Twitter Vs. Facebook Vs. YouTube: A Video Marketer's Comparison

What works on one social video platform doesn't necessarily work on another. Why? Because their audiences are different.

The video cloud services company Brightcove has created a report on the science of social video, and it offers useful comparisons between the top three platforms. Here's what makes them different:

Twitter

• Audience is slightly more male


• Audience is young, with 18 to 29 the biggest group


• The maximum video length is 140 seconds, but don't expect the audience to sit through more than a 30-second ad.


• Video campaigns that promote a product or educate viewers do well here.


• Native video performs better than third-party players

Facebook

• Audience is slightly more female


• Audience is young, although it's the preferred social network of older users


• The ideal ad length is 15 seconds


• Content that feels personal does well here. Use emotion and give a sense of community.


• Facebook video reaches a high number of fans.

YouTube

• The most global of all the platforms


• Older millennials (24 to 34) dominate here


• Videos with the best engagement are between 16 seconds and 2 minutes long.


• Instructional videos do well here, as do long-form videos organized in playlists.


• The audience is especially mobile, with over half of views on mobile devices.

"Brands, currently, have six whole hours a week to engage with consumers via social video," the report notes. "Brands need to do more to ensure their videos stand out from the crowd. They need to deliver what consumers want through careful targeting, a tailored approach to each social network, and by paying attention to their audience's ongoing preferences so they can monitor and adapt the video content they serve."

By understanding what works on each platform, brands can do just that. Sure, it's easier to post the same creative to each network, but brands that want results need to tailor their efforts.

For more advice on succeeding on any platform, download "Turning Views Into Value" for free (registration required).

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net