While YouTube continues to be the big kid on the block for video content, Vimeo is working hard to make a name for itself in the video space. If you’re interested in incorporating video into your digital marketing then this could leave you wondering which platform is the best choice for your healthcare practice.
Vimeo has a lot to offer with plenty of professional video tools to create, share, and market high-quality videos. YouTube, on the other hand, has more users and is also the second-largest search engine in the world. Both options have their pros and cons, but we think YouTube is the clear winner thanks to its free SEO and analytics capabilities.
What Is Vimeo?
Vimeo is similar to YouTube in that it’s a platform for sharing videos online. However, it differs greatly from YouTube by giving marketing professionals and businesses the tools they need to develop, share, and market their video content. With over 200 million users, 1.5 million paying subscribers, and 100 billion video views, you may be wondering if it’s right for your practice.
Vimeo’s popularity lies in its versatility. It allows you or your marketing team to:
- Record
- Edit
- Customize
You can add attention-grabbing details to your videos such as calls to action (CTAs), text, and music. There is also a focus on helpful features for collaboration, improved workflow, privacy, and analytics.
In the end, what people love about Vimeo is its focus on the content itself. Where YouTube can have ads before, during, and after your video, Vimeo keeps them ad-free. Viewers also don’t have to worry about low-quality content or spam. Instead, you can enjoy the content you love, such as music videos, short films, workouts, or funny videos of cats.
To read our blog about the importance of using video in your digital marketing, click here!
What Is YouTube?
We’re willing to bet that you’re already familiar with YouTube, but there may be some aspects to the video juggernaut that you didn’t know. For instance, YouTube is actually the second-largest search engine in the world after Google. This is on top of being one of the most popular social media platforms, especially for sharing video content.
While being the second-largest search engine is impressive, that doesn’t mean that everything you upload will go viral. You need to grab the viewer’s attention in the first five seconds or so or they’re likely to skip along to a different video. This means creating video content that is engaging and informative to keep your audience’s attention and drive patient acquisition.
It can take a long time to build a presence on YouTube so it’s important to not let it be the only social channel you focus on. For the best results, upload your videos to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter also. You can embed your videos in your blogs and in email marketing materials so that they’re not limited to one part of your digital healthcare marketing strategy.
Click here to read our blog about how you can use YouTube and other social media platforms in your marketing!
Which Should You Choose for Your Healthcare Practice — Vimeo or YouTube?
Vimeo and YouTube can seem similar on the surface, but which should you choose for your healthcare practice? The answer will depend on your overall goals. To help you decide, our team took a look at a few of the most important aspects of video marketing to determine the best solution for the majority of our clients.
Community: Vimeo
One of the great things Vimeo has going for it is its user community. YouTube is a digital goliath, which has its perks, but it can also make it harder to get help when you need it most. A smaller community of creators can also be a benefit for reaching a particular healthcare niche or being featured.
Support: Vimeo
YouTube does offer helpful documents and a support community, but nowhere near the personalized support that Vimeo has. This can be especially helpful if you’re new to video creation and aren’t quite sure what to do. While their support does require a subscription, it could be a game-changer in the future.
SEO: YouTube
Vimeo does offer an SEO tool for its paid tiers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the benefit of being owned by Google like YouTube. This means that it has a lot of data and advanced search options to work with. Combine that with the fact that YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and you can see why it’s the clear winner here.
Analytics: YouTube
If you’re creating videos as part of your digital marketing campaign then you want to know their analytics, which lets you know if your campaign is working. More importantly, you don’t want that data to be hidden behind a paywall. YouTube provides all of your analytics for free, unlike Vimeo, where you have to pay for anything beyond basic information.
Mobile: YouTube
The majority of YouTube views (70%) are on mobile devices and its app outcompetes all other mobile streaming apps. This includes heavy hitters such as:
- Hulu
- Netflix
- Twitch
Although Vimeo is also optimized for mobile, YouTube provides many more opportunities for your content to be discovered.
The Winner: YouTube
Vimeo has a lot going for it when it comes to community and support. However, important digital marketing factors such as SEO and analytics are hidden behind a paywall whereas they’re free on YouTube. And with YouTube being the dominant streaming app, it’s clear to us that YouTube is ideal for the best results.
There are some situations where Vimeo may be the better choice. This could be when you’re creating content for very niche topics that don’t have many opportunities for SEO, such as an ophthalmologist showing the procedure for LASIK eye surgery. In this case, Vimeo may be the better choice since your focus would be on video production rather than SEO.
Including Video In Your Healthcare Marketing Strategy
Patients love to see and engage with videos of their doctors answering questions, walking through services, and showcasing their personalities. From dentists and orthodontists to ophthalmologists and more, videos are a great tool that should be a part of your healthcare marketing strategy.
It’s one thing to decide on a platform to upload your video content. Planning, producing, and strategizing your content is another issue entirely. From coming up with topics to what equipment you should use, creating videos for your healthcare practice can quickly take over your daily workload.
That’s where Baker Marketing comes in. We have nearly a decade of experience helping clients reach their digital marketing goals. With a combination of digital-first and inbound marketing, we partner with clients and act as their guides through the digital landscape.
Do you need help developing your video marketing campaign? Schedule your free 30-minute strategy consultation today!
Vimeo lets you create, share, and market your high-quality videos thanks to its professional tools. On the other hand, YouTube is the second-largest search engine on earth with the most users. This means that you’re more likely to achieve a wider reach than using Vimeo by itself. With its free analytics and SEO capabilities, we think YouTube is the clear winner.
Baker Marketing Laboratory has spent years helping healthcare businesses find their footing in the digital world. Through a combination of inbound digital marketing and powerful messaging strategies, we help you craft a marketing campaign that resonates with your ideal customer. Contact us today to schedule a call and learn the difference we can make for your business.
