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As is the case with so many comparable things in this world, there is a range of opinion out there as to which video platform is better for your business, YouTube or Vimeo.
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People often ask which one will leverage more for their social media strategy.
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Both of them have advantages and disadvantages, and both boast loyal fans and hardened enemies.
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Here's a quick comparison of some of the pros and cons of both.
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YouTube                                  Vimeo
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Over a Billion Users  Worldwide √            828 Million user accounts X
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Worldwide spread √                        Predominantly US  X
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Google parent means major SEO √           Google is not a fan (natch) X
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Free  √                                  Free and paid upgrades √
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Paid advertising available √                No revenue from ads X
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Ads on your videos X                      No ads on your videos √
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Patchy stats X                             Advanced analytics √
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No control over 'Up Next' feature X           Pay to control 'Up Next' √
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Proliferation of UGC X                      Professional content √
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This is just a small selection of the features to compare, and the prospect of endless contrasting and matching is enough to make anyone run for the hills.
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Really, for business you need both.Â
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You need a YouTube channel. Full stop. It's the second-largest search engine on earth, and you must be find-able there. End of conversation.
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But if you're not as familiar with Vimeo, it's really worth signing up for an account for your business, and here are a few reasons why.
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1. It has a really nice calm interface, where customers can watch your videos without the distraction of random, potentially unsuitable 'Up Next' videos in the sidebar.
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2. The Vimeo community does not troll. It's a place for positive feedback within a creative space. So there will be no legacy of daft commentary under your hard-won video content.
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3. It waves a flag that you know what you're doing. It's widely regarded as a professional video platform for makers who are in the know.
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4. It generates tidy URL's for you to embed on your other platforms, and shared Vimeo video looks real nice on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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5. It has very good analytics so that you can really get under the hood with your audience stats.
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6. You can replace a video file without affecting your previous stats or your upload allowance.
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7. An upgrade to Vimeo Pro allows you to embed their player on your site and control what the viewer sees next. So they will never see a random and possibly totally inappropriate video coming next on your homepage, as might happen with a YouTube embed.
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There are many more good reasons to get into Vimeo, just as a YouTube channel is essential for your social media strategy.
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The trick is to roll with both.Â
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Niamh Guckian is the Director of Go Motion Academy
Providing Training in Video for Social Media & Digital Marketing
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