January 2015 has seen some subtle changes to the way Facebook pages can utilise video. Some are calling this a swipe at Youtube as the new features look very similar. However it is not quite time to forget about Youtube just yet…
The new improvements to Facebook Video.
Reports say Facebook have given priority to Video posts, over text only posts. So if you are using Facebook video, your ‘reach’ should be greater.
Facebook pages are now enhanced by at least 3 new features. Firstly videos can now be categorised into playlists. Just like Youtube, playlists urge viewers to watch more of your video content, and help you categorise related films.
Another important change is the introduction of featured videos. You can now select one video to be featured next to your timeline, easily visible to anyone visiting your page. Playlists and other videos are also displayed as smaller thumbnails below the featured video.
Finally, you can now see how many views your Facebook video has received.
Business users can surly benefit from these added features. Facebook will no doubt be adding optimisation soon, similar to its late introduction of the hashtag in 2014.
What Facebook Video is missing!
Facebook is yet to add any optimisation options to their video uploads. Youtube allows you to add ‘tags’ detailed descriptions and ‘closed captions’ to boost SEO.
Currently the visibility of your video on Facebook remains fairly low to anyone who doesn’t already ‘Like’ your page. In general it is much harder to search for videos on Facebook. No doubt this will be addressed soon!
However Facebook does win the battle when it comes to videos being displayed in News Feeds when ‘Liked’ or ‘Shared’ by others.
Facebook users claim to see a much larger audience reach when using video, over a normal written post.
Facebook or Youtube?
As a rule I would always recommend Youtube first, not only for the SEO benefits, but the fact it’s owned by Internet giant Google.
You can also paste a Youtube link into a Facebook post, which will automatically create a playable video in-stream. (Note posting a youtube link will not help increase your post reach)
However who says you have to choose? As a business I would recommend uploading direct to Facebook for Facebook only purposes, and Youtube for any other online use.