It is literally becoming impossible to ignore the impact - and importance - that videos are having on the internet, and the world of internet marketing is no different!

Many of the “top dogs” of internet marketing have warned that 2007 will mark the year that online videos begin their real importance in making money online and driving traffic to your website. It’s the world of Web 2.0…and we need to realize that more now than ever.

I’ll give you a quick example of the real power of online video…but I’m going to move into another business entirely for this demonstration. It’s my OTHER love…the business of music.

You may not have heard of a band by the name of OK GO. Then again, maybe you have…even if you weren’t trying. That’s because the band became a study in the digital age - whether it was intentional or not.

A number of months ago, the band released a video that became so popular on the web that the band watched their latest album sales (which had been released about a year earlier) begin to climb, and climb, and CLIMB. According to the sales tracking website HitsDailyDouble:

Featuring the band performing a synchronized treadmill routine in a gym, “Here It Goes Again,� a track from the band’s Oh No album, released almost a year ago, the video has been viewed a staggering 2 million times on YouTube, earning monthly honors as Most Viewed, Top Favorites and Most Discussed Music Video, as well as #10 Most Linked All Time and #25 Most Viewed Music Video of all time on the popular site. Technorati has rated the video as one of the most popular linked by blogs.

Capitol Records President Andy Slater got off the treadmill long enough to state: “OK Go’s current success is a grass-roots phenomenon of the digital age. It is the product of long-term artist development for a credible, smart band that is connecting with fans the old-fashioned way through non-stop touring, and the new-fashioned way—through clever, trailblazing use of new media. Now, if only I could master the moves, I’d submit my own video to YouTube.”

Have you seen the video? If not, check it out right here…it’s for the song “Here It Goes Again”:

After the success of this video online, the band recognized that viral videos cannot be underestimated. So they stayed with what works, and just released another video - for another song - on the same album. Notice any similarities?

And to add one more “piece to the puzzle”…the video above, for the song “Do What You Want”, was actually the SECOND video for the song. The first video can be seen below. You’ll notice, while it’s a well-done video, it was missing a certain “formula” that brought them the success of “Here It Goes Again”.

So why am I bringing music into this discussion? What does OK GO have to do with your internet marketing business? Think about it…If a video can drive ALBUM SALES, just imagine what they can do for driving traffic to your website.

If you want to compete in any business, you have to be willing to adjust and adapt to current trends and technology. Online video IS where the success is at in 2007. Do what you can to make sure you take advantage of it.

With the coming of the New Year, so have many Prediction Lists for 2007. While nobody can claim to know what the future holds for internet marketing, it’s interesting to see the recurring themes throughout some of these lists. At the very least, the lists are fun to read…and just might help put you ahead of the curve for 2007!

Ben Barren
Stowe Boyd
ESalesGuru
WebProNews
DigitalGrit
BL Ochman
Blogging Stocks
…I will be adding more as I find them. There are many, many, many more out there! If you know of any, or have a list of your own, leave a link in the comments and I’ll add you to the list!

Here is my latest article, entitled "No More Resolutions." which deals with New Year's Resolutions and how to ensure that you achieve them in 2007! Let me know what you think in the comments, and please feel free to distribute the article (unchanged) wherever you'd like!

It never fails. Every year around this time, you and I begin to consider our “New Year’sResolutions� for the coming new year. Usually the list includes 2 to 5 “goals� that we set for ourselves, encompassing all subjects from health to money.

Consider the “New Year’s Resolutions� that you made for this past year. In 2005, the promises you made to yourself for 2006 were probably very similar to your current resolutions for 2007.

Maybe it was “lose weight�. Or perhaps you wanted to “make a little extra money this year�. It could have been a resolution to get more organized. Whatever your 2006 Resolutions were, I would be willing to bet that your 2007 Resolutions are pretty darn similar!

Am I right?

It doesn’t have to be that way. Hope is not lost in attaining your goals for 2007. Next year at this time, you could be looking back with the knowledge that you kept your word. It is possible.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results.�

With that quote in mind, I want you to consider how many “New Year’s Resolutions� you’ve had in your life. It was probably too many to remember. Or even worse, you’ve had the same resolutions for years now, but never seemed to keep those promises to yourself.

Maybe it’s beginning to hit you. New Year’s Resolutions – for most people – just don’t work.

It could be because everyone seems to have (and break) New Year’s Resolutions year in and year out. Or maybe there’s a desire in all of us to improve ourselves, but not enough of a desire to force us to change what we don’t like about ourselves.

Regardless, it is important to realize that you do not need to have New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, you should NOT have any New Year’s Resolutions. You need to think of your “goals� for 2007 in a whole different light.

There is a way to ensure that your goals for the New Year become reality.

Of course, it’s not easy. But nothing worthwhile really is.

When you “resolve� to make a change, it is a promise to yourself. When we make promises, we usually tend to keep them. That is, unless the promise is to ourselves! Why does this happen?

Because a promise to another person places trust on the line. If I make a promise to my fiancé, and then break it, I will feel devastated because I let her down. Promises to ourselves do not work that way (for most people).

If we promise ourselves to lose weight, but break that promise, the only person we hurt is – you got it – ourselves. And subconsciously, we can handle that disappointment. After all, nobody else got hurt, and we can try again later! This is why New Year’s Resolutions don’t work. They are simply promises to ourselves, which have no “emotional weight� put into them. Sure, we may be disappointed if we fail…but we can handle the disappointment.

Therefore, it’s important to look at our goals from a different angle.

Instead of “resolving� to do something, you have to convince yourself that you need to do something.

For example: You need to do something about your weight. There’s no choice. For every pound overweight, you’re adding risk to your health. You are literally shortening your life with every pound of extra “padding� that you’re packing on. You need to understand that. I mean REALLY understand it. Your life is shorter than it could be, if you only reached that goal of losing weight!

Another example: You need to do something about your money situation. There’s nothing quite like struggling from paycheck to paycheck. It’s possibly the worst feeling in the world, stretched out over an entire working lifetime. You’re literally killing yourself through stress with every year that passes and you’re still in the same financial shape as you were the year before. It’s not just me saying it…this is FACT.

Now, you could be reading this (if you’ve made it this far without writing me off), thinking, “This is nothing that I haven’t heard before.� “It’s all so much easier said than done�.

That’s why I told you it would be hard: Because the answer to life’s struggles and problems lies within life itself. Life is incredibly hard. No matter what, you’re going to have to work at life. It doesn’t just come easily.

If you agree with that statement (that life is hard), then you need to realize: if you’re going to work hard at life anyway, then why not work hard toward a goal?

If you cannot convince yourself – and I mean that in the strongest sense of the phrase – that you need to change, you will ultimately fail.

Sure, you may find some short-term benefits if you stick to your “normal� New Year’s Resolutions. But before long, those resolutions – once they are met – will no longer mean anything. You’ll find that it is difficult to keep your eye on the prize, when the prize has already been won!

That is why it is so important to convince yourself that you need to change. You don’t have a choice anymore. In order to make it to 2008, you need to get healthy, lessen your financial burdens, and become an all-around better person. It is all possible, if it comes from a position of urgency rather than a promise.

The alternative? Next year: same old resolutions, same old shortcomings. You know what it’s like…you’ve done it all before!

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Brett Laffin is the owner/editor of Money2BMade.com. What can a college student teach YOU about making money online? Come find out at my money-making blog, full of internet marketing advice, motivational writing, free products, and so much more!

Now that the New Year is upon us, our television screens are filled with people talking about their “New Year’s Resolutions”. I’m sure that you’ve considered the things that you’d like to change about yourself in 2007. I know I have!

But maybe it’s not about that. Maybe you’re only setting yourself up for defeat, making these New Year Resolutions…

Actually, I’m currently writing a short report (which I will be offering for download soon) about that very topic. It will include my personal opinions and predictions about what will be “hot” in internet marketing and internet business in general in the coming year. Plus, it will help you to prepare for the new year in the best possible way. So keep an eye out for that within the next few days…

In the meantime, it’s interesting to read this new Marist/NBC Poll, which deals with New Years Resolutions. Read it for yourself right here (PDF). But here’s a quick summary…see how it compares to your personal list:

Overall Most Popular New Year’s Resolution: Lose weight.
Most Popular New Year’s Resolution (Men): Be a better person.
Most Popular New Year’s Resolution (Women): Lose weight.
Percentage of Americans Who Are Likely to Make a Resolution: 44%

Again, keep an eye out for that new report I’m writing. It will help you to make more money in 2007, as well as to help you optimize your life for the new year!