Today, more than 70% of Internet users prefer video content to text content. The reason for this popularity is obvious — convenience and efficiency. Through video, a person can access much more vital and useful information in the shortest possible time. It’s no surprise that short video pieces like Stories, Reels, or TikTok videos have become so relevant.
It seems that until quite recently, video content on the Web was limited only to YouTube, but now dozens of large sites with many original video formats are available to us. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Popular online platforms and video formats available on them
- Stories— are short 15-second videos that appear above the main post feed in the app. A convenient and popular format, which, according to many SMM specialists, is more important than posts in the feed today. Right now, Instagram is working on introducing minute Stories.
- IGTV— a long video format that was supposed to compete with YouTube at one time. As a result, it did not become too popular, but still exists.
- Reels— an analogue of TikTok, working on almost the same principle. Reels videos are increasingly replacing IGTV.
- Live broadcasts— are classic video broadcasts, including those shared with other participants.
- Stories— are exactly the same as Instagram Stories. They can be recorded directly in Facebook or set up automatic publication from Instagram.
- 360° video— a specific 360° video format. You can’t call it super popular, but some users actively publish it.
Of course, regular videos can also be uploaded to Facebook, just like on YouTube. But it’s still hard to call the social network a popular video hosting site. There are also live broadcasts, but they did not become a popular feature here either.
YouTube
- Main videos— the classic videos that form the backbone of YouTube content.
- Shorts— a direct competitor to TikTok and Reels on Instagram. At the moment, they are not as popular as their equivalents, but the format is gradually developing and gaining popularity.
- Streams— the format was created as a tool to compete with Twitch and has become quite popular now.
TikTok
TikTok essentially has only one video format — short videos up to three minutes, which are selected for each user based on their interests. Developers are in no hurry to implement new functionality, because the existing options work fine.
Important clarification: The listed video communication formats on social networks, for the most part, are aimed only at obtaining information through content. And to a much lesser extent for communication by users. The only exceptions are live broadcasts and streams, but these are also not full-fledged communication formats, since hundreds and thousands of viewers can watch a stream, and it’s hard to get in touch with the author. Accordingly, alternatives are needed for two-way communication. And they exist!
Use of the video format on dating sites
Since the beginning of 2020, dating sites and applications have begun to place great emphasis on video communication. One of the reasons for this activity was the coronavirus and quarantine restrictions, due to which people lost the opportunity to communicate face-to-face. Therefore, many dating services rushed to offer an alternative.
Tinder
- Video chat— a classic video communication format. It was introduced in 2020 and became quite popular during the coronavirus pandemic and all the accompanying social restrictions.
- Profile videos— these can be added along with photos to show more about yourself and your interests.
Badoo
- Profile videos— the same principle as in Tinder. You can upload a short video about yourself to your profile. You can also upload videos to Badoo directly from your Instagram profile.
- Video chat— a convenient format for tete-a-tete video communication. Again, the principle is similar to Tinder.
Bumble
- Video chat — a tool for face-to-face communication within the application. Bumble is in no hurry to implement additional video features, limiting itself to basic functionality.
Video chat sites as an alternative to dating sites and social networks
Adding video features to social networks and dating services is a good thing. But you need to understand that this is a relatively new feature here. In the same dating apps, video chats and video dates began to appear actively only in 2020. And even now, more than two years later, not all users are using the new features.
At the same time, we see increased audience interest in classic anonymous video chats. A great example of this is Omegle. This video chat site has existed since 2009, and over the past couple of years it has tripled its audience. If before the pandemic there were usually up to 15,000 people online, now numbers of 35-40,000 are quite common.
Of course, Omegle is not without its disadvantages. This includes limited functionality, mediocre moderation, and the lack of mobile applications, and much more. But thanks to this pioneering site, many alternatives to Omegle appeared, which are better in a number of ways:
- OmeTV— an alternative to Omegle that offers convenient mobile applications, a built-in text message translator, gender and geographic filters for searching for other users.
- CooMeet— a video chat with an excellent gender filter and verified female accounts. Users of coomeet.com/omegle note the user-friendly interface and high speed of the service. Plus, CooMeet has great smartphone apps and a beneficial affiliate program for members.
- Tinychat— a video streaming service where you can start live broadcasts or connect to other users’ broadcasts as a viewer. Tinychat is not like Omegle. It’s more like Twitch, but with a much less rigid user policy.
- Chathub— a simple but interesting alternative to Omegle. This video chat does not have a smartphone application either, but there is a gender filter for a more accurate search. A language filter, as in Omegle, is available, but there is no exact geographic filter.
- Chatrandom— a random video chat site with gender and geographic filters, as well as themed chat rooms. A good place to find like-minded people with the same interests as you. There is also a separate chat with girls feature, but access to it is paid.
These are only a small part of the interesting Omegle alternatives worthy of your attention. Video chats are experiencing a real boom in popularity in 2022. And apparently, the peak is still ahead. Now more and more bloggers, celebrities and media personalities appear here. And they, in turn, attract an even broader audience.
Video communication is the future
It cannot be said that the video format trend in social networks is a new phenomenon. It has been happening for more than a year now. Yes, the pandemic has spurred it on a lot. But even without this, there were many factors that stimulated the development of the video format: the emergence of Stories on Instagram, the entry into the international arena of the TikTok application, competition from video streaming services, and much more.
We are convinced that in the near future video content will only become more widely distributed. Not least through the deployment of high-speed 5G networks. But this is a topic for a separate discussion.
Avid music fanatic. Communicator. Social media expert. Award-winning bacon scholar. Alcohol fan.