YouTube has many different aspects that make it worth considering as a social media platform. Let's talk about some below.
1. Subscriptions, comments,
and likes
YouTube channel subscriptions offer a means of
interaction between creators and viewers. This is quite similar to how the
following works on Facebook and Twitter. When you follow a YouTube channel, it
indicates that you are interested in the author's updates and his content.
Likes and comments are other ways that creators and
their fans can communicate. On YouTube, some individuals use the comments
section as a messaging system.
2. Community Contributions
YouTube's primary purpose, in the beginning, was for
video watching. However, this is no longer the case because the site now offers
a tonne of content.
Using the Community Post function, YouTube producers
with more than 1,000 subscribers can submit common social media content, such
as photographs, text, GIFs, playlists, and polls. Adopting this function alone
demonstrates that the website considers itself a social media platform.
3. It's the business strategy
The income model of YouTube is another factor in its
classification as a social media site. Users receive a free platform to
exchange and access material, and the platform makes money by selling
advertisements.
The operation of other social media networks is
comparable to this. For instance, Instagram lets users publish free photographs
and brief videos while earning money from ad sales.
Although Youtube may not have been created to become
a social media platform, it is today recognized because of additional features
that encourage user interaction.
What subset of social media sites does YouTube fall
under?
The primary uses of YouTube are for watching videos
and communicating with the creators through comments and responses. This makes
it more up TikTok's alley.
So, YouTube can be considered a social media
platform for video sharing.
4. User Generated Content
YouTube is frequently categorized by video streaming
services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. However, YouTube differs from
traditional video streaming services because users create its content.
Registered users can upload videos to the website.
In the interim, anyone can access them without registering for anything free.
Another reason why YouTube should be seen as a social media platform is its
capacity to exchange information (in this case, videos) with a large audience.
YouTube is mobile-friendly: Since so many students
own smartphones, video is a great way to reach them. YouTube is
mobile-friendly, and the vast majority of students already use it.
Video: An old video from the launch of YouTube's mobile site
More individuals will hear your message as a result:
YouTube is not only the most widely used video site on the planet, but videos
are also easily shared. First, consider how often you come across videos on
your Facebook or Twitter timeline. Also, how often do people email your files?
Then share the video over the Internet.
It's cost-effective: While some professionally
produced videos have merits, not every video requires a massive budget. You can
quickly and efficiently create impressive videos of lectures, presentations,
and more with minimal video equipment.
Community
Clicks and Posts: YouTube was mainly used to watch videos in its
formative days. This is no longer the case as the site offers a wide variety of
content.
Creators with more than 1,000 subscribers can use
the Community Post feature to publish typical social media posts, including
text, GIFs, playlists, photos, and YouTube polls. However, implementing these
features means the network is a social media platform.
Content
monetization: Another factor that qualifies YouTube as a social media
network is its financial approach. Users are provided a free platform for
content consumption and exchange, while the platform makes money through
adverts.
It's the same way other social networks work.
Instagram, for example, allows users to post photos and short videos for free
while earning money by selling ads.
Facebook and other social
media sites contrasted with YouTube
Even though Facebook is the most widely used social
network online, YouTube is gaining up. As a result, YouTube has a solid shot at
replacing Facebook as the most popular social network with around 2.3 billion
active users – compared to Facebook's 2.9 billion.