Affiliate marketers are typically on the forefront of effective Internet promotion strategies, but there is one facet that remains relatively uncharted territory: video. Nationwide brands and other major advertisers have already launched aggressive efforts to reach customers via YouTube, Metacafe, MySpace video and other video channels, but according to a survey by AffStat, only 1 in 3 affiliate marketers currently use video as part of their strategy.

What does this mean to aspiring affiliate marketers?

For one, it means less competition in this highly advantageous space. Video content gives marketers an elevated visibility within search results, especially since major search engines are moving towards inclusion of more multimedia results. Google, for example, often boosts video results to the top of the page as a way to offer more diverse content than simple text-based pages. The fact that much fewer marketers use video means that it is that much easier to rise to the top of the search engine results pages with quality video content.

Beyond the search engine optimization perks of video, studies also show that video has more of an impact on web users than simple text and images. It is widely known and accepted that web users are notorious skimmers, often reading only the title and opening paragraph and then skipping down through the headings in order to find what interests them. With video, however, users tend to watch the entire clip and retain more information than if they had read a page of text.

The increased interactivity of videos on popular sites such as YouTube also works in the favor of affiliate marketers. Now, links, pop-ups and other clickable features can be integrated into video clips. This helps make video clips more actionable, as users can simply click through to be taken to an affiliate page or to learn more information, rather than being directed to type in a URL manually or search through a user’s profile for contact information.

In summary, video marketing remains a key area for affiliate marketers to gain traffic and conversions. The inherent benefits of providing video content are multiplied by the slowness of other affiliate marketers have to embrace video marketing strategies. Competition in video promotion for affiliate marketers is low, while the advantages and benefits remain high