Choosing the Right Video Platform: A Marketer’s No-Nonsense Guide
“So, what video platform should our marketing content actually be on?”
It’s a question we get asked all the time, and for good reason. In the ever-shifting world of digital marketing, what worked last year might not cut it today. You already know that audience retention is the holy grail for getting your message across. But here’s the really interesting bit: choosing the right video platform is less about a single “best” option and more about matching your video style to the purpose and the audience.
Video Platforms: It’s All About Context, Isn’t It?
Think about it like this. Every social network has its own vibe and its own rules. A content marketer wouldn’t just copy and paste the same text across every platform, would they?
Let’s look at character limits. On X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), you’ve got a snappy 280 characters to make your point. Hop over to a LinkedIn company status, and you get a more professional 700 characters. And then there’s Facebook, where Mark Zuckerberg gives you a frankly gargantuan 63,206 characters to play with.
You tailor your writing for each platform, and your video content deserves the same love and attention. A one-size-fits-all video approach can fall flat.
What Kind of Video Platforms Work And Why?
Forget just thinking about video length; let’s talk about the type of content that thrives on each video platform. Each one is a different room in the same house, and you wouldn’t act the same way in the kitchen as you do in the living room.
X (Twitter)
Think of X as a fast-moving, public broadcast channel. It’s all about immediacy.
- Best for: Quick announcements, reactive content that taps into a trending topic, high-impact event clips, animated GIFs, and snappy teasers that drive traffic elsewhere. It’s the place for the here and now.
BlueSky
As an emerging, conversation-led video platform, BlueSky has a distinct community feel. Think of it less like a broadcast and more like a focused group chat with industry peers.
- Best for: Niche content, direct-to-camera thoughts from company leaders, and behind-the-scenes glimpses that feel authentic and unpolished. It’s the perfect place to test ideas and engage in genuine conversations rather than just pushing out marketing messages.
Facebook
Facebook is your brand’s community hub or local pub. It’s where you build relationships and start conversations.
- Best for: Brand stories that connect on an emotional level, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes features, and Facebook Live sessions for events or Q&As. Remember, with most videos being watched sound-off, your content needs strong visual storytelling and clear captions.
Instagram
Instagram is your glossy brand lookbook or art gallery. It’s all about aesthetics, personality, and visual flair.
- Best for: Highly stylised product showcases, slick tutorials (especially on Reels), aspirational brand films, and influencer collaborations. The visual quality needs to be top-notch to stop people from scrolling.
TikTok
This is your brand’s entertainment video platform channel. It’s less about the hard sell and more about being creative, authentic, and joining in on the fun.
- Best for: Hopping on trends, showing a more human and humorous side to your brand, user-generated content campaigns, and educational “hacks” presented in a fun, low-fi style. Polish is less important than personality here.
YouTube
YouTube isn’t a social media feed; it’s the world’s second-largest search engine. People don’t just stumble upon your content; they actively search for it.
- Best for: Your evergreen “pillar” content. This is the home for valuable, searchable videos like in-depth how-to guides, detailed product tutorials, educational explainers, and expert interviews. It’s built for building a loyal subscriber base with episodic content and answering your customers’ biggest questions. Don’t forget YouTube Shorts for discoverability, too!
Vimeo
Vimeo is your professional portfolio or private screening room. It’s where quality and craftsmanship take centre stage, away from the noise of social media feeds.
- Best for: Hosting the pristine, high-resolution master versions of your brand films, cinematic case studies, and internal training videos. Because it’s often used to embed ad-free videos onto your website, it’s the perfect platform to showcase your best work without distraction.
Your Website (The Mothership)
Finally, the one video platform you completely own. Your website is your brand’s library and resource centre.
- Best for: Hosting the definitive versions of all your key videos. This includes in-depth “About Us” stories, detailed product demonstrations, comprehensive how-to guides, and a library of your best customer testimonials. It’s the final destination you want to drive all your traffic to.
Going All Out: The Multi Video Platform Campaign
For a big product launch or a major brand announcement, simply repurposing one video might not be enough. To achieve maximum coverage and tell a richer story, you need a multi-platform video campaign, where each piece of content is created specifically for its intended channel.
Imagine this for a campaign:
- The Hero Film (Vimeo & Website): A beautifully shot, 2-minute brand story that lives on your homepage. It’s the definitive statement piece.
- The Social Edit (Facebook & Instagram): A 60-second, emotionally-driven cut-down of the hero film, optimised with bold captions for silent viewing and designed to be shared.
- The Teaser Trailer (X): A punchy, 15-second clip with a clear call-to-action, released a few days before the launch to build buzz.
- The Behind-the-Scenes (Instagram Stories & TikTok): A series of authentic, vertical videos from the shoot, showing the human side of your brand and making your audience feel like insiders.
This approach ensures you’re not just shouting the same message everywhere, but engaging audiences in the way they want to be engaged on each specific video platform.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: The Magic of Repurposing
Okay, a full-blown multi-platform campaign sounds great, but what about your day-to-day video content? That’s where smart repurposing comes in.
In most video projects, the biggest slice of the budget goes on pre-production and the shoot itself. This means spending an extra day or two in the edit suite can give you a massive return on investment. From one 90-second testimonial shoot, you can get a whole suite of assets.
A great way to do this is by planning for a behind-the-scenes (BTS) video right from the start. While the main crew is focused on capturing that perfect, polished shot, a second camera or even a crew member with a smartphone can be capturing the buzz of the set. This raw, authentic footage is gold for social media, showing the personality behind your brand and giving your audience a sneak peek into the creative process. It’s an extra, high-value video asset for very little additional cost.
And it’s not just about length; we need to think about orientation, too. With so many people watching on their phones, 9:16 vertical video is king on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok. The good news is, we can plan for this from the start, shooting your content in a way that allows us to create stunning vertical edits without awkwardly cropping the important stuff out. It’s all part of the strategy.
The Big Question: Is Your Content Worth Their Time?
If you’re ever struggling to decide on the right video platform or the perfect content style, just ask yourself one brutally honest question:
“Is my content genuinely worth my audience’s time?”
Time is the one thing we can’t get more of. When you ask for someone’s attention, it’s your responsibility to deliver something compelling, engaging, and valuable in return.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? It can be a lot to juggle. The good news is, this is what we live and breathe. If you want to squeeze every last drop of value from your video content without adding to your to-do list, get in touch for a chat. We’d love to help.
