Videos have a certain charm. This media has the power to captivate audiences if it is produced and marketed well. However, the nature of short-form video makes it susceptible to going viral. TikTok and YouTube are two of the most popular video sharing websites on the internet, each fighting for the attention of their users.
It’s no surprise that YouTube has become as ingrained in our digital psyches as Google and Facebook, as the site is the second most popular social networking platform and search engine in the world.
1 The noise level surrounding TikTok, however, has reached deafening proportions in recent years and cannot be ignored.
Some companies may choose to combine the two approaches. But, before deciding where to focus their time and money on video marketing, businesses need to familiarise themselves with each platform.
Brands can use this guide to the TikTok vs. YouTube argument to get the information they need to make a well-informed choice.
Taking into account the demographics of the intended audience is essential
TikTok has a huge fanbase, but YouTube is still the most-visited video-sharing website overall. New estimates put the number of monthly active users of the video sharing site at 2.2 billion, making it more popular than TikTok by a factor of 2.
To rephrase, there is a substantial possibility that a specific demographic visits YouTube regularly. When determining where to focus the bulk of a company’s efforts, it’s important to consider the specific demographics of each video-sharing platform’s user base.
Viewers on YouTube
Throw out the idea that millennials and Gen Zers don’t use YouTube because all the popular kids are on TikTok. The massive user base of YouTube includes people of all ages. These people make up the bulk of YouTube’s regular visitors:
- Predominantly (18-25)
- 71% – 26-35 years
- 67% – 36-45 years
- 66% – 46-55 years
- 58% – 56+ years
In addition, there is almost no difference in sex between male and female visitors: YouTube has a predominantly male user base (53%) and a female user base (46%).
People who use TikTok
If you were to ask a teenager what they were doing with their phone, nine times out of ten they wouldn’t look up from their device to tell you, but you could bet it was TikTok. There’s truth to the cliche: about half of millennials and Gen Zers are obsessed with the most downloaded app in the world. 4 Specifically:
- Sixty-two percent of TikTok’s user base consists of young adults (10–29).
- The average age of a TikTok user is just 17.
- Females make up 57% of TikTok’s user base, while men account for 43%.
- Exactly what is it about TikTok that captures the imagination of young people? Distinctiveness, in a word.
When used properly, TikTok may serve as a robust digital studio for artists of all stripes. In this context, the raw, unpolished short videos made by a diverse spectrum of people appeal to our want for fellowship and genuine expression.
This area is likewise extremely varied. A recipe and how-to guide are just as accessible to site visitors as a wacky dance sequence. Also, the highest age group of donors is between 18 and 24.
Engagement
TikTok and YouTube are two of the most popular video-sharing platforms, and before committing to one or the other, marketers can evaluate one of the most crucial characteristics of each. Even though YouTube has more than twice as many subscribers as TikTok, engagement plays a role in how effective commercial videos are.
Broadband Search reports that YouTubers only spend 19 minutes per day on the site, while TikTok users spend an average of 32 minutes.
5 As a result, 37% of advertisers said they planned to increase their TikTok spending. 6 While the number of TikTok users is smaller, the average user spends more time on the platform.
Evaluation of imaginative material
YouTube is the standard for watching extended video content.
You can find everything on YouTube, from 75-minute vinyasa lessons to two-hour analyses of a topic. Not to mention the brand new feature of shorter videos on YouTube. And this is the way to go if including long-format videos in a brand’s marketing strategy.
Classify various forms of advertising
TikTok and YouTube aren’t only platforms to promote a company’s culture, products, and services through influencer marketing and video content. They are also a logical place for advertisements. Here is a comparison between the two for brands thinking about releasing a video ad:
Using TikTok in the Workplace
The business-oriented TikTok was introduced in 2021 with the aim of assisting companies in promoting their products. TikTok advertising can be used in a variety of ways by marketers:
- Ads on TopView
- Ads that appear in feeds
- Invasion of competing brands
- Sponsored hashtags
- Effects on Brands
TikTok’s advertising model is based on a CPM (cost per thousand) basis. Ads on TikTok begin at just $10 CPM, so they can be quite affordable for startups. (Brands always have the option of teaming up with a top TikTok agency to properly analyse where they should begin with TikTok for Business.)
Learning how to use TikTok for business purposes can be quite easy and yield excellent results for one’s advertising campaign.
Commercial Use of YouTube
Because YouTube gives companies a lot of leeway, advertising on the platform is rather typical practise for those in the field. For instance, they may choose to place a short, 6-second ad at the beginning of a film, or a longer, more involved commercial in the middle of a video.
Final Thoughts on TikTok vs. YouTube
For advertisers, YouTube’s vast user base is a veritable gold mine. Brands have a lot of room to manoeuvre in the long-form style it enables. Marketers that want to demonstrate their knowledge will find it particularly useful, as focused searches will get their content to the eyes of the right people. It is also widely utilised across age groups and sex types.