Videos are the most consumed type of media in the online world today. As such, they become a necessary marketing strategy among social media platforms. According to a social media agency Hong Kong, the top 3 social media platforms for video marketing are Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. For now, let us compare Facebook video ads vs. YouTube video ads.
WHAT ARE FACEBOOK VIDEO ADS?
Facebook Video Ads let businesses show off a brand, product, or service using a video clip. They can be created via Facebook Ads Manager. Alternatively, businesses can also boost a video post on their Facebook Page using the same tool. These ads appear in multiple placements – news feeds, in-stream, and stories. Users can create Facebook Video Ads under the following objectives:
- App installs
- Brand awareness
- Catalog sales
- Conversions
- Engagement
- Lead generation
- Messages
- Reach
- Store traffic
- Traffic
- Video views
The aspect ratio supported by Facebook Video Ads is 1:1, 1.91:1, 4:5, and 16:9, while the length of video ads allowed by Facebook are:
- 5 seconds to 10 minutes for in-stream videos
- 1 to 15 seconds for Facebook Stories
- 240 minutes max for Facebook news feeds, instant articles, and marketplace
But a video marketing agency Hong Kong has noted that the most effective Facebook Video Ads are short and sweet. Having them in less than 15 seconds appeals more to Facebook viewers who have a shorter attention span. There are some cases when businesses use a 360 video with special objectives. This type of Facebook video ad is one that viewers can drag to move around and explore different angles within the video.
WHAT ARE YOUTUBE VIDEO ADS?
YouTube Video Ads help brands and businesses connect to their audiences and monetize their content. They can be created via the YouTube Studio. These ads appear on YouTube’s channel pages, homepage, regular videos, and search results. They can also appear on apps and websites. Of Google video partners. YouTube Video Ads come in several formats:
- Bumper Video ads are short, non-skippable videos up to 6 seconds long. They commonly follow skippable and non-skippable video ads.
- Non-Skippable Video Ads must be watched before any YouTube video can be viewed. They are commonly 15 to 20 seconds long.
- Outstream Video Ads appear on Google video partner apps and websites. They can help increase brand awareness by extending your reach beyond YouTube.
- Overlay Video Ads are images or text that appear on the lower 20% portion of a video. They are either 468 x 60 or 728 x 90 pixels in size.
- Skippable Video Ads allow viewers to skip the ad within 5 seconds.
All YouTube Video Ads can be viewed on desktop, game consoles, mobile devices, and smart TVs except for outstream and overlay video ads. Outstream video ads are only available on mobile and tablets, while overlay video ads can only be seen on desktop. They are commonly placed on YouTube watch feeds either at the beginning, mid-roll, or end of a regular video that is more than 5 minutes long. There are 5 main goals that YouTube Video Ads support. These are:
- Brand Awareness and Reach
- Leads
- Product and Brand Consideration
- Sales
- Website Traffic
The aspect ratio supported by YouTube Video Ads is 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9. While the length of video ads allowed by YouTube are:
- 6 seconds max for bumper video ads
- 15 to 20 seconds for non-skippable video ads
- 12 seconds to 6 minutes for skippable video ads
Around 1 billion people visited YouTube every single month.
FACEBOOK VIDEO ADS VS. YOUTUBE VIDEO ADS
Facebook Video Ads are positioned at the checkpoints or in the middle of regular Facebook videos. No matter what, a user who wants to view regular Facebook videos may need to see some Facebook Video ads. They can also be inserted in a user’s timeline playing as soon as a user scrolls them. This is a tactic to ensure that Facebook Video Ads are seen even for a short amount of time. Facebook Video Ads are very intuitive and well-targeted. With large demographic data available on the platform, these ads can be aimed at people who are more likely to view them. They can even target potential clients based on the buyer persona chosen by a business. Studies showed that Facebook Video Ads, like regular Facebook videos, are commonly watched with the sound off.
YouTube Video Ads are more likely watched with the sound on. Putting a music piece or narration appeals more to YouTube viewers. But one downside of YouTube Video Ads is its targeting features. YouTube does not gather the personal information of their users making their ads less effective when it comes to segmented targeting.
The major differences between Facebook Video Ads and YouTube Ads come down to their costs and their targeting abilities.
Facebook offers three video ad buying options. These are:
- 2 second: shown to those who watch two seconds or more of a video
- 10 second: shown to those who watch 10 seconds or more of a video
- ThruPlay: shown to those who watch the full ad if it’s less than 15 seconds long
Each buying option is different but typically, if your Facebook Video Ads have been viewed for 3 seconds or longer, it is already counted as a paid view.
YouTube offers two video ad buying options. These are:
- In-stream video ads play before or during a video and allow the user the option to opt-out after the first 5 seconds.
- In-display video ads are located outside of the video you are watching and are only played if the user clicks on them
In-stream ads are considered a paid view when someone watches them after 5 seconds. While in-display video ads are paid ads as long as someone clicks them.
YouTube Video Ads are commonly cheaper than Facebook Video Ads. The average cost of Facebook video campaigns cost around $0.15 to $0.50 per click. While the average cost of YouTube video campaigns cost around $0.010 – $0.030 per click. But when it comes to conversion rate, Facebook Video Ads are higher. Their average conversion rate is 1.55% while YouTube Video Ads’ conversion rate is only 1.44%.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong considers both Facebook Video Ads and YouTube Video Ads are great marketing strategies. Even though Facebook has a higher conversion rate than YouTube, the cheaper cost per click on the latter balances the comparison. Besides, modern consumers go online on different platforms today. So, advertising both on Facebook and YouTube makes sense.
Reference: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/blog/facebook-ads-vs-youtube-ads/