Amid TikTok’s meteoric rise, many marketers may be wondering whether YouTube is still relevant. The short answer is yes. But YouTube will need to carve its own niche in creators, commerce, and short video to stay relevant in 2022 and beyond.

On today's episode, we discuss what the next, most important initiatives will be for TikTok. We then talk about what YouTube plans to do with its short-form video format "Shorts" and whether LinkedIn's audio events will work out. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Debra Aho Williamson.

But in what may be more of a surprise, YouTube Shorts came next, followed by Instagram Reels. That’s leading most other platforms to double down on TikTok-style videos. Instagram is now consolidating all its video efforts around Reels. YouTube is investing more heavily in Shorts. Pinterest introduced Watch. Twitter is testing a video feed.

Plus, though Facebook’s domestic user base is falling, it’s still growing in some international markets like India, where the ongoing TikTok ban has left the door open for competitors like YouTube Shorts to swoop in. Expanding Reels’ presence on Facebook is also an opportunity to snap up users in countries where Facebook reigns and TikTok hasn’t had the chance to sink its claws in yet.

YouTube Shorts is bringing its Shorts Fund to over 30 new countries: The platform is stressing the importance of original content as it goes up against TikTok for creators.

The YouTube Shorts Fund was started in 2021 to distribute $100 million to Shorts makers throughout 2021 and 2022. Like Meta, YouTube does not disclose the requirements for receiving a payout, and the pay structure is opaque.

YouTube’s short-video and commerce ambitions rely on creator adoption and participation. Creators are the lifeblood of YouTube, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that they have the power to move audiences to new features or formats, as well as sway purchase decisions.

Reels—which is full of TikTok reposts—ranked third as the preferred short-form video platform of US consumers over 18 (20.1%) behind YouTube Shorts (25.3%) and TikTok (48.5%), according to Inmar Intelligence. Netflix also finds itself in a tricky position after news of subscriber losses caused it to rush development of an ad-supported tier that could take up to a year to launch.

YouTube Shorts debuts in the US: The feature may just be another TikTok clone for now, but if YouTube can successfully harness its existing base of video content creators, it could set Shorts apart.

eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson, junior analyst Blake Droesch, and vice president of content studio at Insider Intelligence Paul Verna discuss Oracle winning the TikTok bid, the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo definitely happening next year, CBS All Access being rebranded to "Paramount+," "YouTube Shorts" being tested in India, Americans' 2020 travel plans, what living creature is technically immortal, and more.

US adult TikTok users, on average, will spend a fraction of a minute more with the platform this year than YouTube users will spend on YouTube. But that gap will expand in years to come. If our forecasts included teens, TikTok’s time spent figure would be much, much higher. Time spent on TikTok is likely additive to, not replacing, YouTube.

This year, TikTok will surpass YouTube in terms of time spent by their respective adult users in the US. The short-video app will see 45.8 minutes per day from its average adult user, edging out YouTube, at 45.6 minutes.

The “TikTok effect” on influencer marketing is palpable, but Instagram and YouTube are still highly relevant venues for creator video.

It has given us the tools to create different stories—with the constraint that it's very short.”. The pandemic showed that not everyone wants to sit and watch a long video. “People have developed a lot of habits during lockdown, and they sometimes just want to watch short-format videos, not necessarily a full-fledged YouTube video.

YouTube appears to be investing heavily in Shorts, its TikTok-inspired feature. Snapchat’s Spotlight is another competitor. As TikTok continues to demonstrate that it can command attention, it must also show that it can reliably convert users into buyers.

Among US social video viewers, YouTube is the top platform for watching short-form content, with 77.9% of those ages 16 and older going there to stream videos less than 10 minutes long. The No. 2 spot goes to Facebook, which captures a 60.8% share, while TikTok takes third with 53.9%.

But YouTube is also investing heavily in Shorts, its short-form video service, and rolling out new shopping capabilities to remain competitive. Instagram. Research shows that TikTok is more popular among consumers than Reels, Instagram’s short-form video service.

Advertisers should also ensure the type and length of a video ad comports with the surrounding content—a 3-minute midroll ad in a short YouTube video wouldn’t be well received, for example.

Advertisers should also ensure the type and length of a video ad comports with the surrounding content—a 3-minute midroll ad in a short YouTube video wouldn’t be well received, for example. Predictions. Most of broadcasters’ ad growth will come from digital properties.

YouTube will decide that “Shorts” was too narrow a name for its TikTok-esque feature and either change the name or incorporate shorter-length videos back into the main platform. Livestream shopping will not play a large role in the move away from short videos.

YouTube rolled out Shorts, its mobile-first short-video product, in India. And Snapchat introduced a slew of new TikTok-like features, including adding music and a test for vertical navigation. How are social networks preparing for the US presidential election?