If you’ve heard or said the phrase, “I saw it on the Internet,” the first place most people think of is YouTube.
But if you have a BookVid, Book trailer, or other promotional video, is YouTube the place you should upload it to?
The answer is yes, but… there are greener pastures to be found.
YouTube has lost the “You.” In fact, they should just call it “MoneyTube” or “AdTube” because there are so many ads now it’s pretty ridiculous. There are ads on the side, top, bottom, sometimes before you play videos, sometimes while you watch videos… you get the idea.
So why should you place your videos on YouTube?
YouTube is:
- #4 largest site on the Internet
- #1 largest video site on the web
- #2 search engine on the web (#1 is Google)
YouTube is the go-to place for searching for video content. And although you might have to wade through a sea of ads, you need to place your video where the most people are searching for content.
So, what video content sharing site is better than YouTube? From personal experience and from listening to other people’s recommendations, it’s Vimeo, or even better, Vimeo Plus.
Here are some more things that make Vimeo unique from YouTube:
- The ability to upload a thumbnail for your video.
- The ability to replace a video file so you don’t have to enter tags, names, or descriptions all over again.
- The ability to add a website link at the end of the video.
Now let’s be fair. What is not so hot about Vimeo? A small obstacle to overcome is buffer time. From the time you hit the play button on Vimeo, it takes a hair longer, (sometimes a couple seconds) for that video to start playing. That may be a clincher for some but overall I’ll wait a few seconds so I don’t have to see ads on YouTube.
Feel lost, buried, or confused by YouTube this, Vimeo that? Ask your publisher with help to get your video online. Most publishers have a YouTube channel. Ask if they have other delivery outlets like Vimeo Plus, or if they can host the video on their servers.
Related Article:
YouTube stats from http://www.cleancutmedia.com/video/youtube-statistics-the-ultimate-time-suck
