In the quarter century of promoting good intensions and sound economics, we at Acton have incorporated many new technologies in our efforts to share our work with a growing audience. First, we relied on the printed word in magazines, books and journals. With the rise of the internet, we embraced email and the explosion of social media. For a number of years, we have been sharing our events—after the fact—on YouTube and at acton.org.
We recognize yet another shift in the way people consume content; it’s impossible to ignore the rise of video content on the internet. This year will see online video account for 75 percent of all online traffic, with that number expected to keep rising in years to come. YouTube, the largest online video site, has over a billion users worldwide. More and more web users—especially among younger demographics—expect to see video on websites they visit, spend more time on pages with video and absorb video information more thoroughly than they do written content. In fact, four times as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it. If Acton is to effectively spread the message of faith and freedom to a new generation, we must embrace these trends.
That’s why we’re embarking on a significant technology upgrade in the Acton Building’s Mark Murray Auditorium. This will not only provide a better audio-visual experience for our in-house guests but also allow us to stream our events live on the newly redesigned Acton.org. The project will upgrade our wireless microphone technology, add microphone capacity, and give us the technology to present high-quality, live online video of events.
We’re also exploring ways that this technology can allow us to expand our outreach and education programs through multisite meetings and distance learning initiatives. Stay tuned for all the different ways we can use technology to serve you! We expect this new feature to be available this fall.
