Facebook Now Beats YouTube for Video Viewing, Relevant Ads

It's time to shift those budgets from YouTube to Facebook, a report suggests. According to a study by Slidely, maker of the Promo video creation platform, 47 percent of viewers say they watch more videos on Facebook now while 41 percent watch more on YouTube (only 8 percent say they watch more on Instagram). It looks like Facebook's efforts to become the leading video destination are a huge success.

But people don't simply watch more videos on Facebook now; they also prefer the video ad experience there, as well. While YouTube is known for its easily skipped ads, 71 percent of those surveyed said they find the sponsored videos in their Facebook feed to be relevant or highly relevant to their interests.

"This is fantastic news for marketers because it confirms their paid social budgets are going to good use. Not only are consumers watching sponsored videos, but they're also finding them relevant (which is, of course, critical to successful marketing)," the report says. "For marketers, this also points to the extreme importance of closely targeting the right users. Consumers have come to expect that sponsored social content be perfectly tailored to their lives and their interests."

All that video ad viewing is turning into consumer action, as the report finds 70 percent say they sometimes or very often visit the company's website after watching a video. Also, 60 percent say they sometimes or very often visit the company's social page after watching a video.

The survey looks at the popular Stories format on Facebook and Instagram, and finds viewing high. While 68 percent say they watch Facebook or Instagram Stories either sometimes or all the time, that number zooms up to 81 percent for those under 34.

Slidely surveyed over 500 people around the globe to get its numbers. The survey took place in June and July, and respondents were solicited through an email invitation. For more data, view the full report for free online (no registration required).

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net