Gone are the days when newspaper ads and billboards were the only marketing medium a business could count on. Today, thanks to the rapid evolution of the Internet, business owners have a plethora of options. Digital marketers around the world have welcomed content marketing. About 68% of marketers say streaming video generates more ROI than serving Google Ads..
Video marketing is therefore one of the most significant marketing trends of the last decade. For sharing a video, YouTube is undoubtedly the first choice for many companies. About 51% of marketers choose free video platforms like YouTube, and 17% go to paid platforms.
The reason is that it’s free. And it has a very overwhelming viewer base of around 1 billion (for the version without YouTube). However, since all that glitters is not gold, these lucrative perks may not deliver the desired ROI for businesses.
This article discusses the flaws in free web hosting platforms like Youtube. Also understand how far you lag behind your competition to create better leads and click-through rates for your business.
1. Anyone can download and use your video content
Free platforms make your videos accessible to everyone. Although you may like the idea of your video going viral and therefore gaining more exposure. But, it is a silent threat to the credibility of your business. The videos you upload to free hosting platforms can be easily uploaded directly or through indirect means. This opens the door for trollers or hackers to abuse your video content for their own good. Sometimes the video travels through different sources so people tend to forget which original brand it belongs to.
On the other hand, paid hosting sites have limited access and you have the copyright to your videos. This ensures the authenticity of your content and creates a strong brand image with your potential customers.
2. You’ll need to make your peace with ads and suggestions that distract your audience.
Ads between engaging video can be annoying. The most free video platform show ads in the middle of your videos. This is one of the ways they generate income for their platform. This can distract viewers, and you could potentially lose valuable insights that could turn into a lead. Some free video hosting platforms also provide suggestions or an autoplay feature that directly redirects viewers to other videos. It also adds distraction to your audience, and they may not see your intentions. And will affect the marketing value you want to convey through the video.
When it comes to paid hosting sites, they already have a source of income through your subscriptions. Hence, they don’t need to serve ads between videos and spoil the viewing experience of its users. The more value you offer to your viewers, the more credibility you add to your fundraiser, the more sales conversions there are.
3.You cannot target a specific audience
Free video hosting is an open door for all audiences. Age and taste are not an obstacle. Yes, that sounds good on paper. But when you want to convey your thinking to a specific audience, free video hosting isn’t that effective. Since you have a mixed group of viewers, you’re bound to get mixed reviews. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your services or products aren’t up to par. Instead, just think about how a certain group of people don’t approve of it. Diversity also means that you can’t create a personalized CTA message in your videos.
With paid video hosting, your video will be shared with a community of like-minded people. Therefore, you can vouch for better constructive feedback from a mature community. This will add value to the growth of your business and generate a good return on your investment.
4. Downloading a video can be a tedious task
When it comes to seamlessly downloading and accessing real-time video statistics, video hosting services are not a good choice. For example, let’s say you upload your video and feel the need to replace it with a better one. Then you will likely lose all stats and have to download the revised video from the start. This leaves little room for improvement and you have no choice but to re-upload content. That too at the expense of views and other vital stats, though there’s one minor change.
Paid video hosting allows you to keep all stats and view count while re-uploading the edited video without any hassle. It takes less time and effort to download video with paid video hosting. You have a clear idea of who is viewing the content and can use it to create more personalized video content. It increases your customer base and makes your cash register ring.
5. There’s not much you can do to create brand appeal for videos
Most free and open source video platforms have restricted functionality. This means that you only have limited access to certain features. It could add unique and exceptional value to your online branding through personalized videos. This means that you might lose the opportunity to create a compelling video that transcends the true essence of your business.
When you take advantage of the paid video services, you unlock the various features like adding a brand logo. This will make the video a true reflection of your business ethics and organizational goals.
6. Negligible customer support
Customer support plays a crucial role, especially if there is any discomfort with a video hosting platform. They help you overcome issues and create a seamless video experience for your audience. While you can get good customer support from a paid hosting site, you can’t expect the same from free hosting services.
Video marketing with premium video hosting service providers
Video marketing is indeed one of the best ways to communicate your branding ideals to your prospects without the geographic barrier. A free hosting platform may seem lucrative on the outside, but it can surely be a bad decision for your long-term online growth for the reasons we discussed in the article.
At VdoCipher, we have integrated the DRM Widevine as part of our streaming infrastructure. It includes transcoding and encryption, adaptive streaming and communication with the GDN license server for secure decryption.
Therefore, investing in a feature-rich video hosting platform is always the wisest idea. It gives your business exquisite online branding and unleashes the best of digital features for your video marketing game.
Interesting Related Article: “Five Ways To Create Effective Business Videos On A Budget”