The most common mistake companies are doing when it comes to digital video marketing is making the same video content and video marketing strategy for Facebook and YouTube.
Facebook is not competing with YouTube on videos/ video marketing but in fact complementing it. We have had some learnings at Stagephod.com regarding digital video marketing and I’m sharing the same.
The first question that comes to my mind is – which one is better for video marketing – YouTube or Facebook?
So let’s first observe user behavior on YouTube vs Facebook.
When a person opens YouTube, he/ she is mentally prepared to watch a video content so he/she puts on the earphone, is generally in a suitable place and has some time (10 – 15 min) to consume content. When someone logs in on Facebook, he is not mentally prepared to watch video content but then a video with click-bait headline/ thumbnail/ description catches his attention or he sees many of his friends are sharing the same content piece. He clicks on it out of temptation/curiosity but is now caught off guard. He might not have earphones handy or he might not be at a place where he can switch on his speakers and he might not have that much time to consume a lengthier video. So what does he do – he might save it for future viewing or might decide to watch it anyway.
So couple of facts:
– Majority (around 70%) of videos on Facebook are seen without sound
– Video Duration matters more for Facebook than YouTube
What is YouTube? (from content marketer’s POV)
YouTube is a platform for regular content creators to create a channel and publish their own/original work. So what Google wants you to do is create good original content regularly, gain subscribers organically, build your channel and do video marketing.
What are the ways a YouTube video can be seen/ viewed
– If someone makes a search (Google’s DNA) – Same SEO concept applicable
– If you have a good subscriber base (Unlike FB, everyone gets a notification)
– Influencer Marketing – Influencers/Celebrities with good no. of followers share it in their network
– Paid Promotion on Youtube and other platforms
Why YouTube is not ‘branded content’ friendly
– Not finding place in search results – People are not aware of your company/ product/ service/ segment/ industry hence related keywords. Also, people search for entertaining stuff and like to watch them (porn, movie trailers, songs, TV shows, web shows, DIY videos, sports videos, Educational videos, almost is same order) and not your branded content. Even if you do a good SEO, someone will not watch your explainer video voluntarily unless he is specifically looking for it.
– You can not buy subscribers or accelerate the process
– As a startup/ small business, creating good original content regularly is not practically possible. It costs tons of money and building subscriber base should not be your immediate motive.
– Influencer marketing and paid promotion are only alternatives for quick results but with no clear and defined ROI
– To make a ‘youtube’ video viral, you need Facebook only!
Same video – 11 Unusual beaches on earth
Facebook – 55 million views
YouTube – 21k views
How has Facebook positioned itself differently and better for branded content?
Facebook identified this gap and made its platform branded content friendly. Facebook’s DNA is sharing/ virality and not search. Facebook videos are like snacks and not a full meal. Shelf life of a video on FB is 2-3 days and then it’s gone, you can not search it (unless someone specifically visits video section of your page) but this time window is also enough if you promote it effectively. Facebook gives you an option to buy page likes, video promotion cost effectively, etc but if you keep few basic tips in mind, you might not need paid promotion of your branded content.
Concluding Gyan
So what Facebook is saying is if you are TVF, AIB, etc and can create quality content consistently for 3+ years, go to YouTube but if you are a company/ startup/ brand who wants to sell your product or acquire users through a video, come to me. Google itself heavily promoted its Google App video ads on Facebook 🙂 🙂
Having said that, YouTube is not completely useless. It has long term advantages. What I would suggest is that you should put your explainer video, corporate video, marketing videos and ad films on YouTube. For Facebook, you should have a well-defined digital video marketing strategy – create simple, easy to make and cost effective videos regularly.
Hope it is useful. Let me know your comments/ feedback.
Twitter – @stagephod
