Thread by @mhames

Over a year ago, @YouTube changed its ToS and began showing ads on #HigherEd videos.

That means two things.

/Thread

1. Smaller schools can't opt out. To opt out, one needs 1,000 subscribers and 40K hours watched.

So small schools get ads on their "why you should choose X school"

2. It seems like the school is making money off of kids and families watching videos on why attend.

I know they are not. You know they are not, but not everyone knows they are not.

Making money on an admitted student day video? How small that seems.

So should schools leave YouTube and head to something like Vimeo?

Maybe.

The problem is that YouTube is owned by Google, and thus delivers videos on the SERP for a brand search.

It is more likely that "School virtual tour" on @YouTube will get on the front page of a SERP – I have a 30-minute instructional video on just this.

So schools can't really abandon YouTube.

So we have ads. Sometimes for OTHER SCHOOLS!

(In that instance, the public might think the school is both cashing in, and a bad marketer. Not a good look.)

It all just stinks. Alphabet, the multi-billion dollar company makes a few $$ on ads for ASDs and tours.

And schools just have to suck it up.

It is annoying. #EMChat