You’ve brainstormed ideas, carefully crafted an engaging script, filmed and edited your video and now you’re ready to publish it online.
Question: Where is the best place to upload your video? A social-oriented platform such as YouTube, or a built-for-business online video platform?
Well, there’s no quick response here, the answer really boils down to “it depends.” Before you decide which platform to use, you should think about what you are hoping to achieve with your video.
YouTube is – an online video colossus – there’s no doubt about it. If your video objective is to get as many views as possible, it could be a good choice for you. Bear in mind that while YouTube CAN generate astronomical viewing figures, that doesn’t mean it will. The odds that you’ll produce that elusive viral video are slim — meaning that, for most of us, those out-of-this-world figures are pretty much a pipe dream.
It’s all about equipping your videos with the tools they need to get the job done. An online video platform can give you the edge in a few key areas:
1. SEO: Videos are ranked highly by search engines and are more likely to be clicked on than plain text results. To make the most of this, you need to embed your videos directly into your site to ensure that all that traffic is directed to you…not to YouTube. This will also mean that when people share your video, you get all that valuable link-juice.
2. Conversions: Cast your mind back to the last time you watched a video on YouTube – what happened when the video ended? You were presented with a plethora of other videos to watch – all of which take the viewer away from your brand or product. If you’re using video to drive business, then make sure your video is displayed in the appropriate place. For example, a video embedded next to a product is more likely to drive sales because adding that item to your cart is just one click away. Whereas, uploading the video to YouTube means your viewer has a longer process to go through before they wind up on the buying page. There’s more chance of them getting distracted along the way, and that’s a big disadvantage for conversion.
3. Control: You should also remember that YouTube sells advertising space. You really don’t have all that much control about which ads will be shown alongside your videos. When someone watches your video, the lasting impression you want to leave him or her with should be about you and your brand, product or service. Don’t let another company’s advert get in the way of that.
Deciding where to publish your online video content comes down to the type of audience you are aiming for. It’s the classic question of quantity or quality. If you feel you’ve created a truly entertaining video you may feel that quantity is more important – YouTube can generate millions of views for you if that’s the case.
However, if you want to engage an audience who are actively researching your product or brand and are in a position to buy, then you need to seriously consider using a business video hosting solution.
Hayley Dixon is Marketing Executive for vzaar, the video hosting platform for business.