The Finest Social Media Platforms for Video Content material in 2024 [Consumer Data]

Each time 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 shoppers are watching them, and different essential findings.

The place are shoppers watching social media movies?

YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are among the many social media platforms with the very best ROI, in keeping with our 2024 State of Advertising and marketing Report. So, it‘s protected to say that’s the place shoppers watch social media movies.

In truth, our most up-to-date Video Advertising and marketing Report reveals Instagram is the highest social media platform for ROI, engagement, and lead era for sharing advertising movies.

Behind Instagram is YouTube relating to ROI and lead era.

After all, I can‘t miss TikTok, contemplating it’s the app I discover myself scrolling by way of 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 era, and engagement.

13 Finest 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 response to Neilsen, YouTube topped the listing for streaming time for 17 consecutive months in July.

So, in case you‘re questioning if the platform generally is a welcome addition to your video advertising or social media technique—the numbers recommend that’s the correct transfer!

What I like most about YouTube is how the platform can host numerous codecs of movies, equivalent to stay streaming, short-form movies, and long-form movies.

You too can make the most of YouTube’s Group tab to talk to have interaction together with your viewers in between video uploads.

Different key options and advantages embrace:

• AI-generated transcriptions and captions
• Easy privateness settings
• Choice to pay to advertise your movies on YouTube and Google
• The flexibility to curate your movies into playlists
• Knowledge analytics and administration instruments by way of YouTube Studio
• Monetization choices by way of the YouTube Associate Program
• Sturdy audio library

2. TikTok

TikTok is a superb platform for attracting a Gen Z viewers.

Our 2024 Client Developments Report reveals that 48% of Gen Z shoppers desire 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:

• Reside stream buying capabilities
• A number of monetization alternatives, together with the flexibility for viewers to ship presents
• Hashtags for boosts in engagement and group constructing
• Promoting choices for enterprise accounts
• Continuously rising library of trending songs and sounds

3. Instagram

Instagram can be common amongst Gen Z, with 72% reporting to have used the app within the final three months. It is a fantastic platform for selling merchandise and promoting them in-app.

Listed here are a number of the greatest options:

• E-commerce capabilities by way of Instagram storefronts
• Reside stream capabilities
• Shoppable tales

4. Fb

Fb is thought to be extra common amongst millennials and Gen X, however our Client Developments Report reveals it nonetheless has loyal customers. Our report reveals that 42% of shoppers contemplate the app their favourite.

Options embrace:

• Fb Reside
• Fb Tales
• Paid Video Adverts
• Group pages to attach together with your viewers

5. Snapchat

I used to be a junior in highschool when Snapchat launched, and I keep in mind it being extraordinarily common amongst faculty college students just a few years later.

The app remains to be going sturdy amongst youthful shoppers at the moment, with 57% of Gen Z shoppers saying they’ve used the app within the final three months.

It additionally stays fairly common amongst Millennials, with greater than a 3rd (37%) additionally reporting utilizing it inside the previous few months.

Advertising and marketing on Snapchat may be tough for the reason that app‘s fundamental draw is that customers can ship one another movies and pictures that disappear after 24 hours. It’s extra common for interpersonal communication.

Nevertheless, entrepreneurs can nonetheless leverage the app thanks to numerous options like Snap Adverts, Story Adverts, and Collections Adverts.

6. Twitch

Twitch is a stay streaming platform particularly common amongst players; nonetheless, you don‘t have to be within the gaming business to leverage it.

Manufacturers like Wendy’s and Previous 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
• Reside feedback
• Channel analytics

7. X (previously Twitter)

X is usually thought to be a micro-blogging platform, nevertheless 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 just lately found the completely different potentialities relating to video on Linkedin, and I used to be pleasantly stunned. Customers can add as much as 10 minutes of native video on the platform, stream for as much as 4 hours, and submit video adverts which might be 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 submit. In only a week, that submit garnered greater than 1,700 views and reached extra 1,200 folks.

It is value noting that I solely have about 600 folks in my LinkedIn community.

9. Pinterest

Pinterest’s video capabilities are particularly useful for retail manufacturers seeking to attain shoppers searching for inspiration. Pinterest is a social media platform that permits customers to create digital imaginative and prescient boards for inspiration relating to fashion, artwork, recipes, and extra. 

For instance, Fenty Magnificence makes use of its Pinterest board to submit movies displaying 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 related pursuits
• Personalised assortment adverts permit a number of pictures that may embrace one video and three supporting pictures 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 may be as much as quarter-hour lengthy, I recommend holding them not than 30 seconds to a minute. 

11. Discord 

Manufacturers leveraging Discord sometimes use the platform for group advertising. That is achieved by creating a chosen area (server) that serves as a central hub for interactions between the model and its shoppers and segmenting shoppers into completely different channels that enchantment to their pursuits. 

So, the place does video are available in? Effectively, 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 stay video calls and streams. 

12. Telegram

Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app that lets viewers ship messages, movies, pictures, and information to one another. Customers also can make voice and video calls. 

Telegram generally is 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 commonly 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 submit movies that may solely be seen by followers or chosen accounts, which may 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 every single 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 mates usually watch movies in between conferences or whereas ready for an appointment.

These brief durations of time do not depart a lot room for shoppers to look at long-form movies, so many entrepreneurs recommend specializing in creating short-form, or “snackable,” video content material.

“Utilizing snackable movies on social can really drive extra engagement than static pictures,” says Meisha Bochicchio, Content material Advertising and marketing Supervisor at Wistia.

In the case of creating efficient snackable content material, Bochicchio says, “First issues first, take into account that most social media platforms will robotically begin taking part in video content material as viewers scroll.

So, be sure that your movies are autoplay-friendly. Maintain them brief and put your key messaging within the first few seconds.”

“Do not forget that most individuals gained’t hear your audio, so be sure that your movies are additionally silent-friendly, ”Bochicchio advises. “Think about textual content overlays, or add captions straight on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Fb.”

To study extra about this technique, take a look at this submit on snackable content material, or this submit that highlights the newest short-form video developments.

And if you wish to make snackable content material by yourself, our AI-powered Clip Creator instrument can convert textual content into skilled movies for your online business with just some clicks.

2. Take a look at completely different video codecs, too.

Whereas short-form video content material is a good tactic to harness, you’ll be able to nonetheless publish longer movies so long as they’re participating and precious to your viewers.

For instance, whereas folks may not wish to watch a two-hour business, they may watch an extended stay video Q&A, an interview with a thought chief, or a video that tells an extended however entertaining story.

When you can definitely check longer-form movies, you may also check out different codecs, equivalent to stay streams, interactive movies, and buying movies, on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Fb.

It is value noting that 46% of Gen Z shoppers within the U.S. have participated in stay buying occasions, and 47% have bought from a stay stream.

As new video codecs emerge, it may be useful to find out if they could work in your model and design a check round them.

Ensure you establish and observe the correct success metrics. For instance, in case you‘re testing an extended video, take a look at its views and dropoff charge to see how lengthy viewers keep tuned.

In the meantime, in case you strive a extra interactive method like a stay stream or Q&A you may also pay attention to feedback, engagements, and shares on the content material whilst you’re stay.

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 somewhat than others.

Whereas snackable, consumer-facing content material would possibly carry out nicely with YouTube, Fb, and TikTok’s massive client 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 a fantastic advertising technique, you don‘t (and shouldn’t need to) place your movies on each single social media platform.

Nevertheless, it is best to analysis the demographics of every main community, establish which audiences would possibly have interaction most together with your content material, and begin publishing movies the place it makes essentially the most sense in your model and targets.

Then, proceed to control platforms you’ve got dominated out in case they proceed to evolve and supply your model extra viewers alternatives sooner or later.

4. Do not at all times lean on repurposed content material.

Throughout my early days as a content material creator, I might usually repurpose content material throughout a number of platforms. That technique was enough for some time, however issues have modified since then.

At the moment, it may well nonetheless be helpful for manufacturers to repurpose some video content material for various platforms once they have related audiences and options. This can 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 understanding your social media viewers is extra essential than ever, you would possibly wish to contemplate having a barely completely different video technique in your most essential video platforms.

Whereas there shall be instances the place you’ll be able to 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 material if it has a watermark from one other community.

5. Embrace influencers and prospects.

Even in case you’ve achieved all your analysis and churn out movies every day, it may well nonetheless be extremely laborious to submit a viral piece of content material that grows your viewers.

Fortunately, there are specialists on each social media platform who know tips on how 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 development technique 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 may also look in the direction of pleased shoppers.

With this technique, you’ll be able to encourage prospects to share a video about their expertise together with your model on social media, or you’ll be able to create a video crammed with a number of items of user-generated content material from pleased prospects.

As a result of at the moment’s shoppers crave authenticity from manufacturers, user-generated content material not solely can give you free video content material however also can unfold model consciousness to prospects or folks researching you on social media.

Navigating Social Media Content material

Greater than ever, social media and content material advertising are at all times evolving. As a marketer, it‘s essential to remain updated with the newest developments and knowledge to raised inform your methods — whether or not you’re investing in video or different ways.

Editor’s notice: This submit was initially printed in June 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.