WhatsApp Helps Facebook in Battle vs YouTube

How many videos do you watch per day?

5? 10? Maybe it's more than that. The point here is, videos have taken the world by storm. They’re also set to continue, for a long time. The main reason for this, is YouTube.

YouTube’s loop feature, which plays a new video after one has ended, along with a list of suggested videos related to the previous piece, has the ability to keep you on its platform for a very long time. Therefore, it’s extremely difficult to step away from this platform.

And this is exactly why WhatsApp tweaked how you could consume YouTube videos on their platform.

Previously, when someone sent a YouTube video link on WhatsApp, when you click it, you would be directed to the streaming platform. This was an ideal scenario for the Alphabet-owned YouTube.

But the same could not be said for Whatsapp, who’s owned by Facebook.

In a world where time spent on a platform equates to eye balls & revenue, Whatsapp and Facebook had to find a solution.

The answer?

The messaging platform tweaked a feature which allows users to play YouTube videos in WhatsApp itself without the need for someone to leave WhatsApp. This potentially game-changing update keeps users away from Facebook’s biggest competitor today - YouTube.

The knock-on effect massively helps Facebook in their battle vs YouTube, especially for video content.

This intelligent business strategy also serves as an interesting lesson for businesses.

If you’re unable to compete head on against a bigger brand, always think outside the box. In this scenario, Facebook was struggling to match YouTube for video content. Instead of improving Facebook itself, the parent company thought outside the box and intercepted the means of communication used to send out video links.

The solution? Yup, you guessed it, Whatsapp.

In a nutshell, Facebook had the answer to their problem, in their hands. Therefore, sometimes your business solutions lies within your brand itself. All it takes is to see things from a different point of view.

Key Takeaways:

1. WhatsApp tweaks how you consume YouTube videos on its platform.
2. This helps Facebook to prevent massive traffic leaving their platform and going to YouTube.
3. This shows the importance for businesses to think outside the box, to solve daily issues.