Brands are creating more video content than ever before. From multi-nationals broadcasting company-wide streams to employees across the globe, to small mom-and-pop shops making in-house product promos, video will account for over 82% of all internet traffic by 2023.
Video is the most versatile content format. It can be used to launch products, create buzz around events, educate your clients about your services, communicate with your team, and form meaningful connections with your prospects. 93% of marketers say that video was an important part of their content marketing strategy in 2022.
But without a video content management system to handle the sheer volume of content they create, it’s difficult for businesses to manage and organise their video library.
In this article, you’ll learn why video content management systems are a must-have in 2023, alongside a rundown of the best options available. You’ll know which solution to choose for your business and be equipped to use video in your marketing campaigns, sales processes, or internal ops in 2023.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
What is a video content management system?
A video content management system, or video CMS, is a SaaS tool that helps companies store, organize, manage and distribute digital content, either publicly or to their internal teams.
Great video CMSs are scalable according to your needs, and allow you to organize your video content in one centralized system so you can quickly find the right files.
Many video CMS platforms also offer detailed video analytics, livestreaming capabilities, or bulk access editing so you can quickly select who can see your content.
Why use a video content management system?
If you already have a web content management system in place, you might be wondering if you really need a dedicated platform just for video. Or if you’re just getting started with video and not producing much yet, you might be able to get by without one for a short while.
But for companies who use a lot of video for external and internal communications, a video CMS is essential to streamline your workflows, simplify your life, and stop your video content becoming a pain in the neck.
Here are some benefits that video content management platforms can offer for your business:
Large file storage
Video and standard CMSs don’t get along. Files often exceed the maximum file size of standard CMS platforms; even if you’re not making a ton of videos, those megabytes can quickly add up.
But video CMSs are built specifically with video in mind and offer hassle-free uploading, storage, and speedy delivery of large files as standard.
Privacy and security
Video CMSs allow you to control who can see specific content in your video library, so you can safely share internal communications like training and explainer videos, memos, or meeting recordings. You can also restrict access to your customer-facing videos, such as videos behind a paywall or that are only available on sign-up to your mailing list.
Video security features vary from one CMS to another, but many offer powerful features like end-to-end encryption, domain-restricted access, and single sign-on (SSO) — so your videos will only be seen by the right people.
Searchability
With a video CMS, you can organize and search for videos by title, filename or metadata such as tags that are added manually or automatically to each video. Many video CMSs include automatic transcription or closed-captioning, which means you can search for the words spoken in the video or presented on-screen. Managing videos has never been easier!
Detailed analytics
Again, features vary by CMS, but many will enable you to track metrics such as where your viewers are located, which parts of the video they skipped or watched over again, and when they stopped watching — so you can optimize your content according to what works best.
Integrations
Depending on the software you pick, it may be able to integrate with your current CMS — and much more. Many of the video content management systems below offer integrations with marketing automation platforms, communication tools, LMSs and analytics tools — so you can deploy your new CMS without disrupting your entire workflow.
8 best video content management systems to try in 2023
If you’re looking for a system to help you get your video content in order, there’s a lot of choice out there. But not all video content management systems are created equal, and which CMS you choose depends on the size, needs, and nature of your business.
Here’s our list of the top 8 video content management systems to consider.
1. Wistia
Wistia is a leading video hosting site with a wide range of advantages. First, it’s highly customizable, allowing you to add your own branding to their video player and choose custom thumbnails for each video.
Their in-depth analytics, with tools like video heatmaps and engagement graphs, help you figure out exactly which parts of your video are engaging your audience. You can then export this actionable data to marketing automation platforms like Hubspot or Salesforce.
You can also share videos with password protection, and even add CTA buttons within your video to boost your conversion rate.
2. Brightcove
Brightcove is a specialized enterprise content management platform that has been operating for over 15 years — so they’re experts in their field. Exciting features include playlist capability where you can group videos together manually or automatically, and custom meta-data options to make searching for videos a walk in the park.
Brightcove also prides itself on scalable video and reliability, with 16 global data centers handling 875 million views every week with 99.95% uptime — so no more annoying buffering or drop-outs. Other features include support for audio description and closed captioning, monetization, and the ability to embed videos on external websites.
3. Kaltura
Kaltura is a video content management system built for meetings, live video streams, and collaboration. Their virtual classroom feature and various interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and breakout rooms also make it a great tool for e-learning companies or schools making the switch to virtual teaching.
Kaltura’s in-depth analytics features can help you track various metrics that show how your content is performing, including which sections people skipped or repeated the most, and which interactive elements got the most responses.
You can then export this data thanks to integrations with marketing platforms like Google Analytics and Marketo, and even LMS grading systems like Experience API and Watershed — so virtual teachers can tie viewer engagement data with other learning metrics.
4. IBM
IBM’s Video Streaming hub was built for live and pre-recorded video streaming for external distribution. The platform can accommodate hundreds of thousands of viewers at a time, so we recommend it for large-scale online video campaigns and events.
Real-time analytics allow you to track viewers’ geographical locations, when they joined (and left) the stream, and what devices they’re using — and the mobile-friendly player and live chat and Q&A functions make this the go-to tool for professional events.
However, the most stand-out feature is IBM’s in-house Watson system which auto-generates captions in real-time. The AI tool picks up on speaking patterns and vocabulary as the video progresses, resulting in accurate captions that can later be indexed and searched.
5. Panopto
Panopto’s intuitive and versatile CMS video platform allows you to embed videos on external websites and customize access for each video. In-video navigation tools like tables of contents and in-video keyword search make it easy to search within videos, and you can organize your content by tags that viewers can browse or subscribe to.
However, Panopto’s real power lies in its integrations. It can seamlessly integrate with your current CMS software, as well as LMS tools such as Moodle, Cornerstone, Canvas, and Blackboard, and communication tools like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
Thanks to integrations with HP5 and Hihiho, you can add interactive elements to your video, and the Hive Insights integration allows you to monitor livestreams in terms of quality of experience (QoE), quality of service (QoS), and more.
6. Microsoft Stream
Microsoft Stream is designed for company-wide information sharing. It supports both live and on-demand video which can be shared securely within your organization.
Naturally, it works with other Microsoft products like Teams and Sharepoint, and you can bulk control access to videos by creating user teams. Videos can also be shared externally through links and organized using internal folders and channels.
Their innovative speech and facial recognition software is the game-changer here though: you can search videos not only by spoken keywords but by who’s speaking.
The best news? Microsoft Stream is included in some Office 365 subscriptions, so it could be a budget-friendly option for your company if you already use their other tools.
7. CMS Hub
Hubspot’s CMS Hub is an easy-to-use content management system with video capability. It’s a no-brainer if you already use Hubspot, as you’ll be able to integrate it into your current system with zero hassle.
Using CMS Hub, you can upload videos to external sites and social media, and track their performance using the integrated analytics features. The CMS also allows you to add CTAs and forms within your videos, and you can use Hubspot’s expert lead nurturing tools to create targeted content for your prospects and boost your conversion rate.
8. Kollective
Kollective is not so much a video CMS as a cloud-based content delivery platform. However, its impressive capabilities mean it deserves an honorable mention here. Using Kollective, you can deliver video content faster while requiring less bandwidth — up to 99% less, in fact.
The platform leverages your existing network and uses peering to ensure content is delivered — fast. It’s also compatible with Microsoft Stream and can integrate with other video CMS platforms including Brightcove, Kaltura, and Panopto.
Video is here to stay. If you’re serious about using it in your marketing, sales outreach or internal communications, you’ll need a video-based content management solution to handle it — for live streaming, video analytics, storage, searchability, or all of the above.
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