And that’s not including YouTube.
Let’s face it; YouTube has already established itself as the internet’s video marketing giant. Even crowdfunding platforms like IndieGoGo use YouTube to host their explainer videos. However, competition is stiff. Hashtags, honors, and well-placed SEO keywords in the video description can only do so much.
If you really want to get your video out there – and properly raise brand awareness – it’s worth looking into other video platforms to host, share, and embed your work. Here are 7 alternatives to YouTube.
Vimeo. While YouTube is arguably more geared towards the entertainment sector – think amateur comedians, cover artists, musicians, etc., — Vimeo caters to over 70 million unique visitors per month who tend to look for the more “artsy,” short film-type of videos. Semi-professional vidiographers and producers favor this site a lot.
Wistia. If you’re looking for a more professional, business-suited solution for web video production and hosting, Wistia is a powerful website with tons of good stuff – like analytics and other video marketing tools – thrown in. It’s not a social-search platform, in the sense that you can stumble upon random videos the way you would YouTube or Vimeo – but it allows for easy uploading and on-the-spot player customization. It also gives you unique links for easy embedding and sharing on other platforms. Bonus: these videos are mobile ready and will work on any device.
Facebook. When you think Facebook, you think status posts, albums, and instant updates. Facebook is the platform that started the social media phenomenon. When you’re scrolling through your feed, Facebook’s new feature automatically plays a video if you stop scrolling long enough to study it. It also pauses it automatically once you scroll away. This makes for an easy share-and-play system that can solidify loyalty and update an already-established audience.
Instagram. Instagram isn’t just for photos. Even YouTubers like FunForLouis and HudaBeauty post videos to Instagram more frequently than they do YouTube. This is because YouTube videos require a certain amount of pre-production and post-production work before they deem it ready to be shared to their millions of subscribers. Instagram, on the other hand, offers a more personal, on-the-spot feel to the videos. Bonus: Instagram’s time-lapse, speed-up options make for pretty mesmerizing, bite-sized pockets of entertainment.
DailyMotion. DailyMotion stands a little above Vimeo with unique visitor numbers hitting 106 million a month. It doesn’t cater to one specific niche by way of content – whether entertaining or artsy – but it does seem to get the most number of visitors from people aged 12 to 24. This site appeals to young professionals and younger generations, making it the perfect spot to park your product – if your product appeals to the youth.
MetaCafe. While certainly not as common a brand name as Facebook, YouTube, or Vimeo, MetaCafe holds its own pretty well. Much like YouTube, uploaders and video producers can earn from their videos via MetaCafe’s Producer Rewards Program. It has a little over 40 million unique visitors monthly, earning it a spot just below Vimeo. Between this and MetaCafe’s rewards program — $5 for every 1,000 views – you stand to grow both your profit and your audience through this platform.
Snapchat. Snapchat is all about sharing. With fun filters released almost every day and ridiculously easy capturing/sharing options, Snapchat remains one of the most laid-back and casual social media/video hosting mobile platforms. While the time limit makes it difficult to condense stories and experiences, Snapchat’s My Story feature allows you to compile several shorter videos into one full-length, on-the-spot experience.
