public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

So, we’ve all heard his story by now. The man with the “golden voice.” He really does have an undeniably perfect voice for broadcast. His tale is amazing. Homeless for a decade, Ted Williams has overcome job loss and drug addiction. He made a living panhandling along an Ohio highway, until his now famous YouTube video turned him into an Internet sensation.

Let’s talk about the power of online video. In a past life, Williams had a career in radio and crafted his voice over the years. Had it not been for a short video that made it online, Williams would have just been another unfortunate story of homelessness in the United State. Online video introduced this man and his voice to the world and made us fall in love with him and his story. This video brought us all to the side of the highway in Ohio and gave us insight into Williams’s every day routine, up until that point. We’ve gotten to watch him chronicle this once in a lifetime opportunity, from the Today Show, his job and home offers to the reunion with his mother after 20 years apart.

So, why is online video so addictive? Are we a voyeuristic society? According to Pew Internet and American Life Project, (69 percent) have used the Internet to watch or download video. That represents 52 percent of all adults in the United States. Online video draws us in and connects people to a moment without having to actually know the person who might be on the other side of that lens.

So, why do you watch? What makes a good viral video? Your thoughts are welcome…