How to Bypass Vimeo and YouTube Firewalls

You've probably realized how effective using video content to promote your website is. But, have you ever noticed that most enterprise and educational environments block YouTube and Vimeo? If your content targets educators or corporate clients and you're using these platforms, you could be missing out on thousands of dollars every year. Not only because your content is getting blocked by the YouTube firewall filter or the Vimeo firewall filter, but for a whole variety of reasons.

Swarmify provides clients with an online video player that can bypass the YouTube and Vimeo firewall settings without having to ask a network administrator to whitelist domains. Additionally, it harnesses the power of a content delivery network to guarantee fast-loading, optimized videos that won't send potential buyers away from your webpage. Read on to find out more about how to ensure your content reaches your target audience.

The Power of Marketing Videos

As video streaming now makes up 58% of internet usage around the world, it's safe to say that you should be using this rapidly growing format to promote your company. Video streaming is popular with people of all ages, and now we all have access to industry-grade equipment, anyone can make professional video content.

People are inspired by what they see, so adding video tutorials, video reviews, meet and greets with the team, and recorded Q&A sessions is an ideal way to target consumers.

Many people who are searching for somewhere to host videos on their website choose YouTube without thinking twice. Initially, it seems like it — and Google owns it — is providing this service out of kindness.

However, a business that successful didn't make it by giving its services away for free. The chances are that YouTube is getting more return on your marketing investment than you are. We'll explain why in a later chapter.

Why Target Educators?

Teachers are a consumer group of 6.7 million individuals who spend an average of $1.5 billion each year. They have distinct habits that you can tap into with a smart digital marketing strategy, such as a discount card explicitly aimed at teachers. According to research, teachers spend money from their own pockets to fund their work, meaning it's easy to guess what they want to buy.

Most teachers actively seek out companies that use teacher discounts and avoid those that don't. So, by targeting digital marketing at teachers, you could capture an entire demographic with minimal effort. Be careful, though — teachers are discerning and educated, and they conduct thorough research. You'll need to ensure your content is professionally made, loads fast, and can make it through a school's firewall settings.

How to Reach Corporate Clients

If you're a small to medium business, you probably have your eye on some major corporate clients. Of course, making the initial engagement is the hardest aspect — once you've worked out how you can solve a problem for them, you can focus on developing a long-lasting relationship. This is one of the reasons your website must make an impression. Video content can express the quality of your brand — and having YouTube's branding, suggested content and ads doesn't give the greatest first impression.

Here are our top three tips on how to make initial contact with new corporate partners.

1. Segment your potential clients: Firstly, you'll need to have a distinct digital marketing strategy in place. This should include a breakdown of your dream clients, starting with 10 huge names, 100 small- to medium-sized enterprises, and finishing with 1000 individuals or micro-companies.
   
   You should spend the most time and money on the first group. Ensure you find out their motivations, brand stories, and any other information you can use for a targeted campaign. You should build your website with your most exclusive clients in mind.
2. Lead with value: In business, it's all about what we can do for each other. Once you've studied your potential client, you'll have an understanding of their needs. To lead with value, you must be able to give them a solution they can't get from elsewhere.
3. Provide useful, high-quality content: Now you've spent time and money getting to know your target audience and decided how you can add value to their lives, you need to create content that appeals to them. Also, you must find a YouTube firewall bypass or a Vimeo firewall bypass because enterprise internet services often block Vimeo and YouTube. Otherwise, your videos won't be visible to corporate clients or educators — two of the biggest and most actionable target markets out there.

The Problem with YouTube, Vimeo, and a B2B Audience

There are several problems with YouTube and Vimeo for hosting your website's carefully crafted content. The most expensive issue for your business is probably the fact that YouTube firewall settings cannot infiltrate most enterprise firewalls or those within educational institutions. If your customer base consists of corporate clients and educators, you could be missing out on hundreds of views each week.

Plus, these OVPs make money through advertising, which they are extremely good at — so why would they provide a hosting service for free? Read on to find out how these OVPs are siphoning customers from directly under your nose.

YouTube

YouTube is the most popular host for businesses' video content, and you might think it adds some prestige to your site. However, the talented people working at Google have found that it's a fantastic way of taking special care of their advertisers. Here are the main ways YouTube could be harming your bottom line:

• YouTube's firewall settings are notorious. It's not viewable in any educational institution, and most companies block its use in offices. As such, the video content you've spent valuable time and money making won't even be visible to your target audience.
• Because it's free to host your videos on YouTube, they don't need to provide any kind of service or guarantee that the video will have a fast load time or won't buffer. The result is often a video that stops and starts.
• Did you know that information about your business is sent to YouTube every time a potential customer opens one of their videos on your website? That means, if you're a pet shop owner, YouTube knows that a consumer has visited your site and watched your promotional video. Therefore, it knows that person is looking for pet shop services and passes this information to its advertisers. By using YouTube as a video host, you are giving away your leads to other businesses.
• We all know the importance of clear branding. Customers aren't likely to remember your brand when the famous YouTube logo is scattered around the page. Even though it seems to be doing you a favor, in reality, you're just giving YouTube a free ad.
• If you're trying to convince buyers to part with their hard-earned money to purchase your product or service, it's confusing to include unrelated advertising on your website. Remember, YouTube might play an ad at the beginning, middle, and end of your content. That's three huge distractions and reasons for the buyer to bounce. Plus, with related content to contend with, your brand doesn't really stand a chance.

Vimeo

Vimeo was founded in 2004 and plays a similar role to YouTube, but with more focus on high-definition video and curated content. Its firewall settings are akin to that of Google's monster OVP, and hosting there will cause the same issues. Vimeo has also changed its pricing structure and is telling creators to suddenly pay thousands of dollars — or leave the platform.

Why Swarmify?

Swarmify is a leak-proof, non-branded SmartVideo service that optimizes video content on your website for every device. Users won't be distracted by adverts, slow loading times, or related videos. Best of all, we've designed it to break through any firewall, so you can guarantee the marketing you've invested in is visible to your target audience. Its key features are:

Unlimited Video CDN

You're not limited by bandwidth, so you can deliver impressive HD content that loads fast.

It's Smart

Our SmartVideo service monitors each user's experience to preempt issues and solve them before they reach their end.

The Fastest Loading Videos in the World

On average, SmartVideos play 12 times faster, and experience 8 times less buffering than other video players.

Auto-conversions

YouTube and Vimeo videos are auto-converted on your site. No downloading, uploading, or re-embedding required.

No Distractions

Buyers won't be distracted from your brand or product, meaning they're much more likely to convert.

Integration

We seamlessly transfer any current videos you have hosted on YouTube and integrate them as a SmartVideo. You won't need to lift a finger for this to take place.

Optimized

SmartVideo optimizes content for all devices.

Dedicated Support

You have a dedicated support team to guide you through the initial process and deliver ongoing support whenever you need it.

What Makes a CDN Important?

When it comes to video content, there is one thing that makes potential buyers click the x button: buffering. If your promotional video is continually buffering or it takes more than a few seconds to load, your customers will quickly become someone else's customers. With YouTube and Vimeo, you aren't their client, so they are not motivated to optimize the user experience for your customers.

An OVP that uses its own CDN can play instantly to anyone without slow loading times or buffering. It does this because it's connected to servers all around the world that ping from the nearest ones to each user's browsing device. On average, a customer will click away if a page or video doesn't load within two seconds. If your videos have their own dedicated CDN, it's one of the best ways to ensure lower bounce rates and greater buyer engagement.

Bypass YouTube Firewall Settings Today

If you're ready to make an excellent first impression every time a potential buyer enters your website, get Swarmify today.