If the world's two largest social networking platforms compete with each other, who would you choose? Facebook and Youtube are the two social networks with the largest number of users in the world.

While Facebook, the most used social network in the world, focuses on connections and interactions, Youtube is considered the second largest search engine in the world after Google.

However, these two social networking platforms are also considered leading advertising platforms with huge advertising revenue. We will analyze the similarities and differences between Facebook ads and youtube ads. Along with that is a guide to evaluate and choose the right advertising platform for your business.

The Basics of YouTube Ads

Youtube ads are a short video or image that appears in a video posted on youtube. The appearance position can be at the beginning, middle or end of the video.

Non-skippable ads

Non-skippable ads are usually only 15 seconds long and can appear in various positions in the video. Most businesses love to use this type of ad, because it cannot be skipped, so it is very suitable for businesses to increase brand coverage as well as increase reach. However, this type of ad can be annoying to viewers.

For this type of ad, you will bid on a CPM basis, paying according to the number of times the ad is displayed.

Skippable ads

Skippable ads are at least 12 seconds long and should only be 60 seconds long at most. This is the most basic type of ad, users can choose to skip after watching 5 seconds of the ad. In addition, when playing an ad before the video, you have the right to create an overlay with a call-to-action (CTA) button. Viewers can click on it to try the product.

For this advertising format, there are 2 ways to bid including bidding by CPV and bidding by views. For CPV bidding, you will only have to pay when viewers watch 30 seconds of the ad or they interact, the action you want.

As for bidding by views, you will pay for the number of times the ad is displayed.

Bumper Ads

These are ads that appear at the beginning of the video and cannot be skipped, only about 6 seconds long. Bumper ads are a type of advertising used by businesses to increase brand awareness, as well as increase the touch point between businesses and customers.

In-feed Video Ads

These are the types of ads that will appear on your search page on Youtube. When users search for a keyword, the video will appear in the search results page as a paid form, when users click on it, the video will play instead of being redirected to the website like other types of videos.

This type of ad takes the video source from the account's posted content, unlike other ads that require uploading a separate ad video.

Masthead Ads YouTube

This type of ad appears at the top of the homepage when the user opens the application. This type of ad can be displayed as a video, users can click on the video and watch the video, or displayed as a banner with a CTA button for viewers to click on.

This is an extremely effective type of ad that many businesses seek out, even though its cost is quite high. This ad appears at the top of the homepage, so almost all visitors pay attention to it, just need to design an eye-catching ad to easily attract viewers.

Outstream Ads

Outstream Ads on YouTube are a video ad format designed specifically for mobile devices, appearing on websites and apps within the Google Display Network (GDN) rather than directly on YouTube. These ads play automatically without sound (muted autoplay) and only incur costs when at least 50% of the video is viewed for 2 seconds, making them more cost-effective compared to formats like TrueView. With advantages such as low costs, wide reach, and suitability for brand awareness campaigns, Outstream Ads are an ideal choice for advertising beyond the YouTube platform, especially if the content is short and engaging. However, since they play without sound by default and have limited display time, the videos need to be crafted to capture attention quickly.

Similarities of YouTube Ads vs. Facebook Ad

Although different in terms of advertising types and costs, these two platforms also have many similarities:

Diverse advertising to suit needs

Both Facebook and Youtube offer many different types of advertising, suitable for many business goals. With a variety of ads suitable for different stages in the customer journey, advertisers can easily find the type of advertising that suits their business in terms of both goals and costs.

Offering Multiple Campaign Objectives

Both YouTube and Facebook cater to a variety of advertising objectives, allowing advertisers to design campaigns that align with their specific goals. Whether you’re focused on driving brand awareness, generating leads, increasing website traffic, or boosting conversions, both platforms provide tailored solutions. For instance, YouTube’s TrueView for Action ads and Facebook’s Conversion campaigns both prioritize driving tangible results. This flexibility ensures that businesses, regardless of industry or size, can find the right campaign type to fit their strategy.

Access to Comprehensive Analytics

Another common strength is the detailed analytics both platforms provide. YouTube Ads, integrated with Google Ads, gives advertisers access to in-depth metrics like view-through rates, audience retention, and interaction data. Similarly, Facebook Ads Manager provides granular insights into metrics like click-through rates, reach, and audience demographics. Both platforms also allow real-time tracking and optimization, enabling advertisers to tweak campaigns as they run to improve performance. These analytics tools are invaluable for making data-driven decisions and measuring ROI effectively.

Opportunity to reach a large number of target customers

Facebook has 2.7 billion users, Youtube has 2.3 billion users. These are all impressive numbers, if calculated on average, there are currently 8 billion people in the world, then 3 people use Facebook, 2 people use Youtube. The ability to reach businesses through Facebook and Youtube will be much easier than traditional approaches. Through advertising on the 2 leading social networking platforms, many businesses can expand their online business, not only that, Facebook's geo target option also allows sellers to reach the right target audience within a certain geographic area.

Differences between YouTube Ads vs. Facebook Ad

When deciding between YouTube Ads and Facebook Ads, the choice often depends on the specific campaign goals, audience behavior, and creative preferences. Having spent five years managing campaigns on both platforms, here’s an in-depth comparison based on key factors:

Counting a View

YouTube and Facebook count ad views differently, which can significantly impact metrics like cost-per-view (CPV). On YouTube, a "view" is counted after 30 seconds of watch time or if the viewer engages with the ad (like clicking on a CTA). In contrast, Facebook considers a "view" after just 3 seconds, making it easier to accumulate higher view counts. For advertisers prioritizing deeper engagement, YouTube’s stricter definition often provides a more meaningful measure of audience interest.

Audio Options

YouTube ads typically rely heavily on audio since the platform’s audience often watches with sound on. This makes it ideal for storytelling with voiceovers, music, or dialogue. On Facebook, many users browse with sound off, so advertisers need to design ads that can convey the message visually or use captions effectively. Both platforms offer unique creative challenges and opportunities in this area.

Cross-Platform Sharing

Facebook Ads excel in cross-platform integration, allowing you to run campaigns seamlessly across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. This broadens your reach and enables more touchpoints in the customer journey. YouTube Ads, being part of the Google ecosystem, allow integration with Display and Search campaigns. However, sharing YouTube content across platforms typically requires additional steps, while Facebook facilitates smoother cross-platform sharing.

Targeting Options

Facebook’s targeting capabilities are renowned for their granularity. You can target audiences based on interests, behaviors, demographics, and even custom data. YouTube Ads, powered by Google, provide robust contextual and intent-based targeting, leveraging search history and viewer behavior. While Facebook is better for hyper-specific audience building, YouTube shines when capturing audiences actively seeking information or products.

Ad Formats

YouTube offers skippable and non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, and TrueView ads, which allow viewers to choose their engagement. Facebook, on the other hand, provides more diverse formats, including in-feed videos, carousels, stories, and reels. For campaigns requiring flexibility in ad presentation, Facebook offers more creative variety.

Pricing

From experience, Facebook Ads are generally more cost-effective for smaller budgets, with lower costs-per-click (CPC) and CPM rates. YouTube Ads often have higher upfront costs but tend to deliver stronger returns for video-focused campaigns targeting intent-driven audiences. The platform you choose should align with your budget and goals.

Audience Behavior

YouTube audiences typically engage more intentionally, seeking specific content, which results in higher video completion rates. Facebook’s audience behavior skews toward passive browsing, making it effective for discovery and impulse-driven actions. For brands seeking to capture attention quickly, Facebook excels; for those focusing on delivering an in-depth message, YouTube is more suitable.

When to Use YouTube Ads vs. Facebook Ads

YouTube Ads: Ideal for brands with visually engaging stories, tutorials, or longer-form content. It’s also better for targeting intent-driven audiences actively searching for solutions or entertainment. If your product relies on detailed explanations or storytelling, YouTube is the way to go.

Facebook Ads: Best for brands looking to build awareness, drive traffic, or generate leads quickly. Its lower CPCs make it suitable for budget-conscious campaigns. The platform works exceptionally well for B2C businesses targeting specific interest groups or behavior patterns.

In summary, the choice between YouTube and Facebook Ads hinges on your campaign objectives and audience behavior. Both platforms excel in their niches, and experienced advertisers often leverage both to maximize results.

Conclusion

Despite many similarities and differences, Facebook ads and Youtube ads are both ideal tools for businesses with the goal of spreading messages and reaching customers.

While Youtube is preferred by businesses for targeting intent-driven audiences actively searching for solutions or entertainment. Facebook is best for brands looking to build awareness, drive traffic, or generate leads quickly.

Luca Marketing agency is a Facebook partner specializing in renting reputable and quality Facebook advertising accounts. Contact us for the most dedicated support.