Vimeo – Better Video In Your Webspace

>>In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the thinking behind using video media on your website (and elsewhere) and showing why vimeo.com is a great solution for churches and ministries who desire to present video to their users.

Video is an important part of engaging users, whether they are part of your congregations or simply checking out your site to see what your church or ministry is all about.

These days, generating video content isn’t all that difficult or even expensive. Windows computers come loaded with Windows Movie Maker and Macs come with iMovie, not to mention the fact that many laptops come with webcams built in and handheld HD cameras can be purchased at relatively affordable prices. So authoring and editing sermon video, mission trip recaps, special announcements or anything else you can imagine really is easier than you might think.

But after the video is generated, how should you incorporate it in your website?

Some folks use Youtube, which isn’t always ideal for ministries because of high concentration of advertisements and inappropriate content which is presented alongside of (and sometimes within) your video.

Others use the .wmv or quicktime files as they are delivered by Windows Movie Maker or iMovie. This isn’t ideal for a couple of reasons.

The first is compatibility. If you present your video media only as a .wmv (Windows Media Video) file, then Mac users are going to have a very hard time viewing your content. They’ll have to download 3rd party software and plug-ins just to be able to get your file playing on their screen.

The same goes for quicktime files. If you only present your video as a .mov, then all your Windows users out there are going to have to go through click after click, install after install, just to be able to (hopefully) get your video playing.

I have found that many visitors (whether they’re regular or not), do not have the time or the patience to install a program (and keep it updated) just to a watch a video on your website.

The second danger of only presenting ‘source files’ (meaning, the kind of file that Windows Movie Maker or iMovie produces) on your web space is usability. Those files are either too large and take way too long to load or the quality has to be significantly compromised in order to keep the movie fast-loading on the page.

The third reason you should keep from using only .wmv or quicktime files is expandability. Using only those source files really limits what you can do with your media. People have to have the right operating system or the right software and be at their home computer in order to view your videos. And, even then, if they want to share what they saw, their friends and family are going to have the same limitations.

This is where Vimeo comes in.

Vimeo is a Youtube-like service that takes your video and converts it into a web-friendly format that loads quickly, can be easily embedded into your site and even has ways for viewers to give positive feedback (each video can be ‘Liked’ similar to Facebook or shared with friends).

But what sets Vimeo apart?

First off, your Vimeo movies are yours, not everyone’s. Meaning, when your video plays on Vimeo.com there aren’t going to be other users’ pages or movies listed alongside or ads embedded within as we’re all so familiar with on Youtube.

Viewers see only your other movies.

Second, Vimeo is free!

There is a Plus plan ($59.95 a year), which allows for certain features like more upload space, advanced statistics, faster uploading of your videos, etc, but until you’re generating a lot of content, the free plan will work great. In fact, Vimeo allows uploads of 500MB per week, every week, on it’s free accounts.

Third, Vimeo stores your source file for you and tracks statistics for each movie (on both free and Plus plans).

That means that you can use the embedded flash version of the video on your site, but also provide links to the source file (in this case, a .mp4) for downloading or video podcasting.

Fourth, Vimeo has a lot of great bells and whistles to dress up your videos, like the ability to add custom thumbnails.

Now, you can add a unique image that not only draws visitors in, but also visually categorizes your movie.

But perhaps the most exciting feature that Vimeo offers is automatic mobile conversion for their Plus members. Which means that when a Plus member uploads a video it is automatically converted into the web-friendly flash version AND into a mobile version for devices like iPhones, iPads and others.

Now, the reach of your video content is spreading across millions of devices, without the limitation that source files impose or the encroachment of non-ministry related ads or ‘related videos’ like we see on Youtube. Your movies load quickly, can be viewed full-screen at HD quality and give ways for viewers to interact through sharing or liking.

Even if you’re not ready to start filming sermons, consider developing a few movies (even if it’s just a picture montage with music, say from a mission trip or baptism) in order to encourage your congregations and draw visitors in with video content.

But, as always, it’s not just the content that matters, but also the presentation of that content. We want our movies to load fast, look good and be able to reach as many people as possible.

Vimeo helps in those pursuits.

Head on over to learn more or sign up today.

Visit Vimeo.com

Blessings and maranatha!