There are many free video hosting sites available online.
But only a few are worth considering if you want exposure.
In this article we will take a look at the 6 best video-hosting websites in 2021:
[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]1.[/su_highlight] YouTube
There should be no surprise here as YouTube is the most popular video-sharing website currently available.
Statistics tell us that YouTube has over 2 billion active users every month and 150 million daily active users.
Of course, it takes a lot of effort to built up a following, even on such a popular and widespread platform.
[su_note note_color=”#ffec5e” radius=”0″]There are many examples of how to do this:
From tech reviewers like Marques Brownlee who on occasion recommends products while reviewing them, to men’s fashion bloggers like Aaron Marino who gets sponsored by various clothing companies.[/su_note]
If you invest the effort, it is more than possible to build a following on YouTube and the website makes it easy for you to interact with your audience.
What is more, YouTube’s popularity makes it more likely that you will be discovered by companies and may get a chance to become sponsored by them.
Start on YouTube.
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Pros
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- You can monetization of your videos through ads to earn extra money on the side
- YouTube videos always show on the top of Google’s results which makes it easy for you to get spotted
- The subscriber, comment, and message system makes it easy to interact with your audience
- You can easily share videos on other social media platforms or embed them on other websites [/su_list]
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Cons
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- Very strict rules and regulations regarding copyright
- Ads can annoy viewers
- YouTube’s search engine and recommended videos can sometimes show video content that is irrelevant to you [/su_list]
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[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]2.[/su_highlight] Instagram
This social media giant just happens to also be one of the best options for influencers looking for great video hosting platforms.
Although Instagram is not as practical as YouTube for keeping a channel full of long videos on a variety of topics, it is certainly suited for short clips designed to quickly grab your audience’s attention.
[su_note note_color=”#ffec5e” radius=”0″]What is more, with Instagram Live, you can have real-time chats with your followers that can be viewed later on for 24 hours.[/su_note]
Likewise, the stories feature of Instagram can be incredibly useful. We live an age where more and more people have rather short attention spans, and being able to catch their eye with a snappy comment or flashy video can prove invaluable.
Start on Instagram.
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Pros
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- Build up and interact with your following not only through video but also through text and images
- Easy to keep your followers engaged with little but frequent updates
- Easy to host live video sessions talking about any particular topic [/su_list]
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Cons
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- Impractical (essentially impossible) to post long videos as you can do on websites like YouTube[/su_list]
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[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]3.[/su_highlight] Facebook
Like Instagram, Facebook is another social media website that is perfect for influencers to build up a number of followers and interact with them.
Facebook gives you the ability to do this either through your own Facebook profile or by creating a website within Facebook.
The advantage that Facebook has over Instagram when it comes to videos is that Facebook actually makes it manageable for you to post longer videos and address your audience in that way.
However, if you should desire to speak to them in real time, Facebook Live offers you that option too.
Facebook is among the most popular and most visited websites on the internet, and so it holds the same advantage of Instagram and YouTube.
Start on Facebook.
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Pros
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- Option to post longer or short videos
- Ability to interact with your audience in real time via Facebook Live
- High traffic means you are more likely to be noticed[/su_list]
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Cons
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- Lacks some of the specialization of YouTube and Instagram and can come off as a Jack of all trades[/su_list]
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[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]4.[/su_highlight] Vimeo
Vimeo is a video-hosting website like YouTube, but it has a more professional feel and on average features higher-quality videos.
The problem is that you need to have a paid account in order to remove the limit on the length of videos which you can upload.
It is a more focused website than YouTube but at the same time less known and has less traffic.
This means that although you could use it for influencing in conjunction with another platform, on its own can be a bit clumsy.
Start on Vimeo.
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Pros
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- More sophisticated videos are found on Vimeo than on YouTube, so if your content fits in line with this, it might actually be better for you
- Footage is of higher quality, especially when viewed in full screen
- No ads to deter viewers
- Quite advanced analytic tools allow you to track your following and adjust your content accordingly[/su_list]
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Cons
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- Not as popular as YouTube
- You need a paid account to make the most of it [/su_list]
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[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]5.[/su_highlight] Snapchat
Snapchat is a platform meant primarily for younger people.
[su_note note_color=”#ffec5e” radius=”0″]Statistics say that Snapchat has 186 million daily active users (and they watch over ten billion videos every day).[/su_note]
Therefore, if you are an influencer whose area of expertise lies in things which may interest younger people, such as tech, games, or fashion, then Snapchat might be a great choice.
Like Instagram, its stories and disappearing video and photo features make this a platform that is meant for content that is easily consumable.
Short videos and stories are what’s meant for this platform.
Start on Snapchat.
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Pros
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- Younger demographic makes it easier to build a following for certain niches
- Short and sweet content means you can get away with less effort if you know what you are doing[/su_list]
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Cons
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- Inappropriate for sharing larger videos and building a large channel following such as on YouTube[/su_list]
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[su_highlight background=”#0f03b2″ color=”#ffffff”]6.[/su_highlight] Periscope
We end this list with a platform that is completely dedicated to live video sharing.
A Twitter product, Periscope used to have the same setup as Instagram Live, where videos would disappear after 24 hours.
Now, however, by adding the hashtag #save, you can save your broadcast forever.
If you are an influencer who does a lot of live video streams and real-time interaction with your audience, then it might be worth looking into Periscope.
Although it lacks some of the flexibility of other platforms and may have a rather niche user base, if used correctly it can prove to be quite effective.
Start on Periscope.
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Pros
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- Emphasis on live video enforce spontaneity which can build trust between a video creator and their audience
- Easy to share the links to your Periscope streams with your Twitter followers [/su_list]
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Cons
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- Focuses solely on live video and does not have the other features that sites like YouTube or Facebook do [/su_list]
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Conclusion
Videos are one of the most useful tools a creator can use.
They are great at fostering trust in your followers as videos can often reveal more about a person than an image or text post.
When choosing a video-sharing platform it is important first of all to consider your needs and the kind of content you will be creating.
If you are someone who will be reviewing a lot of products and talking extensively, then YouTube’s friendliness towards longer videos and channel-building might be more for you.
On the other hand, if you are only going to be posting bite-size bits of information, then Instagram or Snapchat might be more your style.
Whatever the case may be, if you take your needs into account and pick the website which most aptly fulfills them, you will not go wrong. There is plenty of video hosting services to choose from with a free account so you have options!
