When it comes to online video YouTube is where a lot of people begin and end. But there's plenty of other players in digital movies than YouTube.

A worthy contender is Vimeo, the elegant platform that's dedicated to more bespoke, high-quality videos.

Broadly speaking, think of YouTube as a Hollywood blockbuster and Vimeo as an arthouse film. Vimeo may not have the same reach, but it does have a dedicated userbase that tends to be well-heeled. Plus if you create a video there's nothing stopping you from hosting it on both platforms.

With that in mind we explore why you might want to take a second look at Vimeo.

14 million

In 2012 over 1 million people joined Vimeo, bringing the total number of Vimeo members to 14 million.

That's over a 30 per cent increase in one year, while the figure is sure to be higher for 2013.

Half a billion

Over the same period, over 675 billion people visited Vimeo. 

Considering Vimeo hosts less than 100 million videos, this means statistically your Vimeo video has a greater chance of being seen than on YouTube. 

Zero advertising

Unlike YouTube, Vimeo is ad-free, for now at least. No distracting banners or 30 second ads before your video means viewers are less distracted and more focused on your message. 

Monetise

Vimeo has recently rolled out a number of features to help content creators monetise their movies. 

Vimeo on Demand allows users to charge for their content, while the Tip Jar feature lets viewers donate money to filmmakers they follow. 

Video rising

Videos are also good for business. Blogs and websites that host media rich content like videos generally fare better with Google, while Facebook posts with video attached are 12 times more likely to be shared that text-only updates. 

To find out more visit vimeo.com.

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