Making videos as a means of promoting your brand is, without a doubt, the best way to attract a larger audience. Today, YouTube is the second most visited network on the Internet, whereas TikTok is currently at number five on the charts.
But although both of these platforms allow you to make visual content, is one of them better than the other when it comes to you or your brand? Keep reading so you can ultimately choose the best platform for your specific needs.
What Is Youtube?
YouTube is a social media platform owned by Google. It first launched in 2005 and has garnered over 2 billion monthly users. The platform allows businesses and content creators to upload videos and share them with people all across the globe.
Essentially, users will agree that YouTube is a platform that offers an extensive range of content, including educational videos, news, entertainment, how-to videos, and much more.
Needless to say, this platform has continued to grow over the years. This is mostly thanks to its appeal to a broader audience but also due to its large user base, easy navigation, content volume, and variety.
Additionally, some of the platform’s key statistics clearly show that YouTube is thriving. Most notably:
- In 2021, YouTube generated $28.8 billion in revenue
- More than 2.5 billion people view YouTube content each month
- In 2021, 50 million people subscribed to YouTube Premium
Furthermore, since 2020, the number of channels with over a billion views has substantially increased. Basically, this means that more and more creators have started making money on YouTube.
In fact, plenty of celebrities launched their careers by gaming, vlogging, acting, and singing on this platform. Creators like Liza Coshy, Jake and Logan Paul, H3H3, and many others have managed to turn their channels into million-dollar enterprises.
What Is TikTok?
TikTok is a social networking service that was launched in 2017 by ByteDance. Before changing its name, the platform was called Musical.ly, and instead of the content we see now, it was predominantly a lip-syncing app.
In recent years, TikTok has really upped its game and now offers users and creators a broad selection of sound effects, songs, and video-sharing features. What’s more, anyone can use this platform to create music, comedy skits, dance videos, fashion and get-ready-with-me videos, tutorials, storytimes, and more.
Overall, TikTok can do wonders to showcase your brand and help you engage with a wide audience. And similar to YouTube, the platform has managed to grow over the years thanks to its amazing customization options, the variety and volume of content, and the fact that it allows easy interaction with an audience.
TikTok also has some impressive statistics:
- In 2020, TikTok amassed $500 million in revenue in the US
- TikTok has more than 1 billion active users each month
- Globally, the app has been downloaded more than 3 billion times
And, just like YouTube, TikTok has managed to launch the careers of many creators. Most notably, Mr. Beast is considered to have the fastest-growing account since adding a whopping 36 million followers in 2022.
YouTube and TikTok: Main Features Reviewed
Needless to say, both platforms offer amazing opportunities for content creators and brands alike. Although you can choose to create both a YouTube and TikTok account as a means of attracting viewers, it’s best if you use only one as your main platform. That is, at least until you start racking in views.
It’s important to note that even though YouTube and TikTok have quite a few similarities, there are also differences. Ultimately, getting to know them could help narrow down your choice.
Video Length
YouTube offers creators the opportunity to make longer content, which also means it can be quite in-depth. Unverified users can use the platform to upload 15 minutes of content, whereas verified accounts are granted up to 2 hours.
On the other hand, TikTok currently allows users to upload short videos that run for a maximum of 3 minutes.
Users
Both platforms are impressive when it comes to their user base.However, YouTube has over 2 billion monthly users, whereas TikTok accumulates more than 1 billion.
Type of Content
There’s no limit on either platform when it comes to the variety of content. But, the key difference is that TikTok favors witty or trendy content such as funny videos, challenges, prank videos, etc. On the other hand, YouTube offers an equally abundant blend of both serious and casual content.
Ads
With YouTube for business, you can use different types of formats, such as responsive display ads, video discovery ads, bumper and masthead ads, and skippable or non-skippable in-stream ads.
On the other hand, TikTok for business offers in-feed ads, top-view ads, branded takeovers, hashtags, and effects.
Also worth mentioning, TikTok offers creators a direct-messaging option, while YouTube does not. Basically, direct messaging allows you to connect quickly with other users, share your content, and receive feedback in real time.
Key Demographic
Possibly one of the biggest differences between the two platforms is the key demographic.
YouTube has always had a more diverse audience than other social media platforms, catering to all age groups. These include Baby Boomers, older and younger Millennials, older Gen Zs, and others.
TikTok, on the other hand, is more suited for younger audiences, such as younger Millennials and Gen Zs.
Monetization
Another important distinction between the two platforms is how the creators get paid. Youtube content creators can make their earnings based on shared ad revenue, whereas TikTok creators have more possibilities. The platform takes into account their engagement with an audience, as well as the authenticity, and amount of views on each video.
Summary of the Main Features
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Ultimately, when it comes to choosing a platform, you should consider making a list of pros and cons and comparing YouTube’s and TikTok’s main features.
In the end, you’ll most likely make your final decision based on your key demographic and monetization options, so it’s best to start from there. But the main takeaway is that both YouTube and TikTok offer a plethora of possibilities and will undeniably do wonders to boost your visibility!
