Spill It: What’s the Best Platform for Vlogging?
We’re spending a bit of time this week talking about video blogging (or “vlogging,” though I’m not a fan of that word). There are a plethora of tools at our disposal, but a few seem to rise above the crowd and offer the best experience for sharing video content on the web. Aside from self-hosted video, the five most popular platforms, according to Mefeedia’s State of the Vlogosphere, are:
- Youtube (36%)
- Blip.tv (14%)
- Vimeo (9%)
- MySpace (7%)
- Daily Motion (3%)
Many professional vloggers choose to utilize multiple channels to draw more viewers and each platform offers up its own inherent advantages and disadvantages. We wanted to ask you, our readers, which you’ve found to be most useful, powerful, or productive? What’s your favorite and why would you recommend it?
Having started posting videos eight months or more ago, YouTube still brings in the most viewers. Then, much more modestly, Daily Motion. Vimeo, nearly zero. Probably YouTube is highly branded and recognized, and Vimeo more targeted to the arts. Daily Motion is a wanne-be, but trying, really trying.
Excellent insights Vincent – thanks for that!!
As consumer, I’m happy to view vlogs wherever they are posted. YouTube is king, but I’d love to see a fresh face with a simple layout. So far the alternative sites all look pretty much the same. Or is it just me?
Now, in the bigger picture, can’t more vloggers learn how to use simple editing tools like lead and tail cropping, smooth cutovers, fade-in / fade-out with a little sound track? C’mon people ;-) And when will scene selection finally come to amateur video?
I don’t know … I think part of the appeal of video posts viewing is the realism presented due to the imperfections from the vlogger.
I think there’s plenty of space for both Hollywood facade as seamless entertainment and illusion and realism through honest presentation and thought.
Obviously, it would be beneficial to put your videos on as many platforms as you possibly can. There’s no questioning that. But I’d agree with Vincent that YouTube is worth more than all the other sites combined. Everyone, regardless of techno-expertise, knows it. They watch videos on it, often.
Additionally, since it’s under Google’s wing now, it’s probably the best SEO’ed platform out there. Especially since videos tend to be placed with more weight in search results, not to use it would be a mistake. Sure, you have to deal with less control over branding options… but I’d rather have a ton of people have the ability to just find me altogether than worry about a YouTube logo in the bottom right corner.
I think that’s a good reason it’s #1. It will be interesting to see if their dominance drives smaller players out of the game.
I think it’s all a nice video mess out there. From the highly professional to the embarrassingly messed-up, both types of videos get thousands of hits. Or deep obscurity. We know it’s all about people finding what amuses or informs and following that. The concept of “professionalism” is not only being questioned online, but I’d say it’s also being redefined. I’m all for basis editing skills, but slick is no longer the only game in the global town. I’ve been making videos for online released for 1) promoting my books, 2) writing/directing monologues, and 3) just minor stuff and fluff. My short experience is that the shorter, the better (or more hits). Under a minute is loved. 2-3 minutes acceptable. 4 minutes is pressing it. Beyond that, the content has to be high-level to get anyone to go beyond sitting and watching for five minutes, unless they are friends or family. YouTube, meanwhile, is the Amazon and Google of online videos. It will take some huge innovation to knock them off the top of the pile for a while.
You’re very right about that. Then we throw in the live stuff by Ustream and others – quite an amalgam!
On second or third thought, I think I should have said, oh so more briefly than my earlier post, is we just don’t know what works, what doesn’t. Seems we are all trying different things, seeking different viewers. Which is why such conversations we are having here are of interest. We are all building on other people’s experiences (Oscar Wilde: “Experience is what man call his mistakes.”) ;–}