Youtube

Why do you think that YouTube is the least used of the social platforms, compared to say Twitter, FB, and LinkedIn?

You have to look at it in the context of the Social Media Benchmarks study – it would suggest that [users] don’t always see YouTube as a social platform. I think it’s that video is slightly different. At YouTube, we think video is very much at the heart of social dialogue. I think that it’s not so much that they’re not using it, it’s just not really seen as a strictly ‘social media’ medium.

How important is it for brands to reach consumers via social media channels?

Essential. 25 percent of all online activity is social media.If more and more people are spending time online in social media, that’s where they’re spending their leisure time. That’s the whole point of marketing: to hit people where they’re spending their time.

Do you think mobile social media use is growing?

Absolutely. At Google we’re a mobile first company – our views on YouTube are going up stratospherically, and on mobile it’s the same across all the social media platforms. Mobile is essential right now. You only have to see all the Mary Meeker reports over the last few years to show how important mobile is going to be.

Has the launch of Netflix UK given YouTube anything to worry about?

We welcome all competition, because I think it will invigorate the market. Any competition of that sort is fantastic, as it proves the value of digital and online video broadly. We have faith and confidence in our product so we welcome anything like that.

Nasr was interviewed at the The Social Media Benchmark Event by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, at Bloomberg Auditorium, London. The event was moderated by Manus Cranny from Bloomberg Television.

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