By now, there’s no doubt that Facebook is a major player in the online video world.
Every day, Facebook users watch more than a billion clips on the social network. There’s evidence that Facebook is closing in on YouTube as the No. 1 place for marketers to post their videos. In October, comScore reported that on desktop, Facebook has surpassed Google’s platform in monthly video views.
Today, Facebook added a bit more evidence, reporting a 75% increase since last year in the number of videos being uploaded on its network. That figure is higher in the United States (94%), likely driven by the viral heat of the Ice Bucket Challenge last summer.
Raw numbers weren’t forthcoming — Facebook released the percentages in a blog post intended to coach video creators in how to make their videos stand out — but it’s clear that Facebook’s video-favoring adjustments to the News Feed are working. It said that the amount of video in users’ feeds has increased 360% globally and that more than 50% of daily users of the network watch at least one video daily. Further, Facebook said, 76% of users in the U.S. say they “tend to discover the videos they watch on Facebook.”
So what does Facebook suggest video creators do to maximize reach for videos on the network? From the blog post:
As a creator, you should be conscious that people will discover your video in News Feed next to a photo from a friend or a status update from a relative. Your video needs to fit in, and it needs to be something that your audience will want to watch and share. With the launch of auto-play and the surge in mobile use, it’s also important to focus on posting videos that grab people from the first frame of video. Shorter, timely video content tends to do well in News Feed. Keep in mind that auto-play videos play silently in News Feed until someone taps to hear sound, so videos that catch people’s attention even without sound often find success.
As examples, Facebook pointed to efforts by Time magazine and Taylor Swift, two high-profile figures the network is courting. But the above advice — and this to “post raw videos that are compelling, shareable, clips that no one else will have” — should also apply to businesses and marketers trying to reach consumers.
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