Vidyard: Video platform for marketing and sales

What is Vidyard?

Vidyard is a comprehensive video marketing and analytics platform that allows businesses to:

• Create, manage, and host engaging videos
• Easily integrate videos into their overall marketing strategy
• Get detailed analytics on the performance of their videos
• Personalize the video experience for each viewer

With Vidyard, businesses can fully exploit the potential and benefits of video to:

• Capturing the attention of their audience
• Engaging their prospects and customers
• Optimize their conversion funnel
• Improving the effectiveness of their sales teams

Vidyard is a powerful tool that allows businesses to boost their video marketing strategy and achieve better results.

Features

Here is a comprehensive analysis of Vidyard's features:

1. Video creation

Vidyard offers a complete range of tools for creating videos:

• Video recording up to one hour with Chrome browser extensions, desktop, or mobile apps
• AI script generator to create custom video scripts adapted to each prospect
• Screen recording with or without a camera, up to 1080p quality
• Quick editing tools, animated previews, and intro banners to personalize videos

Critical review : Vidyard's authoring tools are user-friendly but may lack advanced control compared to professional editing software. The effectiveness of the AI script generator depends on the quality of the input data and the training of the model.

2. Video management

Vidyard simplifies video management with:

• Video playlists to organize and present content
• Email video sharing for easy distribution
• Customizable video sharing pages to control appearance and usability
• Watch notifications to track engagement
• Video actions (forms, links) to direct viewers to the next steps

Critical review : Vidyard's management features are extensive but may require technical expertise and product configuration and maintenance effort.

3. Hosting and distribution

Vidyard offers a video hosting reliable online:

• Fast load times and high-quality streaming up to 4K
• Fast download of various video formats
• Download widget to allow external users to add videos to the library
• Online video player to embed and stream videos on any device
• Easy sharing on social networks
• Optimizing for SEO with automatic transcripts and metadata
• Video chapters for navigating long content

Critical review : Vidyard video hosting is reliable and feature-rich but can become expensive for large video libraries or high traffic volumes.

4. Video analytics

Vidyard provides detailed video performance information:

• Real-time viewer data to understand each video and its impact
• Monitoring of key metrics (views, engagement) via powerful analytics dashboards
• Automatic transcripts to improve accessibility and SEO
• Integration with marketing automation and customer relationship management platforms

Critical review : Vidyard's analytics features are impressive but require analytics expertise and an effort to set up and maintain integrations.

5. Collaboration and management

Vidyard offers powerful tools for collaboration and video management:

• Vidyard Rooms to centralize resources, consolidate communication, and engage stakeholders
• Vidyard Hubs to create personalized and secure video centers with control over curation, design, security, and integrations

Critical review: Vidyard's collaboration and management features are powerful but require concerted effort and commitment from all stakeholders for successful adoption.

6. Secure and scalable platform

Vidyard offers a secure and scalable platform:

• Robust security and compliance features (user permissions, password protection, single sign-on)
• Built to evolve with business growth
• Top notch customer support

Critical review : While Vidyard offers solid security features, businesses with specific requirements should carefully consider the platform's capabilities.

7. Integrations

Vidyard integrates seamlessly with many popular sales and marketing tools, allowing businesses to easily incorporate video into their existing workflows.

Critical review : Vidyard's large number of integrations is a major asset, but setting up and maintaining them may require dedicated technical resources.

8. Vidyard GoVideo (Free Screen Recorder)

GoVideo is a free screen recorder offered by Vidyard that makes it easy to create professional videos:

• Record screen, webcam, or both in up to 4K resolution with audio
• Choose browser window or desktop window for screen video capture
• Simple and powerful tools to edit the recording and fine-tune the video
• Choosing the perfect animated thumbnail from video footage
• Easy sharing of videos by simply copying and pasting a link
• Play videos without ads and with no bandwidth limits

GoVideo also offers advanced features available on all plans:

• Capture footage from anywhere on the screen
• On-screen speaker notes and editing to remove unwanted video segments
• Video performance tracking with view counting and viewing notifications
• Assembling multiple shots into a single video
• Ad-free reading for an optimal user experience
• No bandwidth limits on the number of video views

Critical review : GoVideo is a powerful and user-friendly tool for creating and sharing professional videos effectively right from your browser or desktop. Thanks to its simplicity, it greatly helps the video creation process and offers advanced features for free.

Pricing

Vidyard offers four pricing plans to meet the varied needs of businesses:

1. Plan Free

• Free, no credit card required
• 25 videos in your library
• Video editing
• 3 Vidyard Rooms
• Video sharing
• AI script generator
• Standard AI avatars

2. Pro Plan ($19/month)

• Unlimited videos
• Real-time viewer insights
• Calls to action (CTA)
• Add your brand
• Password protection

3. Plus Plan ($59/user/month)

• Full video analytics
• Brand personalization
• Team performance analytics
• Case Management
• Video subtitles

4. Business plan (on request)

• CRM/MAP integration (Salesforce, Hubspot, LinkedIn)
• Fully customizable CTAs
• Custom security and permissions options
• Priority support and onboarding

Add-ons are available for the Business plan, including custom AI avatars, unlimited Vidyard Rooms, professional services, Theta Lake integration, event tracking, and Video Hubs.

Vidyard also offers a free 14-day trial for the Pro and Plus plans, allowing businesses to test advanced features before committing.

Critical review : While Vidyard offers a nice free option, the most powerful features require a paid subscription. Businesses need to carefully assess their video needs and budget to choose the most appropriate plan. The cost can quickly increase for large teams or advanced needs, so it's crucial to take full advantage of the features to justify the investment.

Alternatives to Vidyard

1. Wistia

Wistia is a popular video platform that offers features similar to Vidyard, including video hosting, analytics, personalization, and integration with marketing products and tools.

Key features

• Secure video hosting
• Detailed video analytics
• Customizing video playback
• Integrations with marketing and CRM tools
• Advanced features for marketing teams

Rates

• Free Plan: Free (limit of 3 videos)
• Pro Plan: Starting at $99/month
• Advanced Plan: Starting at $399/month

Comparative critical opinion : Wistia offers features similar to Vidyard, with an emphasis on the needs of marketing teams. Wistia is generally more affordable than Vidyard, but may lack some of the advanced features of lead generation for sales teams, like Vidyard Rooms and AI avatars.

2. Vimeo

Vimeo is a versatile video platform offering video hosting, creation, and collaboration features.

Key features

• High quality video hosting
• Video creation tools
• Video analytics
• Collaboration features for teams
• Integrations with popular tools

Rates

• Starter plan: $1/subscriber
• Growth plan: $500/month
• Enterprise plan: custom pricing

Comparative critical opinion : Vimeo is a more affordable alternative to (and offering an interface in French) Vidyard, offering solid video hosting and creation features. However, Vimeo may lack some of the advanced analytics and personalization features offered by Vidyard, and is not as specialized in the needs of sales and marketing teams.

3. Brightcove

Brightcove is an enterprise video platform offering advanced video hosting, management, and analytics capabilities.

Key features

• Secure and scalable video hosting
• Advanced video management
• Detailed video analytics
• Video monetization features
• Integrations with business systems

Rates

• On request (adapted to the specific needs of each company)

Comparative critical opinion : Brightcove is a powerful Vidyard alternative for large businesses with large-scale video needs. Brightcove offers advanced video management and monetization capabilities, but can be more complex and expensive than Vidyard. Brightcove may also lack some of the sales team-specific features offered by Vidyard.

In conclusion, the choice between using Vidyard and its alternatives will depend on the specific video needs of your business, your budget, and the importance of specialized features for sales and marketing teams.

Vidyard Customer Support

Vidyard offers several customer support options to help users get the most out of the platform:

• Complete self-service knowledge base
• Expert video coaching with weekly webinars (available on all plans)
• Priority support (available on the Business plan)
• Integration and consulting services (available on the Business plan)

FAQS

How do I get help if I have questions about using Vidyard?

Vidyard offers a comprehensive self-service knowledge base with articles, tutorials, and guides to help you use the software. You can also attend weekly coaching webinars to deepen your knowledge.

What support options are available for businesses?

Vidyard's Business Plan offers priority support, as well as integration and consulting services to help businesses get the most out of the platform. These services may include support in setting up, integrating, and training teams.

Does Vidyard offer support to resolve technical issues?

Yes, the Vidyard support team is available to help resolve any technical issues you may encounter while using the software.

Final Critical Review

Vidyard is a comprehensive software that offers an impressive suite of features for creating, managing, hosting, analyzing, and collaborating. The software is designed to meet the needs of sales, marketing, and communications teams, with specialized features such as Vidyard Rooms and multiple integrations.

However, to take full advantage of all of the software's features, users may need an investment to become familiar with its numerous options. Additionally, paid plans can become expensive for large teams or businesses with significant needs, so it's crucial to carefully assess needs and budget before making a commitment.

Overall, Vidyard is a solid choice for businesses looking to incorporate video into their sales, marketing, and communication strategies.