Video Plug-in: Facebook versus YouTube

By Tyler Lees

In the ever-changing social media landscape, quality content is everything. However, where and how that content reaches its intended viewer is equally important. Online videos are watched by 78 percent of people every week; 55% every day, according to HighQ. What platforms people use to watch these videos is just as important as watching the video itself, especially in the ever-changing and competitive world of ad revenue. To look at the impact and reach of monetized video content, we look at two big social media giants — YouTube and Facebook.

For the past 20 years, the social media giant owned by Google, used to be the #1 digital home for video, amassing more than 1 billion users and expanding groups of creators with a large following at its peak. The company was on upswing with great pay incentives and collaborative opportunities for its creators. However, this situation changed quickly.

In 2014, Facebook expanded its reach and allowed users to share content like never before. How did they do it? Through video uploading. Users started to upload videos directly to Facebook from your phone, instead of driving users to YouTube to watch their favorite home clips. What followed within Facebooks’ billions of users was Facebook Watch.

Facebook Watch is not a cable replacement service. It does not include live television and is geared toward the ever-growing field of user-generated content. The service includes a mixture of professionally-produced content that Facebook pays to have produced and user-produced content. This strongly resembles YouTube Premium, which includes regular user-produced content and exclusive content. The only difference, however, is that Facebook Watch is free.

Now that you know a bit of the history behind this Facebook and YouTube rivalry, which one produces the better reach for your content? The answer isn’t so black and white. It all depends on your audience. If you are looking for an audience suited for longer videos, you may want to go to or stick with YouTube. Data supports that the average attention span on YouTube is three minutes. If you’re looking to target a specific audience with your video, Facebook gives almost instant access. For global reach, again, YouTube is your winner. For a more interactive environment in terms of shares and comments, choose Facebook.

In the final analysis, users must consider their audience and how best to reach that audience. Both platforms deliver. Of course, if you want it all, tailor the content accordingly and use both.

Tyler Lees is a rising senior public relations senior at Texas State University.