Previously I talked about the differences between the 2 top players when it comes to hosting video; YouTube and Facebook. Now we’re going to talk about 2 smaller players; Vimeo and Wistia. Their smaller size doesn’t mean they should be overlooked though, because they each have unique features the others don’t that can be very useful when creating beautiful video content.

Vimeo

Vimeo is a smaller community than YouTube, but that’s a plus if your goal is more on creative expression and quality content. The Vimeo community is more likely to appreciate videos that had hard work put into them, instead of the nonsense and drivel you often find on other platforms. Users often provide constructive criticism and legitimate praise for your videos, instead of ‘trolling’ the comment section.

PROS:

• Quality. Hands down, Vimeo offers the best quality. Not only with the way the site functions and looks, but with what you can upload. It is a paid subscription, but it’s worth it if your goal is to reach out to other professionals, and especially if you want to display your creative work. With a ‘Plus’ account for $5.00 a month, you get 5GB to upload every week. You can divide this into multiple videos, or all in one. And with a ‘Pro’ account, you get 20GB a week for $199.00 a year.
• Customization. With Vimeo Pro, you can change what color your play button is and what plays after the video finishes. This is a neat little feature that adds something extra to your website.

CONS:

• Different. Vimeo is a different type of community that’s definitely not for everybody. Its users are ultimately there for artistic reasons only. Don’t expect to go viral on Vimeo.
• Subscriptions. Vimeo doesn’t run ads, so its revenue comes from paid subscriptions. This can certainly be a deterrent when deciding between Vimeo and other platforms, especially if you’re just starting out with your artistic endeavors. The last thing you want to do is spend money on hosting a video people may never see.

Wistia

Wistia, a smaller player in the video hosting space, is unique in its approach to hosting video. It has a very specific goal. Put simply, Wistia’s focus is on video SEO and lead generation.

PROS:

• Security. Wistia allows you to create an exclusive list of the domain that are authorized to embed videos. This is great for when you want to protect your video content.
• Customization. Wistia actually has some great customization tools. This includes an option to ask for the e-mail address of viewers so you can build your audience.
• Data. Wistia includes a great analytics platform about users. You can see where your viewers are located, how long they watched the video, where they skipped parts of the your video, and even where their attention dropped off. Other platforms have this too, but I think Wistia has a better user interface.
• Integration. Another great feature is Wistia’s ability to integrate with marketing softwares like Hubspot, Marketo and Pardot.

CONS:

• Visibility. Wistia is not really a platform for gaining brand recognition. When trying to reach a large audience, Facebook and YouTube are better options.
• Subscription. In order to access all of its features, you must subscribe to their premium service.
• Quality. Wistia is not really a place for artists either. Just like YouTube, the quality of your video will be lowered to meet the standards.

In summary:

1. Facebook is for video aimed 100% at reaching a large audience.
2. YouTube is for video aimed 50/50 at both the quality of the video and reaching a large audience.
3. Vimeo is for video aimed 100% at the quality of the video.
4. Wistia is that little known guy aimed mostly at trying to do the things the other guys can’t. It’s good for people looking to have those unique features, including significant interaction possibilities with your audience, as well as real metrics and marketing automation capabilities.

What’s been your experiences with video hosts? I’d love to hear about any platforms you use that I didn’t include in Part 1 or 2 of my article and why you think they should’ve been on the list.

By: Adam Baxter