Nobody likes to pay more than what they need to. This is true for every business, from small startups to big corporations. Better allocation of funds is something we all strive towards, but sometimes there are things you shouldn’t save on.
One of the most controversial topics in debates about spending money is business video hosting. A large majority of brand managers and marketers would say - “Why pay for secured video hosting when you have free services?”
The answer is simple - secured video hosting provides business with more benefits than free hosting does. Even though it costs a certain amount, your business will benefit greatly when all is said and done.
In today’s competitive market, you need secured video hosting to gain an advantage. Let’s take a look at what benefits it brings to your business.
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Protection and encryption
With secure videos and private hosting, you get the ability to have your ongoing projects be shrouded in secrecy.
When you’re launching a new product and a campaign devoted to it, it’s essential that you keep your video hidden from people not connected to the project. Private hosting also gives you the opportunity to share previews and alpha/beta versions with clients.
Free public hosting sites might be popular, but your video isn’t supposed to target everyone. What you’re gaining in mere views and clicks, you’re losing in terms of protection and encryption.
Some secure hosting services allow you to protect any ongoing projects with a password. There are even features that allow you to change the password automatically on a daily basis.
Opt for private video hosting to have encryption for as long as you want. During the upload process, the data you’re supposed to keep safe is very vulnerable.
Public hosting doesn’t offer almost any form of protection. If you care about keeping your business videos a secret before you release them, opt for this form of hosting.
No external advertising
If your goal is to promote your business video, you don’t want even a hint of interference. Although YouTube and Vimeo are stable in the last few years, there is always the incessant bombardment by ads.
For businesses, this can be very detrimental, especially if you opt for using 30-and-under videos. How many people do you think would watch a 30-second ad and a 30-second video after? Not many, that’s right.
The blank space is all yours if you’re using secured video hosting services. Some service providers even allow you to place your own ads, but this is still a new area of digital marketing.
Supreme customer support
When you’re preparing an array of videos to support a product or a range of blog posts, there are a million things that can go wrong. Not many companies have a dedicated tech support team that has the time and knowledge to solve video-related problems.
Hiring an entire team of esteem specialists can set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars on a yearly basis. And nothing might go wrong!
There’s an old saying - “you get what you pay for.” Secure video hosting might be more expensive than public hosting options, but you get 24/7 customer support (in most cases, but just daytime support is good too).
A dedicated team of professionals that only work to help customers will be on your issue. They’re experienced with such issues and you will get a much quicker resolution, regardless of the issue.
Analytical support
Public hosting service provides some aggregate data on views and likes, but that’s not nearly enough if you want to engage your audience. You have to dig deeper to refine your video marketing sector.
With private hosting, you can get just that. Pick the right service and you will know who exactly watched your videos, how much did they watch and which parts caused the most stir amongst the audience.
This is, however, just the beginning. To truly understand the effects of your videos, use private hosting features to find out when do people stop watching the video. Identify the exact tenths of a second that have proven to be detrimental to the effectiveness of the video. It can be an unsettling image or a boring part of the video.
Private hosting services, in most cases, don’t just provide you with numbers. You can combine your knowledge with consulting services and your team of animators and designers.
The bottom line is - secure, private video hosting lets you manipulate the data and use it to your advantage. It’s an investment that pays off.
More room for branding
Perhaps the biggest flaw of public hosting is the number of branding limitations. No matter how successful or well-designed your video is, it will always be overshadowed by branding within the player.
This distracts your clients and customers from interacting with your brand. Of all things, branding is something you should never, ever save money on. Therefore, private hosting is the choice for you.
A paid hosting service allows you to have a blank, white-labeled player and interface. The focus will be on your brand. The highest echelon of private video hosting even lets you customize the player entirely, with things like logo-inclusion, custom buttons and more.
Firewall limitations
Some companies have built-in firewalls that block free video services like YouTube, Vimeo and others.
This can severely hinder communications and sending promotional videos to clients, associates and collaborators. Because you’re paying for video hosting, you can ensure that there will be no obstacles on the road from video creation to a satisfied client.
You wouldn’t believe how many companies are prevented from reaching their full potential because of these restrictions. Business videos don’t have to be just good - they need to be available to those who ought to see them.
Concluding thoughts
Although it costs most, secure video hosting gives you a myriad of benefits that you won’t find with unpaid video hosting. Security, availability and branding space are all important facets that will benefit your brand and cause your marketing campaigns to truly take off. Invest money in private hosting and you won’t be disappointed.
About the Author
Smridhi Malhotra is a tech blogger who actively writes about latest technology -SaaS, Cybersecurity, AI/ML and gadgets. Her current assignment is with a London based digital agency and a software development company based in Tel Aviv. When she away from her PC, you'll find her biking around in city streets, swimming, and trying different cuisines. Contact her on LinkedIn.
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