A March 2008 Synovate study sponsored by ClipBlast! found that when it comes to finding online video, search takes a backseat to unaided navigation (also known as discovery) and content recommendations.
When US Internet users were asked how they found video on the Internet, 28% of respondents with a preferred method cited discovery. Recommendations from friends followed closely behind with 27% and search engines were chosen by 22%.
"The video Web is dictating a fundamental break from the traditional search model—a departure that represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Web 2.0," said Gary Baker, CEO of ClipBlast!.
"It's now about discovery and browsing and navigating in non-linear ways. Social media works more like a real community than any 'constructed' community the Web may have sought to create up to this point, which is why discovery and recommendations figure so prominently in the mix.
"Social media mimics the way that we interact when we're offline—it traces the sometimes circular, sometimes whimsical paths of relationships, and follows a few tangents," Mr. Baker said. "It's clear that video consumers know at a gut level that if a picture is worth a thousand words, there's no way that metadata will ever be enough.”