Are You Using the Right Platform for Your Videos?

Video is a powerful medium. As the market for online video content continues to grow exponentially, organizations are constantly seeking the best way to engage their audience online, without breaking the bank. While free online video platforms like YouTube dominate the market, many other alternatives exist that offer a wide variety of features and functionality – all at prices to fit any budget. 

So, with so many different options available – how do you know you’re using the right video platform?

It all depends on a number of factors. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the various online video platforms on the market currently. 

Is free always the best?

Most people flock to using free online video platforms like YouTube because, well, it’s free. And it’s easy to use. Thanks to their simple features and compatibility with virtually any content management system and video player format, all it takes is a few clicks to share your video quickly, easily and with zero impact on your wallet. If you want to get fancy, you can customize certain features, like your video player or display controls. You can even geek out and pull data on who’s watching your videos, where they’re located, how long they’re watching, and so on. 

Why are paid video platforms different?

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You get what you pay for.” While free video platforms offer a lot of flexibility, they also offer some pretty big disadvantages. If you want more control over your video messaging, who can access it, how it’s used, or need more features or support, a paid video platform may be the right answer. Let’s take a look at how a paid video platform provides more bang for your buck. 

• Engage your viewers – Free video platforms can actually drive viewers away from your content through ads or distracting related or suggested videos, which often lead to your competitors. A paid platform allows you to eliminate distractions and truly engage with your audience.
• Make it yours – Free platforms offer limited custom features, while paid platforms offer nearly unlimited customization that enables you to showcase your organization’s branding and style across your videos.
• Keep it safe – Paid video hosting platforms come with a slew of robust security features that enable you to control access to your content, so you have full control of your messaging.
• Drive the data – Paid platforms offer more robust analytics to help you better understand your audience and measure your video’s impact, rather than just views or surface impressions.
• Work smarter – You can use a paid video platform to integrate videos across your organization, so you can leverage them in emails, landing pages, marketing content and much, much more.

Want to get started?

There are so many online video platforms to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. However, all the work is for nothing if you don’t produce quality content first. Contact UniMedia Productions today to see how we can help!