At any time when I take into consideration social video platforms, the primary ones that come to thoughts are YouTube and TikTok, however these are solely the tip of the iceberg relating to video sharing. There are a number of extra video platforms on the market.
Nevertheless, earlier than we discover the huge choices entrepreneurs have at their disposal, let’s dive into the significance of social media movies, the place customers are watching them, and different essential findings.
The place are customers watching social media movies?
YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are among the many social media platforms with the best ROI, in line with our 2024 State of Marketing Report. So, it‘s secure to say that’s the place customers watch social media movies.
The truth is, our most up-to-date Video Marketing Report reveals Instagram is the highest social media platform for ROI, engagement, and lead technology for sharing advertising movies.
Behind Instagram is YouTube relating to ROI and lead technology.
In fact, I can‘t omit TikTok, contemplating it’s the app I discover myself scrolling by for hours on finish. The short-form video platform has the third highest ROI and is available in 2nd for engagement behind Instagram.
Lastly, there’s Fb. Whereas 60% of entrepreneurs sharing advertising movies use the longstanding Meta-owned platform, it is available in fourth place for ROI, lead technology, and engagement.
13 Greatest Social Media Video Platforms
1. YouTube
YouTube is the most important video-sharing platform and the second-largest social media platform on the planet, with over 2.7 billion customers. In line with Neilsen, YouTube topped the listing for streaming time for 17 consecutive months in July.
So, when you‘re questioning if the platform could be a welcome boost to your video advertising or social media technique—the numbers recommend that’s the best transfer!
What I really like most about YouTube is how the platform can host numerous codecs of movies, corresponding to reside streaming, short-form movies, and long-form movies.
You can too make the most of YouTube’s Neighborhood tab to talk to interact along with your viewers in between video uploads.
Different key options and advantages embody:
- AI-generated transcriptions and captions
- Easy privateness settings
- Choice to pay to advertise your movies on YouTube and Google
- The power to curate your movies into playlists
- Knowledge analytics and administration instruments by way of YouTube Studio
- Monetization choices by way of the YouTube Accomplice Program
- Sturdy audio library
2. TikTok
TikTok is a wonderful platform for attracting a Gen Z viewers.
Our 2024 Client Developments Report reveals that 48% of Gen Z customers want to find out about new merchandise by way of short-form movies on TikTok, and 72% say they’ve used the app within the final three months.
A few of my favourite options of TikTok are:
- Stay stream procuring capabilities
- A number of monetization alternatives, together with the flexibility for viewers to ship items
- Hashtags for boosts in engagement and group constructing
- Promoting choices for enterprise accounts
- Continually rising library of trending songs and sounds
3. Instagram
Instagram can be standard amongst Gen Z, with 72% reporting to have used the app within the final three months. It is an important platform for selling merchandise and promoting them in-app.
Listed here are a few of the greatest options:
- E-commerce capabilities by way of Instagram storefronts
- Stay stream capabilities
- Shoppable tales
4. Facebook
Fb is understood to be extra standard amongst millennials and Gen X, however our Client Developments Report reveals it nonetheless has loyal customers. Our report reveals that 42% of customers think about the app their favourite.
Options embody:
- Fb Stay
- Fb Tales
- Paid Video Adverts
- Neighborhood pages to attach along with your viewers
5. Snapchat
I used to be a junior in highschool when Snapchat launched, and I keep in mind it being extraordinarily standard amongst faculty college students a couple of years later.
The app continues to be going sturdy amongst youthful customers in the present day, with 57% of Gen Z customers saying they’ve used the app within the final three months.
It additionally stays fairly standard amongst Millennials, with greater than a 3rd (37%) additionally reporting utilizing it inside the previous few months.
Advertising on Snapchat could be tough because the app‘s fundamental draw is that customers can ship one another movies and images that disappear after 24 hours. It’s extra standard for interpersonal communication.
Nevertheless, entrepreneurs can nonetheless leverage the app thanks to varied options like Snap Adverts, Story Adverts, and Collections Adverts.
6. Twitch
Twitch is a reside streaming platform particularly standard amongst avid gamers; nevertheless, you don‘t must be within the gaming business to leverage it.
Manufacturers like Wendy’s and Outdated Spice leverage influencer advertising by tapping into well-known streamers who can introduce their merchandise to a wider viewers.
My favourite Twitch options and advantages are:
- Monetization choices by way of its affiliate and partnership packages
- Stream scheduling
- Stay feedback
- Channel analytics
7. X (formerly Twitter)
X is generally considered a micro-blogging platform, however it has video posting and sharing skills. Customers with out an X subscription can add movies as much as 140 seconds lengthy.
Subscribers can add movies as much as 4 hours lengthy, relying on whether or not they use iOS, the desktop model of X, or Android.
8. LinkedIn
I solely lately found the completely different prospects relating to video on Linkedin, and I used to be pleasantly shocked. Customers can add as much as 10 minutes of native video on the platform, stream for as much as 4 hours, and put up video adverts which are as much as half-hour lengthy.
Moreover, I’ve discovered that drumming up engagement for movies on LinkedIn is fairly simple since you’re relying by yourself community plus the networks of others to share your content material.
One in every of my most up-to-date movies is a TikTok I embedded in a LinkedIn put up. In only a week, that put up garnered greater than 1,700 views and reached extra 1,200 individuals.
It is price noting that I solely have about 600 individuals in my LinkedIn community.
9. Pinterest
Pinterest’s video capabilities are particularly useful for retail manufacturers seeking to attain customers in search of inspiration. Pinterest is a social media platform that enables customers to create digital imaginative and prescient boards for inspiration relating to model, artwork, recipes, and extra.
For instance, Fenty Magnificence makes use of its Pinterest board to put up movies exhibiting its merchandise in use whereas giving make-up inspiration. Manufacturers also can make curated Pinterest boards consisting of a number of movies, all inside the similar area of interest.
Different helpful options are:
- Shoppable video adverts that includes a video clip selling related merchandise to customers with comparable pursuits
- Customized assortment adverts permit a number of photos that may embody one video and three supporting photos selling related merchandise.
10. Reddit
Reddit is an app that focuses on group and discussions. Manufacturers can leverage Reddit video adverts to construct discussions round their services whereas constructing group within the type of subreddits.
Although movies could be as much as quarter-hour lengthy, I recommend protecting them not than 30 seconds to a minute.
11. Discord
Manufacturers leveraging Discord usually use the platform for group advertising. That is achieved by creating a chosen house (server) that serves as a central hub for interactions between the model and its customers and segmenting customers into completely different channels that enchantment to their pursuits.
So, the place does video are available? Properly, I put Discord on this listing as a result of the platform permits for video calls, which permits server members to tune in and converse. Manufacturers can host webinars, tutorials, Q&As, and extra by way of reside video calls and streams.
12. Telegram
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app that lets viewers ship messages, movies, photos, and information to one another. Customers also can make voice and video calls.
Telegram could be a nice platform for offering customer support, and its video capabilities can permit manufacturers to raised troubleshoot points, reply questions, or present visible tutorials.
13. Vimeo
Vimeo is usually in comparison with YouTube, however I personally consider the previous has some technical capabilities that give it an edge over the extra well-known platform.
Vimeo permits customers to put up movies that may solely be seen by followers or chosen accounts, which could be useful if you wish to construct group by way of unique content material.
Ideas for Sharing Social Media Movies
1. For many platforms, zone in on short-form movies.
The world is turning into extra fast-paced day-after-day. Whereas many individuals are watching social media movies of their spare time, some are watching them on the go.
For instance, I usually watch TikTok movies and Instagram Reels on the subway or bus whereas working errands.
My buddies usually watch movies in between conferences or whereas ready for an appointment.
These brief intervals of time do not depart a lot room for customers to observe long-form movies, so many entrepreneurs recommend specializing in creating short-form, or “snackable,” video content material.
“Utilizing snackable movies on social can truly drive extra engagement than static photos,” says Meisha Bochicchio, Content material Advertising Supervisor at Wistia.
With regards to creating efficient snackable content material, Bochicchio says, “First issues first, needless to say most social media platforms will robotically begin taking part in video content material as viewers scroll.
So, make sure that your movies are autoplay-friendly. Maintain them brief and put your key messaging within the first few seconds.”
“Keep in mind that most individuals gained’t hear your audio, so make sure that your movies are additionally silent-friendly, ”Bochicchio advises. “Contemplate textual content overlays, or add captions straight on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Fb.”
To study extra about this technique, try this post on snackable content, or this put up that highlights the most recent short-form video trends.
And if you wish to make snackable content material by yourself, our AI-powered Clip Creator device can convert textual content into skilled movies for what you are promoting with just some clicks.
2. Check completely different video codecs, too.
Whereas short-form video content material is a good tactic to harness, you may nonetheless publish longer movies so long as they’re partaking and invaluable to your viewers.
For instance, whereas individuals won’t need to watch a two-hour industrial, they might watch an extended reside video Q&A, an interview with a thought chief, or a video that tells a longer but entertaining story.
Whilst you can actually check longer-form movies, you can too check out different codecs, corresponding to live streams, interactive movies, and shopping videos, on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Fb.
It is price noting that 46% of Gen Z customers within the U.S. have participated in reside procuring occasions, and 47% have bought from a reside stream.
As new video codecs emerge, it may be useful to find out if they could work on your model and design a check round them.
Make certain you determine and monitor the best success metrics. For instance, when you‘re testing an extended video, have a look at its views and dropoff price to see how lengthy viewers keep tuned.
In the meantime, when you attempt a extra interactive strategy like a reside stream or Q&A you can too pay attention to feedback, engagements, and shares on the content material whilst you’re reside.
3. Meet your video audiences the place they’re.
As with every social media technique, some content material will carry out higher on some social media platforms relatively than others.
Whereas snackable, consumer-facing content material would possibly carry out nicely with YouTube, Fb, and TikTok’s massive shopper audiences, a B2B advertising video or a Q&A with a company thought chief would possibly carry out higher on a professional-facing community like LinkedIn.
Fortunately, to create an important advertising technique, you don‘t (and shouldn’t must) place your movies on each single social media platform.
Nevertheless, you need to research the demographics of each major network, determine which audiences would possibly interact most along with your content material, and begin publishing movies the place it makes essentially the most sense on your model and targets.
Then, proceed to keep watch over platforms you have dominated out in case they proceed to evolve and supply your model extra viewers alternatives sooner or later.
4. Do not all the time lean on repurposed content material.
Throughout my early days as a content material creator, I’d usually repurpose content material throughout a number of platforms. That technique was ample for some time, however issues have modified since then.
Right now, it may possibly nonetheless be useful for manufacturers to repurpose some video content material for various platforms once they have comparable audiences and options. This will also be a good way to check whether or not your content material technique for one platform will work with one viewers.
Nevertheless, as a result of figuring out your social media viewers is extra essential than ever, you would possibly need to think about having a barely completely different video technique on your most essential video platforms.
Whereas there shall be occasions the place you may simply repurpose content material to avoid wasting time or bandwidth, some platforms like TikTok and Instagram are evolving with algorithms that might deprioritize your content if it has a watermark from one other community.
5. Embrace influencers and prospects.
Even when you’ve performed your entire analysis and churn out movies every day, it may possibly nonetheless be extremely arduous to put up a viral piece of content material that grows your viewers.
Fortunately, there are consultants on each social media platform who know easy methods to create movies. And, a few of them will even create movies for you — after which share them with their audiences.
That is why one nice growth strategy can contain reaching out to influencers or thought leaders with experience in your business and both that includes them in your movies or getting them to endorse your model of their content material.
If you cannot afford to have an influencer assist enhance your video technique, you can too look in the direction of pleased customers.
With this technique, you may encourage prospects to share a video about their expertise along with your model on social media, or you may create a video stuffed with a number of items of user-generated content material from pleased prospects.
As a result of in the present day’s customers crave authenticity from manufacturers, user-generated content material not solely can offer you free video content material however also can unfold model consciousness to prospects or individuals researching you on social media.
Navigating Social Media Content material
Greater than ever, social media and content material advertising are all the time evolving. As a marketer, it‘s essential to remain updated with the most recent developments and knowledge to raised inform your methods — whether or not you’re investing in video or different ways.
Editor’s be aware: This put up was initially revealed in June 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.