Essay

Video presentation and distribution ways

Nowadays there are many ways to share our ideas, thoughts and opinions with the rest of the world. It has never been easier to share a material with a large number of people internationally. Internet has made it really easy. For each type of digital material (whether it is text, audio, video, or an image) there are many ways to share them with other people. Yet it is still challenging to reach one’s target audience withing each way. Having a lot of options can also be overwhelming. For the sake of this essay, we will only focus on some of the very common ways of sharing videos.

YouTube

YouTube is not the only option when it comes to sharing videos on the internet. There are other platforms/apps such as Vimeo, IGTV (Instagram), Facebook that offer video distribution services. However, they are not specifically designed for video sharing or they don’t offer all the benefits YouTube offers to its users. That is why YouTube is the most popular, and I think, is the most ideal way of distributing a video.

Pros

There is no limitation on the video length. In fact, you are encouraged to create longer videos. You can get paid for every view and subscription. Also, you can add YouTube ads which you get paid for. The services are free and can upload a video free of charge. It has a massive audience. You can reach a large number of people internationally. You can share/embed links easily on other platforms such as social media. Another good benefit is that it doesn’t take space from your computer or website.

It is very simple and easy to upload videos. YouTube gives you access to your video/channel analytics. Which makes it easy for you to see where are you doing wrong and where you should make improvements. You can optimize your videos for search engines.

Cons

There is a big competition. There is a large number of users who share videos on a daily basis and therefore you need to work hard to stand out. If your content is not special in some way, it will not attract users.

If your content is breaking YouTube’s laws, they will take down your video and maybe even your channel temporarily or permanently. For example, if there is +18 content and you have not mentioned that the content is not kids friendly. Or if you have used copyrighted materials without permission. Longer videos perform better on YouTube.

Some social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram have limitations on the video length. Therefore if your video is embedded on Instagram as an example, it will get cut into different parts.

Social Networks

As mentioned before, there are social networks that can be used for distributing videos. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter are some of the best performing social networks that offer this option.

Each social network has its own unique target audience, marketing strategy, and niche. This means that your videos should be specifically made to reach those target groups. As an example, since Instagram’s users are mostly young people your video should be engaging enough to attract them. While LinkedIn has a different target group and therefore it requires different content.

Pros

Free services. Each platform offers its own analytic reports that help you improve your material. It is very easy to share videos and you do not need so many tools or devices. Your mobile phone would be enough for you to create a video.

Cons

Usually, there are video-length limitations and sometimes your videos get cut in different sections. There is a specific target group that you should attract. The competition is hard because sharing videos is much easier and your content can quickly get buried over other people’s material.

Websites

One other way to distribute a video is through your own website. Having videos on your website is a great way to make a better connection with the viewers. It will add more trust and feel to your website. And Research has shown it is a great way to increase the conversion rate.

Pros
You can upload your video on YouTube and embed the video on your website. This way you can reach more people by promoting your website and your YouTube Channel. With the help of other materials and optimizing your videos on your website you get better SEO. By using videos on your website, you increase the chance of converting website visitors to consumers. In other words, your conversation rate increases by using videos on landing pages by almost 80 procent.

On your website, you have the control and freedom of choice. You can use long videos or very short ones like gifs. Another great benefit is also that you can combine materials to convey your message. It means you can use copy, images, videos, audios such as podcasts all on the same website.

Cons
If you don’t use YouTube, you do need an online service where you can upload your video, and most of the time they are not free. If you upload the video directly on your website then it will take space and the longer, or heavier the video the slower your website becomes.

You need to work much more to reach your target group and promote your website and videos. you need to set your own analytics system (maybe with google analytics) to see how many people are watching the videos on your website.

Conclusion

Video distribution basically depends first and on most on your target group. After defining your target audience you can choose your distribution ways. And of course, you do not have to choose one way, in fact, you most probably have to choose a combination of ways to reach your target group.

While distribution has its own process, promotion, which comes after distributing your video, has its own process. Promotion and having a clear process and plan after sharing your video are very important to reach your goal. Just because you have shared your video on a website, application or platform doesn’t mean that you will automatically become successful and your target group will find out about you.