Contently vs. Vyond

It's helpful for top of marketing funnel writing that we can sometimes lose sight of because we are so ingrained in the product day to day. Contently is also helpful for long written pieces and ebooks that will take a significant amount of employee time to put together. I avoid using Contently for mid to bottom funnel marketing writing because my team will often have greater insight into the product function or use-case or product release, making them more adroit to the tone of the written piece and able to produce the content quickly.

Incentivized

As long as money isn't a major issue (this application is pretty expensive!), it's the best solution I've used so far for creating short explainer videos. It's pretty robust/full-featured and relatively easy to learn to use. Vyond is constantly adding assets and features, too. It would not really appropriate for making full-fledged e-learning, as there's no way to add any interactivity to it, and it's not something I'd used to create long, complex presentations.

Incentivized

• Consolidating my work in one place to make my work life easier
• Contently is unique from other content marketing organizational tools in one key way. It hands you a network of freelance professionals eager for delegated work.
• You can search through a database of professionals to find the perfect person for your given project. Find individuals in your budget offering the exact skills and experience you need.

Incentivized

• In the newest version, the timeline allows you to control each asset individually in a way that mimics video auditing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Camtasia
• I love the way you can replace an object and the new object will automatically take on the formatting of the object it is replacing including, location, size, expression, duration on the timeline, etc.
• I really enjoy the spotlights on other user's videos. Even when I don't have time to read the full article, watch the full video, or attend the webinars, this is usually enough to give me new ideas to try out when making my own videos
• I appreciate the ample notice when things are changing. For example, the platform will be updated at the end of the year, but I have had access to the new format since June(ish) so I've had time to play around with it and get used to it. By the time the legacy format is retired I won't have any problems adjusting to the new format or functionality.

Incentivized

• I have been using it for 3.5 years, and have had no response from potential clients.
• The portfolio section is pretty easy to use, but I don't love the format.
• Since I'm not a client, I don't know just how easy it is for them to find new freelancers or how often it is actually used.
• Probably more suited for some types/concentrations of freelance writers, like finance, tech, or healthcare.

Incentivized

• The fact that it's on a cloud server means that sometimes the software can get clunky/slow.
• There may be extra work involved if you have multiple characters talking in one audio file and you want them to sync their mouths with their appropriate lines.
• Characters having multiple actions/expressions means multiple scenes, which can be very cumbersome to manage.

Incentivized

I was recently at a conference where I learned that many of my peers also use Vyond, solidifying my opinion that it is the right tool for out needs. Further more, one of our content vendors also uses it, ensuring that I will continue to use it as I believe this will facilitate our collaborations in the future

Incentivized

This program is great when you have no video experience! There's only a little of a learning curve to the program. In general, the user interface is great and easier than using a program like Adobe premier. It's a great resource to use as a marketer.

Incentivized

Vendor guy made it difficult bc he was only interested in selling

Incentivized

Vyond is just an animated video creation tool. You have to use your video content and track its performance through other means. Because it is an online tool it doesn't hog your resources or slow down any other tools that I use. It is a stand-alone product and it doesn't need to integrate with any of our other tools. It does what it does and that is all we need.

Incentivized

I'm giving them a 10, but honestly, I've never reached out to them. I do see them putting out regular content on social media, so they might be responsive to questions there as well as regular customer support. In their posts and communication, they do seem to value their community, so hopefully, they have good customer support. And I've seen them asking for pitches from their community to publish well-paid articles during this stressful coronavirus time, and I really appreciate that.

Incentivized

I haven’t had any issues that required me to contact their support team. However, I believe support in any product starts before you have to call for help. Vyond provides an option for priority queue when you have their professional option. This is great for folks who need things done faster, especially when businesses can’t afford any downtime. Their Live chat feature is also reassuring, because I don’t always want to spend time on the phone or on hold if their call volume is high and I need to solve an issue.

Incentivized

There should be a Hypercare (expedited problem solving) support level on new rollouts for existing customers

Incentivized

I also opened an account with Skyword in 2019, which is a similar service. The person that recommended it was a travel writer, and since I've done that as well, I thought it might be a better fit. To this point, I've received no work from it either, and don't hold out a lot of hope. As previously mentioned, where I think Contently does well is by giving you an online portfolio, additional resources like a blog for learning, and a rates database for publications.

Incentivized

Vyond is the best tool our company has used for creating animated explainer videos and social content. We have tried many other software solutions but Vyond offers the most options for animating characters, text, and scenes. Despite the lack of options for overall styles, it offers a consistent and professional video every time. Plus, Vyond it's constantly adding new templates to their already expanding library

Incentivized

Vyond is pricey … not sure how long we will continue to use of the rate goes up

Incentivized

• Contently contributors have produced some great inbound marking posts and creative materials saving our marketing team significant time allowing them to focus on more strategic plans for the business.
• The amount of time Contently has saved our internal creative writing staff has more than paid for itself!

Incentivized

• Customers have been able to self-train on our instruments using their videos as opposed to having a scientific trainer go in.
• We have been able to use videos in certifications that we sell and offer our customers.
• Since the videos can be made fairly quickly, it saves instructional design time and effort.

Incentivized