Have you ever wondered if you should use free video hosting?  If you are unsure I will explain the pros and cons below to help you decide.

Everyone is aware of sites such as YouTube.  YouTube is a a huge video hosting site.  It actually works like a search engine and can help in the building of your brand and exposure.  It also has the ability for others to embed your videos on their sites, blogs or social networking sites, which can help build your traffic.

Although all the above is great for your branding and exposure there are some negative points to using free video hosting.  Using a free video hosting site may not be free after all.  It is important to read the fine print in the terms of service of such sites.  YouTube’s terms of service states that you can upload your video to their site, however you are also granting them permission to use your video and content in whatever fashion they desire.

If you are concerned about branding you may want to reconsider the use of such free hosting sites, because they will include all their branding logos on all your videos.  That is in essence free advertisement for them.  If you embed one of your videos on a company site, for instance you have now created a permanent link back to the free hosting site in this case, YouTube.

Another drawback to using free video hosting sites such as YouTube is the related videos that are automatically attached to the end of each of your videos.  If you are trying to create sales of a certain product that you are demonstrating on a video which you have uploaded to YouTube, you will risk the chance of promoting a competitor at the end of your video.  Not a good idea for all your efforts.

YouTube is like any other social networking site, it is considered an entertainment site, which in some cases is not a negative.  However, if you are promoting a service or a product to a large corporation, this may not big a good idea. Many large corporations will block entertainment sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube which will hinder your chances of being noticed.

In essence, free video hosting sites are great to attract traffic to your site, where you can then share other videos or information.  If your goal is to market a product, or service you may consider a different video hosting site and not a free one.