Facebook to share ad revenue with users who post video

Introduction

Facebook has officially declared an all-out war on YouTube. In a strategic move aiming to enhance its position as a leading video platform, Facebook will now share advertising revenue with users who upload videos to the site. This shift marks a significant change in Facebook's approach to video content and its competition with YouTube.

Facebook's Video Strategy

Facebook has long sought to penetrate the video market, a domain where YouTube has established itself as a giant. YouTube has gained popularity as a professional platform, attracting numerous content creators who can earn substantial income, sometimes even millions of dollars a year. The key to YouTube's appeal lies in its ad revenue-sharing model, where creators receive 55% of the ad revenue, while YouTube retains the remaining 45%.

Despite Facebook encouraging users to upload videos, it hadn't previously implemented an advertising revenue-sharing scheme. By introducing this feature, Facebook aims to attract content creators to generate high-quality video content specifically for its platform.

Quality of Video Content

There is a notable difference in the type of video content typically found on both platforms. YouTube is home to professional YouTubers who produce polished videos with high production values, often supported by teams and equipment. In contrast, Facebook's video content has primarily consisted of home videos or repurposed clips. The social media giant is now looking to elevate the quality of videos shared on its platform by incentivizing creators with revenue-sharing opportunities.

Concerns About Clickbait and User Experience

As part of its strategy, Facebook uses autoplay features for videos within news feeds. This means that videos automatically start playing as users scroll through their feeds, which could artificially inflate view counts. While a view may count after just three seconds of watching, Facebook plans to count ad impressions differently – requiring users to watch at least ten seconds for it to be counted.

There is growing concern among users regarding the prevalence of clickbait content within their feeds. Many users have expressed frustration with the low-quality or sensationalized content cluttering their feeds. As the platform pushes for more video content, it remains to be seen whether users will flock to Facebook for this or continue to prefer YouTube.

Future Outlook

Facebook is leaning heavily into the world of video and aims to cement itself as a major player in the space. Despite potential user dissatisfaction regarding the current content landscape, the company's intent to enhance video quality and creators' earning potential through ad revenue sharing suggests that Facebook is committed to fostering more engaging content in the long run.

Keywords

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Ad revenue
• Video content
• Content creators
• Revenue sharing
• Clickbait
• User experience

FAQ

1. What is Facebook's new video initiative?
Facebook will start sharing ad revenue with users who upload videos to its platform, similar to YouTube's revenue-sharing model.

2. How does Facebook's ad revenue sharing compare to YouTube's?
YouTube offers users 55% of ad revenue, while Facebook is now implementing a similar revenue-sharing strategy to attract content creators.

3. What type of video content is typically found on Facebook?
Facebook's video content has primarily been home videos and repurposed clips, while YouTube features more professional content produced by established creators.

4. How does autoplay affect video views on Facebook?
Videos on Facebook autoplay as users scroll, which can lead to inflated view counts; currently, a view counts after three seconds, but ad impressions require ten seconds of viewing.

5. Will Facebook provide options to mute or filter out unwanted video content?
At present, there are no indications that Facebook plans to implement features that allow users to mute or filter video content, as the platform pushes for increased video engagement.