How many hours of online video have you watched in the past month? One? Two? Five?        Online video consumption has skyrocketed. According to Nielsen, the average American watches 3 hours of online video per month - up nearly 50% from a year ago. There's hardly a show on T.V. that isn't accompanied by online "webisodes." Nearly every large brand has some sort of online video promotion. New research shows that by 2017, monthly consumption of online video will be measured in exabytes (that's a billion gigabytes, for those keeping track). And perhaps most interesting is the fact that one-third of people who watch a video online share it with friends, family members and colleagues.        The power of this medium is clear, and companies are catching on. New technology is making it easier to create and post videos online. Right now, we're working with several of our clients to develop simple online videos to communicate important information in a more engaging way. But before diving into the world of online video, it's important to plan ahead.        If you're using video to reach employees, customers or others, you should first develop a solid plan with clearly defined intended outcomes. It's about much more than just creating a funny video. And remember, online video dictates a completely different style than written communications. Ideally, online videos should be casual in tone and short in length.        How is your company taking advantage of the popularity of online video? What's the best online video campaign you've seen? Looking forward to your comments below.        @lizkelly