YouTube VS TikTok – Which is Best For You? [Case Study]

While it is not easy to say which is best at hand, research and statistics show that YouTube is the second-largest social media platform with over 2.2 billion monthly active users as of 2022.

With such high numbers, its no doubt that Youtube has over one billion hours of content that is watched every day. This generates billions and millions of Views for Youtube creators. Another surprising thing is more than 500 hours of content is uploaded to Youtube every single minute.

On the other hand, let’s talk about TikTok. TikTok has been gaining popularity over the past few years. TikTok is a social network that allows users to create their own short videos.

Its main focus is short-form content or videos that are less than one minute long [this has changed in the past few months as TikTok allows its user to upload up to 8 minutes long video].

Need more statistics? Here you go: Essential Tik Tok Statistics Marketers Need to Know

In this blog post, we will compare the two platforms, looking at some of the benefits of YouTube and TikTok, YouTube vs TikTok monetization strategies [with real data] among other insights, and finally summarize for you which platform, YouTube vs TikTok is BEST for you and creators.

Let’s dive in!

Youtube vs TikTok Overview

– Youtube

It was founded in 2005 by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. They launched YouTube’s first video-sharing website, which was called “YouTube.com”. They later sold it to Google for $1.65 Billion in 2006.

The site was founded as a tool for sharing music videos but later changed into a full-blown video-sharing website by adding other features such as uploading videos, comments, likes, etc.

For a long time, YouTube’s main focus was long-form content. This has changed in recent years as more need for content has been higher than ever before. With the launch of TikTok and its rapid growth, Youtube introduced Short-form content on its platform to satisfy every content consumer’s needs.

Here is a list of the Content type that you can find on YouTube [both long-form content and short-form content]:

1. ‘How to’ Guides

2. Personal Finance Videos

3. Celebrity gossip.

4. Product reviews

5. Vlogs

6. Educational videos

7. Unboxing videos

8. Gaming videos, etc.

– TikTok

TikTok was launched by ByteDance in 2016 and currently has over 1 billion users worldwide. TikTok allows its users to create videos on their mobile phone or tablet using an app that can be downloaded from Google Play Store or App Store.

Users can record their voices while animating their faces or body movements using various effects such as blur, distortion, etc., to create funny animated videos for entertainment purposes only!

TikTok’s main focus is short-form content. Here is a list of the Content type that you can find on TikTok:

1. Humor or funny content

2. Educational eg Share tips and hacks

3. Trends

4. Influencers

5. Local, etc.

Before we move to the next step, let’s define long-form content/video and short-form content/video.

What are Short-form Videos?

Short-form videos are typically under one minute in length and are used to promote a product or service, drive traffic to a website, or increase brand awareness. They are quick and to the point, and usually don’t require much production value.

On the other hand, what are Long-form Videos?

What are Long-form Videos?

Long-form videos, on the other hand, are typically over five minutes in length and are used to tell a story, educate viewers on a topic, or showcase a company’s work. These videos tend to be more production-heavy, as they require more time to film and edit.

So, which type of video is right for your business? It really depends on your goals. If you’re looking to promote a new product or service, a short-form video is probably your best bet. But if you want to educate your audience or tell a brand story, a long-form video is the way to go.

Youtube Shorts vs TikTok Shorts?

When it comes to YouTube shorts vs TikTok, statistics show that YouTube is fast catching up in the short video niche. YouTube launched a beta version of Shorts in India around September 2014. Before its launch in the United States in March 2021, YouTube Shorts exceeded 6.5 billion daily views globally. By July 2021, YouTube Shorts had surpassed the 15 billion daily average views in over 100 countries worldwide.

YouTube and TikTok Monetization

Who is eligible to earn money on YouTube and TikTok?

– Youtube

Who is eligible to earn money on YouTube?

On Youtube, you are eligible for monetization by joining the Youtube Partner Program once you meet this requirement. You need at least 1,000 Subscribers, 4,000 public watch hours in the last year, or 10 million shorts views in the last 90 days. The latter was just added recently in order to allow people that publish Youtube Shorts to get monetized.

What is Youtube Partner Program or YPP?

Youtube Partner Program or YPP is a program that allows its creators to generate revenue through advertisements

For Youtube Shorts, Youtube introduced the Youtube Shorts Creator Fund of $100 Million. Of course, you don’t expect to earn tons of money from it [unless you get a lot of views] and that is why Youtube introduced the ads shared revenue on Youtube Shorts.

Youtube plans to enroll these criteria in early 2023 [bookmark this page for updates]. They will be sharing 45% of the revenue generated on advertisement [ads] even if no ads are displayed before or after your video [starting 1st Feb 2023].

To be eligible for the Youtube partner Program [YPP], you must be located in one of these 102 countries. You also need to follow all the YouTube channel monetization policies.

Top High-Paid Creators on YouTube

According to Forbes in 2021. They are:

1. MrBeast – $54 million

2. Jake Paul – $45 million

3. Markiplier – $38 million

4. Rhett & Link – $30 million

5. Unspeakable – $28.5 million

6. Like Nastya – $28 million

7. Ryan Kaji (Ryan’s World) – $27 million

8. Dude Perfect – $20 million

9. Logan Paul – $18 million

10. Preston – $16 million

– TikTok

Who is eligible to earn money on TikTok?

According to TikTok, creators will need at least 100K authentic video views in the last 30 days to be eligible to join the Creator Fund. Have at least 10,000 followers, at least 18 years old, based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy, and have an account that fits with our TikTok Community Guidelines and terms of service

You can earn money by joining the TikTok Creator Fund. It is estimated that it’s possible to earn 2 to 3 cents per 1,000 views. So, to win 30 euros, we will need our video to have more than one million views. Going viral is one of the ways you can reach that number. You can achieve this by doing an original hashtag challenge.

Top High-Paid Creators on TikTok

A Forbes report listed six TikTokers who generated $4.75M or more from their channels in 2021. They are:

– Charli D’Amelio, $17.5M (148.4 million followers)

– Dixie D’Amelio, $10 million (57.4 million followers)

– Khabane Lame, $5 million (151.3 million followers)

Why YouTube pays its creators better than TikTok?

To understand this, you need to have read and understand everything discussed above. Let’s summarize with a few points as to why YouTube pays its creators better than TikTok?

1. YouTube has more Advertisers than TikTik

More than 80% of businesses promote their business on video-sharing platforms. One of the best returns for creators is YouTube and more people continue to run ads on YouTube to promote their businesses.

More than 93% of people who advertised their businesses on YouTube claim they so a huge spike in their business growth.

The more advertisers YouTube gets, the more ads it runs to maximize the Profit for the company and creators.

2. Creators can manage ads in their videos

YouTube allows creators to manage the number of ads they can display on their videos. If you have 8 minutes+ videos on YouTube, you can display more than 2 ads from a variety of options.

On the other hand, TikTok itself puts ads in-between videos for the creators.

3. Ads Revenue Split with Creators

Displaying ads on your videos does not mean you earn. You need to push your videos to get views and viewers to view your ads.

Depending on the view you get, YouTube gives 55% of its total ad revenue to its creators while keeping the remaining 45%.

On the other hand, depending on how much they make on ads, TikTok has a $200 Million Creator Fund that it shares with its creators who meet their cut-off [as of 2021].

YouTube vs TikTok Similarities

While they may seem quite different at first glance, there are actually quite a few similarities between them. Here are five of the key ways that YouTube and TikTok are similar:

What are the similarities between YouTube and TikTok?

1. Both platforms are incredibly popular with younger users.

Both platforms are extremely popular with younger users. In fact, a recent study showed that TikTok is especially popular with Gen Zers (those born after 1996). This is likely due to the fact that TikTok offers a fun and easy way to consume content on your phone.

2. Both platforms are video-centric

Both platforms are video-based. This means that users can upload and share videos with their followers. And while YouTube is mostly known for its longer-form content, TikTok is all about short, bite-sized videos that are easy to consume on the go.

3. Both platforms allow for creative self-expression

One of the best things about both platforms is that they allow users to express themselves creatively. For example, on TikTok, you can upload videos of yourself lip-syncing to a song or showing off your dance moves. On YouTube, you can create your own original content by making music videos or creating sketches for an audience of millions.

4. Both platforms have a massive user base

YouTube has more than 2 billion users worldwide, while TikTok has over 500 million active monthly users on its platform alone (not including Musical.ly).

5. Video/Content-Length

Despite YouTube being a long-form content platform, in recent years, it has been pushing more shorts form content than ever before. This gives YouTube and TikTok a similar approach to short-form content as an attempt to grab the attention of more users/video consumers.

6. Both platforms have been known to launch viral trends and memes.

7. Both platforms have been used for marketing and advertising purposes.

Whether you’re a fan of one platform or the other (or both!), it’s clear that they both have a lot to offer in terms of entertainment, creativity, and marketing potential.

YouTube vs TikTok Differences 

YouTube and TikTok are both popular social media platforms that allow users to share videos. However, there are some key differences between the two platforms. Here are the five key differences between YouTube and TikTok:

What are the differences between YouTube and TikTok?

1. Content Type

One of the main differences between YouTube and TikTok is the type of content that’s typically shared on each platform.

YouTube is primarily a video-sharing platform, with users uploading all kinds of videos, from vlogs and tutorials to music videos and gaming footage.

TikTok, on the other hand, is primarily a short-form video platform, with users sharing quick, creative videos that are often set to music.

2. User Base

Another key difference between YouTube and TikTok is their respective user bases. YouTube has a much wider user base than TikTok, with over 2.7 billion monthly active users compared to TikTok’s 1 billion monthly users [updated data].

This means that there’s a greater chance that your target audience is on YouTube than on TikTok, making it more likely that you’ll reach your target audience.

3. Video/Content-Length

Another difference between YouTube and TikTok is the type of content they allow users to upload. While both platforms allow users to post any kind of video they want, they do have certain restrictions in place.

For example, on TikTok, users are only allowed to post videos that are five seconds long or shorter. While on YouTube videos are generally longer than TikTok videos, and the platform is used for a variety of content, including music videos, vlogs, educational videos, and more.

4. Ads

YouTube relies on advertising for its revenue, while TikTok does not currently have any ads. This could change in the future, but for now, YouTube is the only platform of the two that has ads.

5. Monetization

YouTube allows users to monetize their videos through ads and sponsorships, while TikTok does not currently have any way for users to monetize their content unless by joining the creator fund as explained above.

6. Audience

YouTube has a much wider global audience than TikTok. TikTok is particularly popular with Gen Z users in China, but it is also gaining popularity in other countries.

7. Popularity

Popularity on top of the user base difference between the two platforms is their overall popularity, which also makes TikTok feel more exclusive than YouTube.

TikTok’s short-form videos are more popular with younger audiences, and as such, it’s less likely that older users who aren’t into social media will be on this platform.

8. Ownership

YouTube is owned by Google (acquired for $1.65 in 2006), while TikTok is owned by ByteDance.

YouTube VS TikTok – Which is Best For You?

To wrap all this up, I will use case study data to show you how many people prefer YouTube to TikTok.

In my own opinion, it depends on what you want to achieve. If your main goal is fame or quick popularity and growth, then TikTok is what you need to choose.

Otherwise, YouTube remains to be a huge success for its creators in terms of monetization. You can earn a full-time income on YouTube through several ways like ad revenue, sponsorships, selling affiliate products, selling merchants to your subscribers, etc.

Thus I would choose YouTube if I had to choose one, YouTube vs TikTok.

Conclusion

It is clear that YouTube is the better platform for users who are looking to grow their channel and build a following while still making money. On the other hand, TikTok is better for those who are just looking to consume content and don’t necessarily care about building a brand or becoming a content creator.

FAQs

What are some of the best uses for TikTok?

TikTok is a social media app that allows users to share short video clips with their followers. It’s been used for many purposes, including as a way to promote one’s business.

Some of the best uses for TikTok are:

– Promoting your business

– Sharing your content and ideas

– Connecting with other people and businesses in the same industry

– Building a following

How does TikTok work?

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos with others. The app is extremely popular with young people, as it allows them to express themselves creatively and connect with others who share their interests.

TikTok has a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to get started creating videos. You can choose from a variety of editing tools and effects to make your videos more creative.

Once you’ve created your video, you can share it with your friends or the TikTok community at large. You can also explore the videos of other users to get inspiration for your own creations.

How does YouTube work?

YouTube is a video-sharing website where users can upload, view, and share videos. The site was founded in 2005 and is now owned by Google.

YouTube allows users to create and upload their own videos, as well as to view, rate, and comment on other users’ videos. YouTube also has a feature called “Channels” which allows users to subscribe to other users’ channels and receive updates when new videos are uploaded.

What is the difference between YouTube and TikTok?

The difference between YouTube and TikTok is that YouTube allows you to upload your content while TikTok only lets users post short clips with soundtracks.

Do you need to be on YouTube or TikTok to become a social media influencer?

No, you don’t need to be on YouTube or TikTok. There are other social media channels that can help you become a social media influencer.

Social media has evolved into a powerful tool for marketing and branding. It is not just about having the right content anymore but also about getting it in front of the right audience.

There are many social media channels that can help you become a social media influencer but YouTube and TikTok are the most popular ones at the moment.

YouTube is by far the most popular video-sharing site, with over one billion users per month, and TikTok is an app for sharing short videos or lip-syncing music videos with your friends.

Thanks for reading.

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