In 1997, Chase Nolan created the first video-sharing site, called shareyourworld.com. It allowed users to upload files in various formats. Today, there are more video hosting services than can be enumerated here. They differ in the formats that they support and the audiences that they attract. Consequently, it is a good idea to take the time to familiarize yourself with the sites available.
YouTube
Many people settle for YouTube. That is not a bad idea, since has 461,000,000 videos uploaded and registers over a billion viewed videos each day. However, creating a channel on YouTube does not mean that you should neglect other hosting services that may attract a more dedicated viewership to your videos.
Dailymotion
The Paris-based website, Dailymotion, has over 10,000,000 videos uploaded and attracts daily views six times that number. The site allows users to browse videos by searching tags, channels, and keywords. Users can now upload several videos as once, to a limit of sixty minutes each.
Vimeo
Vimeo was created by professional filmmakers and, as a result, tends to attract higher quality videos than other sites. There are over three million members and a million videos are viewed each day.
Big Think
If you want to promote an idea or thesis, then consider Big Think. This video sharing service is committed to presenting important ideas that have the potential to change lives and transform the very way that society is organized. So, rather than a place to go for a diversion from the day’s stresses, Big Think is a place to visit, or to use, to present ideas that fall into one of the seven themes that organize the site’s videos: New World Order, Earth and Beyond, 21st Century Living, Going Mental, Extreme Biology, Power and Influence, and Inventing the Future. The concept is similar to the site TED, in that both are based on the concept of spreading ideas and actionable alternatives to the status quo.
Blip
Like YouTube, Blip has been around since 2005 and offers a platform for independent producers to distribute and monetize their productions. The site offers a range of dramas, comedies, arts, sports, and other videos. It has approximately 48,000 independently produced shows. Blip shares the revenue from their ads with the producers, allowing them to continue to produce their shows. In return, Blip gets a steady stream of episodes, self-selected for their popularity. That is where you come in. If you have an idea that you believe will attract an audience consistently, then Blip may be the venue for you to test your mettle. The shows vary from animation, sitcom style series, to interviews and big ideas.
The value of video hosting sites is that they allow people without advanced programming knowledge to upload, stream, or embed a video. They also bring together communities of people interested in common issues.
Contact us today to discuss your goals in video marketing. We are here to help you plan a marketing strategy, using the right service and targeting the right audience for you.
