Video production clients are often surprised when we suggest that they consider using YouTube to host corporate video. After all, isn’t YouTube all about dogs on skateboards, finger biting babies and a never-ending parade of memes? Sure, but YouTube is also free,friendly to corporate video (unlike other free services Vimeo and MetaCafe), and perhaps most importantly, owned by Google. Because of its relationship with Google, YouTube is heavily integrated with Google’s Universal Search (thumbnails, video results, etc), and videos receiving recent views and comments seem to receive extraordinary placement in search results.
Instead of basing the very important decision of where to host your online corporate video on a service’s reputation for other content, we always urge clients to consider their own internal needs. If they’re new to online corporate video, or are creating video for a static page, YouTube’s search engine strengths and price tag might be perfectly adequate. If a video is being used as part of a specific campaign or is being used to promote a specific product, then the advanced analytics and customization options offered by video sharing services like Wistia or Brightcove will tend to offer better value and control over lead tracking and conversion.
So what’s the takeaway? YouTube is a great place to start with a lot of built in perks. Until the benefits of a paid service’s advanced features outweigh the monthly costs for your business, it’s absolutely worth your attention and careful consideration.
Rewatchable is a Boston Video Production Company