Vimeo vs. YouTube at first glance looks like the classic matchup of David vs. Goliath. With more than one billion users, almost one-third of people that use the Internet, it would seem like the obvious choice. But Vimeo, like David, has a few tricks up its sleeve like a friendly community, no advertisements and increased customization.
The great video debate: Vimeo or YouTube can only really be answered after you first look at your own goals. So lets begin.
Why did you create the video?
What is the overall goal of the video you created? Is it to get views and go viral? Is it to embed on your site? Is it to create a community of like-minded individuals? Is it to make money directly from views? Is it to showcase your artistic talents and build your brand? Whatever your reason, before reading any further, try to nail down what you hope to accomplish with the uploading of this video. Then match the strengths and weaknesses of each site to your goals to find the best solution for you.
Why should you be using YouTube?
The Numbers
If it is about eyeballs on screens, then no other website comes close to YouTube. Especially if your demographic is younger as YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. That is a lot of streaming views. If your market is global, YouTube is also the clear choice as 80% of YouTube's views are from outside of the U.S. There is simply no other platform to share your videos with this kind of reach.
The Price
The price is right for businesses on YouTube, free. They do not charge for unlimited bandwidth or high quality viewing, so your business is free to experiment and upload as many videos as it wants.
also, you can pay for ads in YouTube so your potential customers will see you and video advertising is working,
The SEO
YouTube is owned by Google, and as such is privy to their great SEO software. YouTube content is easily searchable through its own website, which means that your content will be discovered by the people who want to see it. Another benefit is that your videos will often turn up on the first page of Google searches. This SEO is invaluable if your goal is to convert unfamiliar customers.
Why should you be using Vimeo?
The Community
Vimeo is much more regulated in order to keep out the trolls. This leads to a more friendly and supportive community that spurs on creativity. If your business is interested in creating a conversation and building a kind and loyal following, Vimeo is where it is most likely to happen.
The Customization
Vimeo offers its users a wider array of customizable features than YouTube. For instance, Vimeo has a wide range of privacy options as well as the ability to customize the video player and the video outro. More importantly, members of Vimeo can choose what links, text and video to display when their video ends. That eliminates the worry of competitor’s videos showing up after your video is finished. Along with this customization, you also get access to fast and reliable customer support.
The Quality
Where YouTube ranks its homepage videos by popularity, Vimeo displays them by quality through staff picks. As an artist producing creative content, that is a plus. Also, in general the videos on Vimeo are of a higher level, so your videos will not be surrounded with some of the lowbrow videos uploaded on the free-for-all that is YouTube. Uploading a video through Vimeo also raises the prestige of the content, as there is absolutely no advertisement on the site. That means no annoying commercials before your video plays and no flashy banner ads where a competitor could be advertising based off of similar keywords.
The Answer
Although Vimeo and YouTube are technically competitors, Vimeo has carved out a large niche of film enthusiasts built around quality, customization and community. If these are the most helpful attributes in a video sharing platform that you need, then pay the price for Vimeo’s Plus or Pro package and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. However, if it is just about views and shares, then stick with the Goliath YouTube.
The great video debate: Vimeo or YouTube can only really be answered after you first look at your own goals. So lets begin.
Why did you create the video?
What is the overall goal of the video you created? Is it to get views and go viral? Is it to embed on your site? Is it to create a community of like-minded individuals? Is it to make money directly from views? Is it to showcase your artistic talents and build your brand? Whatever your reason, before reading any further, try to nail down what you hope to accomplish with the uploading of this video. Then match the strengths and weaknesses of each site to your goals to find the best solution for you.
Why should you be using YouTube?
The Numbers
If it is about eyeballs on screens, then no other website comes close to YouTube. Especially if your demographic is younger as YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. That is a lot of streaming views. If your market is global, YouTube is also the clear choice as 80% of YouTube's views are from outside of the U.S. There is simply no other platform to share your videos with this kind of reach.
The Price
The price is right for businesses on YouTube, free. They do not charge for unlimited bandwidth or high quality viewing, so your business is free to experiment and upload as many videos as it wants.
also, you can pay for ads in YouTube so your potential customers will see you and video advertising is working,
The SEO
YouTube is owned by Google, and as such is privy to their great SEO software. YouTube content is easily searchable through its own website, which means that your content will be discovered by the people who want to see it. Another benefit is that your videos will often turn up on the first page of Google searches. This SEO is invaluable if your goal is to convert unfamiliar customers.
Why should you be using Vimeo?
The Community
Vimeo is much more regulated in order to keep out the trolls. This leads to a more friendly and supportive community that spurs on creativity. If your business is interested in creating a conversation and building a kind and loyal following, Vimeo is where it is most likely to happen.
The Customization
Vimeo offers its users a wider array of customizable features than YouTube. For instance, Vimeo has a wide range of privacy options as well as the ability to customize the video player and the video outro. More importantly, members of Vimeo can choose what links, text and video to display when their video ends. That eliminates the worry of competitor’s videos showing up after your video is finished. Along with this customization, you also get access to fast and reliable customer support.
The Quality
Where YouTube ranks its homepage videos by popularity, Vimeo displays them by quality through staff picks. As an artist producing creative content, that is a plus. Also, in general the videos on Vimeo are of a higher level, so your videos will not be surrounded with some of the lowbrow videos uploaded on the free-for-all that is YouTube. Uploading a video through Vimeo also raises the prestige of the content, as there is absolutely no advertisement on the site. That means no annoying commercials before your video plays and no flashy banner ads where a competitor could be advertising based off of similar keywords.
The Answer
Although Vimeo and YouTube are technically competitors, Vimeo has carved out a large niche of film enthusiasts built around quality, customization and community. If these are the most helpful attributes in a video sharing platform that you need, then pay the price for Vimeo’s Plus or Pro package and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. However, if it is just about views and shares, then stick with the Goliath YouTube.