Listen to John Follis and other top marketing thought leaders discuss the most relevant topics of the day. http://themarketingshow.net

To give you an idea of 500 million, that’s the popuations of the US, Japan and Germany, combined. Watch ABC clip.

Done right, online video (or any video) can easily and quickly communicate your message. And, with the latest improvements in technology it’s never been easier. Hear Shannon Ennis of Video One Productions share her info and insight about the video explosion. (And see our latest video)

In a recent survey by Technorati.com, self-employed professionals reported the benefits of blogging:

• 71% have greater visibility in their industry.
• 63% said clients purchased products or services after reading their blog.
• 56% say their company is now regarded as a thought leader.
• 40% have been asked to speak at conferences.

According to a new study from Nielsen showing Internet usage in April 2010, 22% of the time, you’re engaging with social media. Also, a few more telling takeaways from the report:

• Currently, three quarters of Internet users worldwide visit a social network or blog when they go online — that’s a 24% increase over last year.
• Joe Average (the international version) spends 66% more time on these sites than he did a year ago — for example, your average user spent 6 hours on these sites in April 2010, while last year he spent 3 hours, 31 minutes.
• Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia make an appearance among the world’s most popular brands.

See full report at: http://mashable.com/2010/06/15/time-spent-online-nielse