In the past, consumers were forced to endure TV ads. But with viral video ads, consumers choose to watch and share them. That's a big departure. The popularity of these viral branded videos can be seen in the user-generated content that they inspire and the earned media that they generate. Volvo Trucks' "Live Test" with Jean Claude Van Damme, for example, generated more than 33 million of its 114 million views through user-generated content. But fewer brands find this level of success in branded video than should. Many brands could find viral glory were it not for some common mistakes:

Many marketers rely too heavily on YouTube to anchor their video strategy, focusing only on eyeballs and unified analytics. They are missing growing opportunities in the broader video marketplace.

A slew of TV networks offer second-screen content that's synchronized to TV shows, but viewers aren't sold yet on its value. Only 13% of users who interact with such content said it made the TV viewing experience "much more enjoyable." There's still hope, though, according to a joint research study from the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Television Program Executives released last week. The study uncovered moments of opportunity for networks -- opportunities that lie in the ads.

OK, I'll admit it. After an exhausting year of traveling, I staycationed over the holidays. As a result, I spent a little more time than usual on Facebook. And I'm sure I wasn't the only one with time on his hands between Christmas and New Year's who was allocating some incremental hours to Facebook. Maybe this holiday uptick in traffic explains why, the week before Christmas, Facebook introduced autoplay video content to its mobile and desktop platforms. Journalists noticed (and posted countless stories on how to stop or block the feature). My friends noticed - some of them even asking …

Earlier this year, TubeMogul CEO Brett Wilson estimated that roughly 50% of video ads are actually viewable. Many of these video ad placements are hidden on pages that aren't accessible to viewers. Advertisers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on video ads that will never be viewed by anyone, never mind relevant consumers.

Branded video reached new heights in 2013. More than 38% of new campaigns achieved more than 1 million views in 2013, compared with 26% in the year prior. And 5% of campaigns reached more than 10 million views, compared to 3% the year before.

In my December piece, I identified three important 2013 advances in the T/V (Television/Video) ecosystem that will have favorable impact on the emerging ad-supported business model: The cross-platform GRP; online video viewability; and buying on a cost-per-view basis. In addition to continued gains in those areas, here are three things I'd like to be able to recognize and be excited about at the end of 2014:

More and more consumers are viewing video via over-the-top services, according to just-released research from Parks Associates. About 50% of U.S. broadband homes use subscription or transactional over-the-top video, the research firm said when it released its newest data at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

You've developed a video strategy for your company. You have a list of video ideas. You're almost ready to start filming. At this point, you may be asking yourself, "Who is going to shoot our videos?" But that is the wrong question to ask. Rather, the question you should be asking is, "How good do our videos need to be, in order to achieve our strategic goals?" There are as many types of videos as there are ways to produce them. The key is to produce the videos you need, without overspending. Some companies choose to shoot videos themselves and …

TV has a problem: You're as likely to fast-forward through those paid ad spots as you are to skim-read this blog post, and that's not news to anyone. Driven by a quest to keep audiences captive in a media landscape that is increasingly competitive, big networks are taking equally big chances on technology-enabled innovations such as "Instant Save" on NBC's "The Voice" --- a live interactive component in which the home audience is given five minutes to decide live on air which contestants stay and which go -- that point the way forward for broadcast television.