Social Video Usage and Ad Engagement

How Reels and YouTube Shorts Stack Up Against TikTok’s Explosive Growth

Report by Debra Aho Williamson  | Apr 28, 2023
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Reels and Shorts are gaining users—but they don’t yet rival TikTok in time spent.
TikTok’s audience is loyal, but a ban could send some users to competing platforms.
It’s still hard to reach young people on Reels and Shorts.
Video advertisers have been slow to shift budget to Reels or Shorts.
Shorts and Reels must increase their ad options.
On a brighter note, Shorts and Reels ads may outperform TikTok in some metrics.
As Reels’ ad features improve, advertisers will benefit from Meta’s deep bench of tools.
With Shorts, advertisers can tap new ways of working with creators.
TikTok is tops for time spent and ad offerings, but Reels and Shorts deserve another look.
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Reels and Shorts are gaining users and adding ad options. They still lag TikTok in several key areas, but now is the time for video advertisers to give them another look.
Topics
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Usage
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Reels and Shorts are gaining users—but they don’t yet rival TikTok in time spent.
TikTok’s audience is loyal, but a ban could send some users to competing platforms.
It’s still hard to reach young people on Reels and Shorts.
Video advertisers have been slow to shift budget to Reels or Shorts.
Shorts and Reels must increase their ad options.
On a brighter note, Shorts and Reels ads may outperform TikTok in some metrics.
As Reels’ ad features improve, advertisers will benefit from Meta’s deep bench of tools.
With Shorts, advertisers can tap new ways of working with creators.
TikTok is tops for time spent and ad offerings, but Reels and Shorts deserve another look.
Sources
Media Gallery

Executive Summary

Short-video platforms will take center stage at this year’s Interactive Advertising Bureau NewFronts. Meta and YouTube will try to convince video advertisers to shift budget away from TikTok, and TikTok will try to defend its business in the face of a potential ban in the US. Here’s what video advertisers need to know.

Key Question: How close are Reels and Shorts to truly rivaling TikTok in usage and ad offerings?

Meta, YouTube, and TikTok Share of US Video Ad Spending, 2020-2025 (% of total video ad spending)
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KEY STAT: In 2023, TikTok’s share of US video ad spending will be more than double what it was in 2021—and it will encroach on YouTube’s share.

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Reels and Shorts are gaining users—but they don’t yet rival TikTok in time spent.
  3. TikTok’s audience is loyal, but a ban could send some users to competing platforms.
  4. It’s still hard to reach young people on Reels and Shorts.
  1. Video advertisers have been slow to shift budget to Reels or Shorts.
  2. Shorts and Reels must increase their ad options.
  3. On a brighter note, Shorts and Reels ads may outperform TikTok in some metrics.
  4. As Reels’ ad features improve, advertisers will benefit from Meta’s deep bench of tools.
  1. With Shorts, advertisers can tap new ways of working with creators.
  2. TikTok is tops for time spent and ad offerings, but Reels and Shorts deserve another look.
  3. Sources
  4. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Meta, YouTube, and TikTok Share of US Video Ad Spending, 2020-2025 (% of total video ad spending)Short-Form Video Platforms US Ad Buyers Say Their Largest Clients Are Advertising on, Dec 2022 (% of respondents)
Preferred Site/App for Viewing Short-Form Video According to US Internet Users, March 2023 (% of respondents)Social Media Platforms Used by US TV Viewers, by Age, Dec 2022 (% of respondents)
Short-Form Video Ad Performance Metrics in North America, by Platform, Aug 2022

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Download
Report
Deck
The One-Pager
Share
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Reels and Shorts are gaining users—but they don’t yet rival TikTok in time spent.
TikTok’s audience is loyal, but a ban could send some users to competing platforms.
It’s still hard to reach young people on Reels and Shorts.
Video advertisers have been slow to shift budget to Reels or Shorts.
Shorts and Reels must increase their ad options.
On a brighter note, Shorts and Reels ads may outperform TikTok in some metrics.
As Reels’ ad features improve, advertisers will benefit from Meta’s deep bench of tools.
With Shorts, advertisers can tap new ways of working with creators.
TikTok is tops for time spent and ad offerings, but Reels and Shorts deserve another look.
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Reels and Shorts are gaining users and adding ad options. They still lag TikTok in several key areas, but now is the time for video advertisers to give them another look.
Topics
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Usage
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Reels and Shorts are gaining users—but they don’t yet rival TikTok in time spent.
TikTok’s audience is loyal, but a ban could send some users to competing platforms.
It’s still hard to reach young people on Reels and Shorts.
Video advertisers have been slow to shift budget to Reels or Shorts.
Shorts and Reels must increase their ad options.
On a brighter note, Shorts and Reels ads may outperform TikTok in some metrics.
As Reels’ ad features improve, advertisers will benefit from Meta’s deep bench of tools.
With Shorts, advertisers can tap new ways of working with creators.
TikTok is tops for time spent and ad offerings, but Reels and Shorts deserve another look.
Sources
Media Gallery
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authors

Debra Aho Williamson

Contributors

Jasmine Enberg
Principal Analyst
Zach Goldner
Forecasting Analyst
Natalie McGranahan
Senior Researcher and Taxonomy Manager
Jennifer Merritt
Vice President, Content
Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf
Senior Analyst, Digital Advertising & Media