s likely that these localized portals will take off quickly, driven by media buzz and viral linking just like here. This represents a tantalizing opportunity for U.S. marketers with an eye on global markets.
Global SEO is already seen as a low barrier to international markets, because competition levels in most countries are still much lower than they are here. If video takes off, then the viral linking that drives traffic to those pages could pay-off for marketers in a big way, as online audiences get their first exposure to text-based websites via their video counterparts.
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[...] a recent post on international video search, we looked at the new portals being launched by YouTube and MySpace, and how they could open new [...]