YouTube vs. Vimeo: Which One Should You Use?

If you’re not convinced video marketing should be an essential part of your strategy, just look at the numbers. When polled, 88% of digital marketers stated they’re extremely pleased with the return on investment of their video marketing endeavors. The medium is great for dynamically communicating important information about your brand, while simultaneously ensuring consumers are entertained. Consumers also love watching videos online, with the average viewer expected to watch 100 minutes of video footage per day by 2021.

Even if you’re fully onboard with the benefits of video marketing, you may not be sure which platform is best for you. While YouTube is considered the leading site for videos online, Vimeo is definitely a contender. This guide explains the pros and cons of each so you can make an informed decision to benefit your business.

YouTube

When it comes to users, there really is no beating YouTube. With 73% of American adults using the site regularly, it’s likely that your target audience already visits YouTube on a frequent basis. This increases the viral potential of videos, which in turn amplifies your marketing efforts exponentially. The platform is also quite accommodating to mobile users, with the majority of videos watched on the site are viewed from a mobile phone.

As a thriving search engine, falling just behind Google in terms of size, YouTube is also amenable to common SEO tactics. When promoting your videos, you can use hashtags, keywords, and optimized titles to ensure your content gets in front of the right viewers. It’s also easier to monitor analytics info on YouTube as compared to Vimeo, which is essential for marketers.  

Vimeo

Founded in 2004, Vimeo is used by approximately 80 million people all over the world. While it has a thriving community of engaged users, it’s not as congested as YouTube. This means it might be easier to rank high in searches because there’s less competition. Vimeo also goes easy on the ads, which is a common complaint among YouTube viewers. Vimeo users can pay to get rid of ads, or they can use the free service where ads are presented beneath the video. A lot of viewers consider this a welcomed alternative to YouTube ads, which stop videos or require the user to scroll through until the ad is over.

Vimeo also rates higher when it comes to customization. The player itself can be customized, unlike YouTube. That means you can style your business’s player to match your unique branding colors, which ensures marketing consistency. You also have more options when it comes to privacy. While you only get a public and private option with YouTube, Vimeo has a lot more privacy settings. You can even password protect certain videos, which is not possible with YouTube.

Let’s Talk About Your Video Marketing Campaign

Making good digital marketing decisions is difficult without the right assistance.  Our team at SonicSEO.com is always happy to discuss your current campaign and make recommendations on digital content, SEO, app development, and many other topics. Call 888-437-3737 today for more information on video marketing.