Vimeo is a video sharing service that initially wanted to compete with YouTube. That goal was never realized. Vimeo has largely remained a mediocre service with a moderate following unlike the massively popular YouTube. Here are some reasons why Vimeo is not and will never be as big as YouTube.
Content Creators Already Prefer YouTube
One major reason is that some of the most popular content creators on the Internet already prefer to use YouTube. This could be because of the monetization program or simply because YouTube has always dominated the market. This leaves Vimeo with very little quality content when compared to YouTube’s massive library.
It Is Plagued with Technical Issues
The reality is that Vimeo is plagued with technical issues. Many people have trouble even loading the player and videos much less sitting through an entire piece. Vimeo has not invested in upgrades, fixes and servers as much as YouTube. The result is that Vimeo videos load very slowly and sometimes stall completely. The technical issues are incredibly widespread making Vimeo unusable for many people. No fixes seem to be planned.
Many Restrictions on Content Exist
Vimeo has some very rigid restrictions on the content that can be uploaded to the service. There are harsh restrictions on videos that mention commercial products, demonstrate products or talk about commercial businesses. Vimeo is also very careless with copyright claims and regularly takes down videos for no real reason giving content creators little recourse.
Embedding the Player Comes With Restrictions
The YouTube player can be embedded on nearly any website. It is a fast, lightweight method of embedding a video. Vimeo puts restrictions on where the player can be used. You are not allowed to embed the Vimeo player in a web page that contains advertising. The restrictions that apply to using the embedded player will keep it from becoming widely used or popular.
Vimeo Lacks Features
Vimeo lacks the features that can be found of YouTube. This is sometimes intentional and sometimes a result of the technical issues with the service. Vimeo does not seem to invest very much in improving the user experience. It is currently difficult or impossible to skip ahead when watching a Vimeo video. YouTube is far more convenient and friendly.
No Media Acceptance
A final reason Vimeo is not and will never be as big as YouTube is the lack of media acceptance. Major networks and cable outlets are not interested in posting content to Vimeo. They never even mention Vimeo on the air as they do when a viral video appears on YouTube. This lack of media acceptance will forever leave Vimeo behind YouTube.
Ronn Torossian is the CEO of New York based Public Relations Firm 5WPR. 5W PR has offices in NYC, Denver and Los Angeles and still updates and manages their vimeo page.
