YouTube vs TikTok – which video platform should your brand be focused on?
Both platforms are massive, both have a diverse user base, and both are completely different. If you want to implement a powerful video marketing strategy, then you’ll need to establish where best to focus your time and budget.
In this guide, we’ll cover a few of the main areas of each channel to help you figure out whether TikTok or YouTube is a better fit for your business.
- YouTube vs TikTok: Overview
- Benefits Of YouTube
- Benefits Of TikTok
- YouTube vs TikTok: Ease Of Use
- YouTube vs TikTok: Content Quality
- YouTube vs TikTok: Growing Your Audience
- YouTube vs TikTok: Ads
- YouTube vs TikTok: Managing Content
- YouTube vs TikTok: Which Platform is Best?
YouTube vs TikTok: Overview
Deciding whether your business should focus on YouTube or TikTok can be a tricky decision.
Both video marketing channels require time and focus, and both are very different. How do you know which one will yield the best results for your brand?
Hate to break it to you, but there’s no clear answer to this. Neither one is ‘better”, they’re just different…
If you have to choose one platform to focus on, this should depend on:
- Your video content goals
- Who your audience is
- What your brand does
- What you’re good at
While you don’t want to waste your time focused on the wrong channel, there’s one important thing to remember:
Both YouTube and TikTok have a massive amount of highly engaged users. These users also span all demographics. This means you could find your target audience on both platforms. The most important thing is that you create high-quality content. As long as your content is great, you will see better success on the platform you choose.
With that being said, there are specific advantages and disadvantages of each platform.
You need to align your channel with your content marketing plan and goals. So, that means knowing where the best place to share videos is.
Let’s get into it!
About YouTube
We all know about YouTube. It’s a platform with over 122 million active users each day, watching over a billion hours of content each day. In other words, YouTube is massive, and it presents massive opportunities for any brand.
Compared to TikTok, YouTube content is longer, more permanent, and more ‘official’. While TikTok videos are only relevant for a very short period of time, you could gain views from a single YouTube video for many years to come.
YouTube videos are also more versatile. TikTok videos are designed for being short, fun, and snappy. YouTube, on the other hand, can accommodate all kinds of content. From serious documentaries to funny clips, cooking shows, music videos, product videos, or more – it will all work on YouTube.
If your brand wants to make evergreen video content, then YouTube is the place. YouTube is also more suitable for any lengthy videos that require more in-depth focus or longer lengths.
Read our guide for more tips about creating a YouTube marketing strategy.
About TikTok
TikTok is a unique social media platform. It’s also incredibly popular, with over 1 billion users.
While TikTok used to be reserved for a younger generation only, it’s now used by people of all ages and demographics. This means your target audience is almost certainly on TikTok. You can create content on this platform to reach the whole world!
In terms of video content, TikTok videos are very short and snappy. They generally only last a few seconds or about a minute. The main focus of TikTok is to create fun, often silly, entertaining content.
Compared to other video-sharing platforms, TikTok runs at the fastest pace. Videos are usually focused on viral trends. After posting a video, you also can’t expect it to continue gathering views weeks after it has been published.
While YouTube offers more longevity, TikTok is more about instant entertainment.
TikTok is also a place to engage with other TikTok users, be sociable, and show off your fun side and personality.
Read our guide for more information on how to create a TikTok marketing strategy.
Benefits of YouTube
YouTube is the biggest video-sharing site, so naturally, it has many advantages. Here are some of the main benefits of using YouTube to grow your brand.
Videos Are Longer
YouTube videos can be much longer. Verified users can post videos with a maximum length of 12 hours. This means, your brand has a lot more room to dive into topics.
YouTube is More Versatile
You can post educational content, YouTube shorts, funny videos, vlogs, product videos, and just about anything else on YouTube. TikTok, with its shorter videos and focus on entertainment, is a lot more limited to what kind of content you can create.
YouTube is More Evergreen
YouTube is basically a video search engine. After publishing a video, you can expect it to continue to rack up views for a long time to come. TikTok videos move much faster, and they soon become irrelevant.
YouTube Can Help With SEO
YouTube videos show up in Google search results. This means you can optimize your videos around specific keywords, and use them to drive traffic to your site. This is not the case with TikTok.
People Are More Familiar With YouTube
Even though TikTok is so popular, the wider population is still more comfortable with using YouTube. You can send anyone a YouTube video and they will know exactly what to do with it. Send them a TikTok, and they may be confused. This means YouTube has a larger and more diverse audience.
Benefits of TikTok
Although TikTok is not as established as YouTube, it’s still an excellent video platform to grow your brand with. Here are some of the main benefits of using TikTok for your business.
It’s Easier
You just need a smartphone camera and you can start creating TikTok videos. This means anyone, regardless of video experience and knowledge, can use TikTok to gain a following. It’s a lot easier to get started with.
TikTok is More Casual
When comparing TikTok vs YouTube, one of the biggest problems that people have is a fear that they need to create high-quality videos for YouTube. TikTok, on the other hand, is the most casual video-sharing platform. Your videos don’t have to be high-quality. They just need to be fun and authentic.
This makes it easier to experiment on TikTok, have fun with it, and not invest too much time or money into production.
TikTok is Less Of a Commitment
If you create a 20-minute YouTube video, your audience needs to set aside time for this. However, 10-second TikTok clips don’t require the same attention. This means your TikTok video could be consumed by people while they’re at work, on the bus, cooking dinner, or more.
TikTok is Cheaper
As long as you have a smartphone, you’re good to go with TikTok. You can upload videos to this platform with a lot less effort. No need to invest in an expensive camera, a microphone, lighting, or editing software.
TikTok is More Personal
TikTok is all about creating an authentic engagement with your following. Unlike YouTube, TikTok videos generally reveal more of your personality.
You don’t need to follow a strict script and meticulously edit your video. You can just be natural in a more fun and relaxed way. If your business wants to show off its personality or fun side, then TikTok is the place to do it.
YouTube vs TikTok: Ease Of Use
Developing a video marketing strategy requires a significant amount of time and energy. Let’s compare YouTube vs TikTok in terms of what it takes to get started.
TikTok
TikTok is the clear winner in terms of getting started. Making TikTok videos is quick, easy, and super affordable (free).
You don’t need any major filming or video editing skills to create amazing TikTok content. You can just film with your phone, use the app’s easy editing tools, and create videos in no time.
TikTok has been specifically designed as an easy-to-use social media platform. Getting started with TikTok will also require zero monetary investment from your business.
YouTube
The production quality of YouTube videos is a lot greater. YouTube channels put a great deal of focus into creating high-quality videos. This includes using a high-quality camera, recording great audio, and editing like a pro.
If you don’t have any video skills, then it may take some time and learning to get comfortable creating YouTube videos. It will also require you to purchase a decent camera at the least.
In terms of time, expertise, and money, a YouTube channel will require a lot more to get started.
YouTube vs TikTok: Content Quality
What does quality look like on each video-sharing platform? Let’s break it down.
TikTok
Because TikTok videos are more casual and easy to make, it also means they generally have a lower video quality. This is both a good and a bad thing.
On the good side, creating TikTok videos is less intimidating and a lot easier. On the bad side, lower video quality makes it harder to take your video content seriously.
This isn’t to say that you can’t create high-quality TikTok videos, but the TikTok algorithm prefers these kinds of simple videos.
If you want high-quality videos to display your products or build authority, then TikTok probably isn’t the place to do it.
YouTube
YouTube is all about high-quality videos. As a video-sharing platform, it’s the best place to focus on production quality and solid editing.
If you want to present yourself as an expert and create highly engaging, quality content, then YouTube is the place. This makes it a great place to show off your products, your services, and present your brand in a more professional way.
YouTube vs TikTok: Growing Your Audience
Once your profile is up and running you’ll need to build an audience. Let’s compare this across each platform.
TikTok
One of the best things about TikTok compared to other social media sites is how much easier it is to go viral. TikTok has been designed to boost relevant content to large audiences. This happens by appearing on the For You page.
Even if you have zero followers, you can end up on this page by creating the right content. This means it’s not uncommon for TikTok creators to rack up millions of views on videos and reach loads of people while their profiles are still young.
Check out our guide on how the TikTok algorithm works for more information on this.
YouTube
Compared to TikTok, it’s a little bit more challenging to blow up on YouTube.
The site is incredibly competitive, and earning a viral video is more of a rarity. However, the YouTube algorithm still does expose new content. If your video gets picked up, it could have a much greater impact.
This is because YouTube users are generally a lot more engaged with the channels they subscribe to. It’s easy to miss a TikTok video, but you can get recommended videos on YouTube for weeks, months, or years after they have been published.
If you have 1 million subscribers on TikTok, you won’t necessarily get 1 million views on each video. However, this is more likely on YouTube.
Check out our guide on how to grow your YouTube channel for more tips and strategies.
YouTube vs TikTok: Ads
Both platforms offer paid advertising options. Let’s explore these.
TikTok
TikTok ads are a great way to target specific users and grow your channel. These ads feel like natural content on the app. There are also quite a few different ad formats that you can choose from.
If you have established that your target audience exists on TikTok, then running ads on this platform can be worthwhile.
Follow our complete guide to using TikTok ads for more insights.
YouTube
YouTube ads are great. If your brand wants to incorporate video ads into its paid ad strategy, then YouTube ads are often the best way forward.
You can be very specific about YouTube ads, and make them highly targeted. As YouTube has a wider audience, running ads on the platform is generally more suitable for most kinds of brands.
70% of people have bought a product after seeing it in a YouTube ad, so you know these ads are effective.
Follow our complete guide to setting up a YouTube ads campaign for more insights.
TikTok vs YouTube: Managing Content
Video marketing can be quite a big commitment for brands. One of the most important things about any video marketing strategy is that you post consistently
Let’s compare managing content on both platforms.
TikTok
TikTok videos are a lot easier and less demanding to make. However, if you want to crush it on TikTok, you should be posting once a day, or at least three times per week.
This means you’ll need to be spending a lot of time each day on TikTok. And because it’s a social media platform, you’ll also need to spend more time engaging with other accounts.
Here is the best time to post on TikTok.
YouTube
Because YouTube involves longer videos with a higher production value, it’s expected that these videos are spaced out longer. This could be once a week, once a month, or more.
Although you’ll spend more time creating videos, YouTube is often a less demanding platform to manage. Once your content is uploaded, it can rack up views as you sleep. TikTok, on the other hand, requires more work and engagement to keep your account active and popular.
YouTube vs TikTok: Which Platform is Best?
Both social media platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. So, which is best to focus on?
Unfortunately, we have no answer to this question other than “it depends”.
The best platform for your brand depends on where you can create the most value for your audience. So, choosing between TikTok and YouTube is all about understanding your audience, what their content consumption habits are, and what you want to achieve with your content.
If you just want to create fun short videos and build brand awareness, then TikTok is probably a better place. If you want to create informative evergreen videos, then YouTube is a better place.
The bottom line is that both platforms involve unique video content and unique audience habits. Ideally, you could use both platforms, and optimize your content for each. You could even repurpose your YouTube Shorts into TikTok videos, and the other way around.
So, start a YouTube channel or start a TikTok account. What matters most is that you focus on adding value to your content and that you engage with your audience in a way that they like best.
Conclusion
We can’t say that either channel is best. Instead, each channel is different and deserves a unique strategy. As long as you understand how audiences behave on each channel and optimize your content for this, you should be able to achieve great results.
For more information on using YouTube and TikTok to market your business, take a look at some of our related guides below.
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