YouTube vs Vimeo vs Wistia vs Facebook – Where to Upload Your Video?
Your amazing video is complete and you’re ready to show the world. But where do you upload? Here’s a breakdown of the most popular video platforms and when to use them.
YouTube
If you’re aiming for pure exposure, YouTube is the way to go. It’s the most popular streaming service by far and it’s where viral video lives. Over the years, YouTube has built up the social network aspect of the platform and it’s become centered around sharing videos and finding content related to your interests.
YouTube has also established a strong advertising platform. If you’re a video creator looking to drive people to your content to make money, YouTube makes it easy to do so. But if you’re a business or video professional that wants viewers to focus on the information or creativity in your videos, you might want to try a different venue.
Vimeo
YouTube might have created the gold standard for video streaming, but not everyone wants it to be a social, viral experience. This is where Vimeo has found success. Vimeo offers a platform for video producers, businesses, and other professionals that want to showcase high quality video without distractions.
Vimeo’s greatest aspects are its clean layout, lack of obtrusive ads, and the “Pro” features. By upgrading to a Pro account, you get access to features like higher quality encoding, player customization, and a sleek analytics interface. Vimeo has become a great tool for building a community around your videos and doing things your way.
Wistia
Over the last few years, Wistia made a name for themselves in the video streaming landscape. Top to bottom, Wistia is built for businesses that want to get the most out of their video content. They offer robust video marketing tools such as calls to action, email capture, video heat maps, and detailed statistics.
Instead of having you build your video presence into another service like YouTube or Vimeo, Wistia gives you the power to customize and create a unique video experience for your brand. It’s the ideal platform for power users that want all of the control and analytics that can get.
Facebook has been inching closer and closer to becoming a major player in the world of online video and we think they’ve gained enough ground to be in the conversation. Facebook doesn’t have the prettiest interface, the most robust features, or the longest track record. But what it does have is nearly 1.5 billion monthly active users.
If you’re promoting your video, you’ll probably share it to Facebook anyway. But if you upload directly to Facebook, their algorithm will serve up your video more often. You can also turn your video into an ad and target the exact type of people you want to reach. While it isn’t a true video service, Facebook’s massive user-base and influence on the internet makes it an option worth considering.
