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YouTube makes gains over Facebook, Twitter as social TV platform

While Facebook has typically been the go-to social network for second-screen experiences during television viewing, YouTube is rapidly gaining steam as a top platform with which TV fans interact, according to a Ring Digital report.

According to the third edition of the Social TV Index Report, activity on social networks during television watching continues to rise, with 29 percent of consumers admitting they engage in the growing trend of ?social television.? Eighty percent of viewers say they have used YouTube while enjoying their favorite programs, proving that it is in fact an optimal channel for networks to invest in for interactive customer experiences.

?I don?t think a lot of marketers think of YouTube to boost their real-time, live viewership,? said Brian Ring, president of Ring Digital, San Francisco. ?I think all the networks are going to move in the direction of social TV.

?YouTube is more than an on-demand phenomenon - it has a robust and growing presence in live and real-time video. This is true of more than one genre, although the usage of YouTube in news content is likely to grow fast in the coming year, led by the great work that ABC News is doing with its YouTube channel."

Generating more users
Consumers are increasingly combining mobile and social usage with their television consumption habits, creating the trend called social TV. While television networks and other brands are cottoning on to this change in behavior, many are eschewing using the one constant platform in all of this: YouTube.

According to the report, 29 percent of users shared, commented, posted or voted about TV content they watched. YouTube is steadily gaining speed as a top platform for this, alongside Facebook, which typically plays host to a plethora of discussions among individuals.

Facebook?s API is also credited with offering users a louder voice on social media, as proven by the 40,000 video questions proposed to Fox News? Facebook page for the Republican debate in August.

However, Ring Digital?s data has displayed that viewers, alongside media brands, are now realizing the possibilities of integrating YouTube into the television watching experience. Networks seeking to ramp up user engagement can flock to the platform to post behind-the-scenes snippets, post-show content or interviews with on-air personalities.

YouTube is also becoming an optimal channel for polls, suggesting that brands can glean valuable feedback from their customers if they decide to implement this feature.

As mobile video becomes a requisite for marketers, usage will likely continue growing higher, particularly with the millennial demographic. Thirty-seven percent of consumers in the 18 to 24 age range have engaged in social TV habits.

Among that audience, 14.5 percent leveraged YouTube to share television-related comments, more than twice the amount from last year, signifying the correlation between social media and the change in viewing behavior.

Mobile-enhanced viewing
Plenty of television networks and marketers are slowly catching on to mobile?s prowess in this sector, prompting them to roll out partnerships with popular applications as well as their own branded content on digital channels.

Last month, Bravo allowed Shazam users a sneak peak of its new docu-series after using the app during the show's trailer, exhibiting the continual merge of television and mobile and ensuring a more resonating promotional experience (see story).

Most notably, Snapchat and Twitter are shown to be declining in popularity regarding their social TV platform usage. This suggests that consumers are looking to interact with platforms where a discussion is possible and responses are more easily seen.

"There is a huge opportunity there for branded content," Mr. Ring said.

Final Take
Alex Samuely, staff writer on Mobile Marketer, New York