Facebook is telling Page owners that their potential reach is increased if they post native Facebook videos rather than videos from YouTube or similar services. Google has shown a preference for search results generated from its own services, and now Facebook appears to be taking a similar line.
Adweek’s SocialTimes has reported that some Page administrators have been getting a message when they are posting external video links telling them that users are “more likely to see and engage” with videos posted directly to Facebook. The message also tells administrators that they can track how successful their Facebook native videos are using Page insights.
Research carried out by Socialbakers into the organic reach of different kinds of posts suggested that videos are much more likely to enjoy better reach than any other type of posts as part of a trend that has seen photos lose the supremacy they once had online. The social media analytics and publishing company sampled 4,445 brands and in excess of 670,000 posts for the period 1 October 2014 to 4 February 2015 and found an average organic reach for videos of 8.7% compared to 3.7% for photos. Statuses and links had a reach of 5.8% and 5.3%, respectively. Socialbakers contends that although videos are more promoted than photos in relative terms – 27% compared to 17% – there are many more photos than videos, so videos are proving to be much more effective at reaching audiences.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, used the company’s April 2015 earnings conference call to emphasise the company’s belief that video will have a significant role to play in drawing more marketers to mobile, noting that more than 75% of video views worldwide on Facebook are done through mobile.
Video Measures, a company that analyses video performance for brands, suggests utilising YouTube and Facebook for posting videos online, with Facebook showing its strength in the promotion of trending content and YouTube being strong on continued viewership.
For those involved in video production for business and branding purposes, a relevant question is whether the organic reach of videos is a trend that will endure as more and more videos are posted, or will they become less effective over time in the same way that photos have?
