If you have searched for video content recently, the chances are that you were directed to a YouTube site. But sometimes you will have come across Vimeo. Vimeo is video hosting site that has a free to use option with Social Media community features- just like YouTube which make it an interesting choice – for some types of business.
YouTube has many, many more subscribers and users than Vimeo and there perhaps is the main difference and reason to consider Vimeo. Vimeo has become a site that attracts a “certain kind of customer” and it is suggested that customers of Vimeo are likely to be more creative types; designers, graphic artists, musicians and those who just fancy themselves as a bit different from the crowd.
To understand what this means, it is perhaps best to think of the way that Apple Computers successfully differentiated their brand by targeting “creative types” both in their branding, but also in their functionality. Apple Computers were highly specified with large hard drives and fast bespoke processors to handle what used to be intensive video and graphic processing tasks. Consequently, it was not uncommon to visits a design agency and to find all staff using Apple machines (even the Accountants!).
Well Vimeo has successfully attained this position with creative types, none more so than with Bands and Musicians.
So should your average small business use Vimeo? If your business is selling services or technology to creative types, then yes, definitely. But bear in mind that the typical video production standard is a little higher than would be seen on YouTube and to really make a splash, you will probably need to hire a professional video production agent.
Vimeo has another couple of advantages over YouTube. The first is that your Vimeo hosted video will not be surrounded by other advertiser’s clutter and distraction. This might be important to your business, especially if on YouTube, your nearest competitor might be featured right next to you.
The second is that Vimeo does not seem to attract the “Trolls”. That is, those anonymous people who deliberately leave rude and spiteful comment about your company or product, often without even having first hand knowledge of your business. The problem is that some of your potential customers might see this on YouTube and assume it is real.
So if Vimeo is so good, why don’t more companies use it? Well Vimeo is growing, but the fact is that to get the best out of Vimeo you need to buy the Pro version at $200 per year. In addition, some would also say that Vimeo doesn’t bring the SEO advantages that YouTube brings through its linkages with Google.
So on balance, for most small business, Vimeo is an add-on to a YouTube campaign. If you have a video made for YouTube, by all means open a free account with Vimeo and load it up there too. (There are some usage limit and subject restrictions to keep an eye on). The exception being if you target the creative businesses – or you are a creative business yourself. Then pay the $200 and get on Vimeo. Who knows, you could be the only big fish in the small Vimeo video pond.
