7 Vlogging Platform Alternatives To YouTube

Vlogging and YouTube have become synonymous. It is the birthplace of many of the most famous vloggers out there. The main reason for this is that the suggested videos, easy monetization, and mass daily site visitors give the platform notable advantages. The truth is, though, to grow a strong following with a dedicated fan base, it is necessary to branch out and open up your content to new vlogging platforms.

When you connect a diverse range of platforms to your vlogging channel, it allows you to accomplish two things. The first is reach a new audience that prefers their platform over YouTube. The second is to share your vlogs in a new format, whether in terms of length, content, or some other metric.

Once you’ve decided to expand your reach and open up your vlog to new audiences, it can be difficult to decide which ones will best fit your needs. The following provides a deep dive into the various vlogging platforms, as well as the upsides and downsides of each.

7 Vlogging Platform Alternatives To YouTube

1. Facebook And Facebook Live

Facebook doesn’t often come to mind when you think of vlogging—but it should. Because of the platform’s advertising options, as well as the ability to partner with other brands and influencers, vloggers can begin to nurture a new and bigger audience.

Advantages of the platform:

• Strong video hosting function
• Ability to save livestreams to permanent video library
• More freedom with page layout and design
• Largest live audience
• Ability to interact with viewers in real-time
• Facebook Live Map is a dedicated space for individuals to find new pages and influencers to follow

Disadvantages of the platform:

• Difficult to climb search rankings
• Necessary to build partnerships with other pages

2. Instagram Live, Stories and IGTV

In recent years, Instagram has soared in popularity. In fact, in June 2018 the platform announced that they had reached 1 billion users. And while Instagram is mainly seen as a platform for photographs, short videos have also found a prominent space. Additionally, the new Instagram Live, Stories and IGTV are three very different, yet unique ways to share vlogs with your following.

Advantages of the platform:

• Large user-base
• Strong advertising options
• More search-friendly
• Search area is an easy place to get featured

Disadvantages of the platform:

• Instagram Live and Stories do not offer feature to save videos

3. Twitch IRL

This platform has historically been for gamers, allowing them to livestream their campaigns in various online games. This is rapidly changing, though. Many influencers and vloggers from all different genres are starting to take advantage of the Twitch IRL platform. The unique aspect of Twitch is that it is mainly dedicated to live content. So while you can save videos and post them, it is simply not the point of the platform.

Advantages of the platform:

• Best platform for interaction with followers
• Strong search function
• Large audience that is dedicated to the live vlog format

Disadvantages of the platform:

• Limited advertising options
• Not ideal for storing a large library of vlog content

4. DailyMotion

This platform aggregates video content, and this is not it’s only similarity to YouTube—the look and feel of the site mimics its predecessor. The main difference between the two video sharing websites is that YouTube has a majority of amateur-made videos, while DailyMotion offers more professional-quality. For vloggers who have higher-end equipment, this can be a better fit. There are few restrictions in terms of genre and other form factors of content, giving significant freedom to vloggers to pursue ventures that do not fit onto other platforms.

Advantages of the platform:

• Strong recommendation feature
• Large user-base
• Unique monetization options
• Less genre competition

Disadvantages of the platform:

• High expectations from users
• 20 minute video limit
• 150 MB storage capacity per video

5. Vimeo

This platform is the Pinterest of video content sites. It is all about creativity. It is a step up from DailyMotion in that there are pretty much no amateur videos on the site. And while this may disway some vloggers—it shouldn’t. Because Vimeo offers tutorials for creating better videos, it can be a great place to branch into improving the quality and content of your vlogs for the platform itself, as well as your other channels.

Advantages of the platform:

• No outside ads
• Friendlier audience
• Freedom with video length and size
• More advanced privacy settings

Disadvantages of the platform:

• Front display of videos not based on popular videos, but Vimeo staff picks
• Not ideal for every genre

6. Flickr

A lot of you might be confused by this one. And yes, you remember correctly. Flickr is a photo uploading site. However, the company has expanded. They are now becoming a go-to space for video uploading and sharing. In order to maintain their branding, they refer to videos as ‘long photos’. Additionally, the maximum length of any uploaded video is only 90 seconds.

Advantages of the platform:

• Significant user base
• Encourages video creation creativity
• Pro accounts have unlimited space

Disadvantages of the platform:

• The feature of video uploading is still very new

7. d.tube

For the tech vloggers, as well as any others who are interested in being ahead of the curve when it comes to the global digital transformation, d.tube is a must. This platform is the first video sharing platform that harnesses the power of blockchain. The video sharing technology is decentralized and there are options for those who use the platform to get STEEM tokens, the cryptocurrency tied to the platform.

Advantages of the platform:

• Easy for YouTubers to adjust to due to the similar layout
• Ad-free (monetization is based on the blockchain’s tokens)
• Easy-to-use platform

Disadvantages of the platform:

• Very new platform
• Low viewership

While it is necessary to get your vlogs out on YouTube, it is helpful to find your niche audience with other channels that more precisely fit your vlog niche. Opening up an account on one of these platforms is a great way to accomplish this.