Native Video vs. Linked Video: Which is Best?
Spin Creative • June 25, 2021
When your latest video is ready to be shared online, you’ll need to choose which platforms to share it to. But beyond that, you’ll need to choose between native and linked video.
Many brands upload their marketing videos to hosting platforms like YouTube or Vimeo to benefit from search traffic and discoverability. However, if you want to share your video
further—like to social media platforms or even your website—you’ll have a few more options.
On platforms like Facebook and Twitter, you can easily share a link from your hosting platform in a new post. Most platforms support linked video well enough, allowing users to watch the video in-feed. If the platform has a native video option, though, you’re usually better off using that.
Native video requires you to upload your video onto that specific platform. Instead of linking out to a different webpage, your video will be hosted on the platform itself. Using native video whenever it’s available can provide a few important marketing benefits.
• Platforms prefer native video: Social media platforms
want people to stay on their sites as long as possible. Content that links out to a new website is not as beneficial for the platform as content that keeps users on their feeds. Therefore, social platforms tend to make native videos look better and promote them more through their algorithms.
• Native video is more likely to auto play: On major platforms like Facebook, videos can auto play in a user’s feed. This is big for marketers, since it gives you the chance to hook viewers with just a few seconds of footage. Social platforms typically allow native videos to auto play, but they don’t give that same option to linked videos.
• Native video has better targeting options: If you want to pay to promote your video ad, you can do so through these platforms’ native video options. Most platforms like Facebook have tons of targeting options to allow you to pinpoint your specific audience, ensuring it gets seen by the right people.
This isn’t to say that platforms like YouTube are unimportant or that linked video is never a good choice. Major video platforms have their own sets of benefits such as better search engine optimization. Additionally, keeping all your video on YouTube may help you consolidate your metrics to examine video performance more closely.
However, if you have the opportunity to upload native video to a social media platform, it’s typically in your best interest to do so—even if you’re also uploading to YouTube.
There are also some considerations when choosing native video that you should keep in mind. Sizing restrictions are some of the most important. You’ll want to ensure that the format, resolution, length and ratio of your video is well suited to the platform you’re posting on. For example, Instagram’s square format does not accommodate traditional wide-format videos in-feed like Facebook might, nor does Instagram allow videos longer than 1 minute. However, you could upload a standard, multi-minute video to IGTV.
Formatting your videos and uploading them correctly to your desired platforms are key pieces of your video marketing strategy. By checking all these boxes and utilizing native video strategically, you’ll set your video up for success.
Interested in getting started on a new digital video project? Say hello
to Spin Creative!
Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
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