YouTube sits firmly on top of the world in Internet video. We sometimes forget about Vimeo, the other big site for permanent video posts. Each one offers advantages, and there's no reason a business can't use both to boost its visibility. YouTube is wide open to all, while Vimeo is a bit more of a gated community. So who wins... Vimeo vs Youtube?

Vimeo vs YouTube: Which should you use for your Business?

Advantages of YouTube

• YouTube's most obvious advantage is visibility. It has a billion users by its own estimate. People do searches and view suggested videos. Networking with other people's channels can easily build up an audience.
• Accounts on YouTube are free, including business accounts, and there are no limits on how much video you can upload.
• Google isn't biased, of course, but it does own YouTube, which does very well in search results compared to its competitors.
• YouTube has excellent tools for promoting your business from a video. "Annotations" are click able text in the video, inviting viewers to your site.
• It's easy to embed YouTube videos on many blogging and social media sites. WordPress sites can embed them without any plugins. Embedded videos don't subject the viewer to video ads.

Disadvantages of YouTube

• Viewers on the YouTube website have to deal with video ads. They interrupt the video at random points, and a lot of viewers will leave in annoyance.
• You're competing with a billion other videos for attention. The large majority of them have low quality, giving the impression that YouTube is a dumping ground for anything anyone might shoot. This impression isn't far from reality.
• Comments are mostly unmoderated and often ugly. Some people disable comments for their videos to get around this.
• Suggested videos can lead to competitors' sites.

Advantages of Vimeo

Vimeo's approach has some clear differences from YouTube's. You have to pay for an account if you use it for business, but you get a higher-quality environment in return. This can be especially helpful in B2B situations. At 170 million monthly viewers, Vimeo certainly isn't small except by comparison to YouTube.

• Vimeo doesn't run video ads. Nothing will interrupt your video, so people are more likely to watch it all the way through.
• A paid business account offers a lot of value. You can store up to 5 terabytes of video, and you get a good set of analytic tools. You can customise your channel with your logo and colours.
• Privacy settings give you detailed control over who can see your videos. Among other choices, you can password-protect a video or specify which accounts can view it. YouTube gives only public, unlisted, and private options.
• You can set up a Portfolio in your account, with your own branding and domain name.
• Vimeo has a reputation for better quality. It promotes staff picks rather than whatever is getting the most views.

Disadvantages of Vimeo

• Visibility is lower than YouTube by all measures. It has a smaller audience, fewer views, and lower standing in Google's search results.
• You can't accept ads to sponsor your videos.
• Vimeo imposes limits on the total amount of storage you can use. How much you get depends on the plan you choose.

Vimeo vs Youtube: Which way to should you go?

Nothing stops you from using both sites, depending on your aims for each video. YouTube is generally the better way to go if your main aim is to reach the largest audience. Vimeo's advantages stand out when you have a targeted audience and can reach it directly. If you want the best appearance and are willing to do all the work of promotion, or if you want a video site that doesn't have the YouTube look, that's the best time to go with Vimeo.

Pixel Fish can help your business to achieve a more effective Internet presence. Please contact us to learn more.

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