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Read This Before You Decide to Build or Buy an OVP Platform, Part 1
3minutes read
OVP marketing is set to transform the digital landscape and revolutionize the way people consume video content. Given this, an online video platform (OVP for publishers and marketers) is becoming an increasingly effective tool for reaching new audiences.
If you consider employing such a platform to support your marketing efforts, you may have a dilemma: should you build an OVP (Online Video Platform) from scratch or buy it ready-made?
Our two-part blog post will feature three key questions you should answer to make the right decision:
What business goals are you pursuing with the help of video?
What features does the OVP video platform need to have to help you reach your goals?
What tech support options will you have in each scenario?
Let’s get down to the first one.
What are your business goals, and how can video facilitate them?
Whether your goal is to educate buyers about an innovative product, gather a consumer audience, or create new revenue streams, an online video platform can help you get there. Think of the business benefits you want to reap — both short- and long-term.
Boosting brand awareness
Video is one of the most effective tools for increasing brand visibility. According to Wyzowl, 96% of marketers say video helps improve brand awareness1. Additionally, 87% report a measurable increase in brand recognition as a result of using video marketing2.
Short-form video plays a key role here. Videos under 60 seconds generate more than twice the engagement of longer formats3, making them essential for reaching broader audiences across platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.
If your goal is brand awareness, make sure every video reflects your brand identity. Most professional online video platforms allow you to white-label your content or apply custom branding. This gives your videos a polished, consistent look and turns each one into a branded touchpoint for your audience.
While built-in branding is standard, tracking brand awareness over time may require more advanced analytics. The ability to integrate with your existing tools and measure performance across channels is crucial for assessing the impact of your video strategy.
Educating users
Video is a powerful tool for educating audiences. Explainer and tutorial videos are especially effective for engaging both consumers and business decision-makers. According to Wyzowl, explainer videos are the most commonly created type of marketing video1, and for good reason.
These videos are ideal for introducing products or services that customers may not yet know they need. By simplifying complex ideas and showcasing value in action, explainer content helps eliminate confusion and moves viewers closer to conversion.
Hosting such videos on your own platform, while also distributing them on consumer-oriented channels, lets you build a valuable branded asset that’s also socially shareable. This hybrid approach combines control with discoverability.
If education is your primary goal, the decision to build or buy an OVP platform comes down to performance. To deliver a smooth, frustration-free experience, your platform needs to support stable delivery at scale — with no buffering, lag, or drop-offs.
To achieve this, look for a reliable OVP vendor that offers integration with a high-performance content delivery network (CDN). Even better, choose an OVP that supports a multi-CDN architecture, which automatically routes traffic through the fastest available path to reduce latency and avoid congestion. This ensures your educational videos are always accessible, fast, and reliable — no matter where your users are.
Building an extra monetization channel
Video isn’t just for storytelling or engagement but can also be a powerful driver of revenue. Depending on your audience and content type, there are several monetization models to explore: advertising, pay-per-view, subscription, and direct sales.
For those exploring OVP marketing strategies, monetization is often a central goal. Whether you’re managing a growing content library or experimenting with new formats, a well-chosen online video platform should support not only content delivery but also your revenue ambitions.
Advertising revenue
Advertising remains the most common way to monetize video content. The ad-supported model is now standard across many platforms, and viewers are increasingly open to it: nearly half of all streaming subscriptions today are for plans that include ads4.
This creates new opportunities for those using an OVP for publishers, enabling them to manage pre-roll and mid-roll ads, experiment with programmatic campaigns, and even explore interactive formats where viewers can click directly on products featured in the video. With the right setup, even niche content libraries can turn views into meaningful ad revenue.
Pay-per-view
This model works well for exclusive, high-value content such as live events, masterclasses, or limited-access experiences. However, it typically requires a loyal audience and strong perceived value. For most corporate or educational content, it’s not the most practical approach — unless your brand has unique, time-sensitive content people are willing to pay for.
Subscription
Subscription-based models are more viable for companies that maintain a growing library of premium video content. If your content offers ongoing value, like industry insights, training, or professional development, you may be able to convert viewers into paying subscribers. That said, competing with free content remains a challenge unless your offer is highly differentiated.
Direct sales & shoppable video
Another growing trend is the integration of e-commerce into video. Whether it’s linking directly to products featured in the video or embedding purchase options in the player, this model works especially well for low-cost digital products or impulse-buy items. It’s most effective when paired with short-form content on social or mobile platforms.
When choosing a monetization strategy, start with your audience and content type. Then assess whether your OVP marketing solution includes the features you’ll need — from ad integration and subscription management to secure payment processing and content gating.
Final words
Whatever monetization strategy you choose, your online video platform should fully support it — not just today, but as your business grows. It’s worth thinking beyond immediate needs. As your audience, market conditions, or content strategy evolves, so should your platform.
That’s why flexibility matters. The most effective OVPs are those that can scale with you, adapt to new use cases, and support multiple monetization models when the time comes.
In the next post, we’ll explore the remaining two questions to consider before choosing the right OVP:
What features matter most for your goals?
What kind of tech support will you need?
In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you: have you already used an OVP? Was it custom-built or a ready-made solution from a vendor? Share your experience in the comments.
