HOW THE SHARING SITE YOU CHOOSE CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR VIDEO’S PERFORMANCE

You’ve no doubt heard about the three “L’s” of real estate – “location, location, location”.

Well, location is just as important when it comes to video marketing. We’re not talking about where you film your video – what we’re referring to in this context is the video platform you choose. Or in simpler terms, the hosting or sharing site where you’ll upload your video.

Too many marketers approach this step haphazardly, giving minimal thought to how the platform they choose will affect their video’s performance.

But today, we’re here to show you why your choice of video sharing site matters.

NOT ALL SHARING SITES ARE BUILT EQUAL

Just because video sharing sites look similar and do the same thing (play video), doesn’t mean that they’ll all benefit your business the same way. Some will expose you to global audiences, giving you the opportunity for widespread brand awareness.

But others will provide more “bang for your buck” in the sense that they offer features which will help you meet specific ROI goals. That’s why we have to emphasize the importance of choosing the platform that best speaks to your business and your goals.

A BREAKDOWN OF POPULAR VIDEO SHARING SITES

You’ve heard the names, but do you know how they’ll shape your video marketing campaigns? If not, it’s vital for you to know how these platforms differ.

YOUTUBE

• Biggest audience/number of users
• Plenty of ads and ad space
• Can schedule release times
• Can list videos privately or publicly
• Free & paid versions

VIMEO

• Skewed mainly to mature and specific communities
• Free & paid tiers available (Plus, PRO, Business)
• Can replace videos without losing stats/analytics
• Ad-free
• Password-protected option available

DAILYMOTION

• Interface allows for better quality videos
• Fewer claims on copyright issues (more variety of video content)
• DailyMotion allows for more risque and mature content (“AgeGate” setting)
• More popular (and thus has more potential) in Europe

There are other video sharing platforms out there that can work for some businesses, but they tend to be more niche. For example, Twitch is a site dedicated to gamers while LiveLeak prohibits the upload of copyright material and focuses on news-related and amateur videos.

But for the sake of this article, we’ll focus on the big three mentioned above – YouTube, Vimeo and DailyMotion.

WHO DO YOU CHOOSE?

So the burning question lingers – which platform should you choose? Well, the answer greatly depends on what your business offers and what you want to accomplish. And also, keep in mind too that you’re not limited to one video platform.

YOUTUBE

• Ideal if you run a B2C company with a large and varied audience
• Perfect platform for highly amusing video content (ie. humour, storytelling)
• Provides most robust back-end analytics/publishing system thanks to Google support
• More beneficial for SEO since Google owns YouTube

VIMEO

• Best choice if you don’t want your videos interrupted by ads
• Less competition than YouTube (due to less traffic), easier to target niche communities and subcategories (ideal for B2B business)
• Generally higher quality than YouTube
• Offers the most privacy options (which can be a natural fit for personalized videos such as those that can be created on our IndiVideo platform)

DAILYMOTION

• Allows NFSW content (which more controversial brands may produce)
• Generally higher production quality than YouTube
• May offer higher traffic and visibility to European customers

HOW DOES THIS ALL PAN OUT?

As we mentioned earlier, the platform you choose depends on your core objectives.

If you’re going for a “shotgun” strategy and want to reach the masses with a potential “viral hit”, then YouTube will likely be the platform for you.

If you’re a B2B brand with a very specific and demanding niche and want an ad-free platform, then you might want to put your video on Vimeo.

If you produce more risque content or a have a dedicated base in Europe, then DailyMotion might work best for you.

Ultimately, there’s no rule saying you can’t upload your video on more than one platform. Just keep in mind that some video sharing sites will serve you better than others. Where a video might get lost in the clutter on one platform, it may thrive on another.

PUTTING YOUR VIDEO CHOICE IN THE RIGHT FRAME

Going forward, give more thought to your choice of video sharing site. It can mean the difference between uploading a video that gets lost in a sea of content, or one that attracts tons of eyeballs and engagements.

For safekeeping, you can upload your content onto all of these video hosting sites to see where it sticks. Of course, it would make sense to keep it on the site that gets the most traction.

But what will ultimately get your video seen is a combination of factors in addition to the site you choose such as the way you optimize it for that particular site. And that will be the topic of our next post.