TIKTOK VS YOUTUBE
Written by Jess Eagles
Edited by Charlie Killen September 1st 2023
The newest and one of the most arguably popular social media platforms TikTok has had a massive rise of its own beauty influences. The platform is great for short videos. Tutorials and product reviews cutting down what would be a half an hour YouTube review into short snippets. On TikTok it’s easy to grow followers, I’m sure a lot of us have been there - posting a short video and it gets a surprising number of views when you next look at it. Whereas YouTube it takes a while to grow your audience.
I love both platforms but find myself gravitating towards TikTok for the convenience and accessibility of it. Although these videos are easy to access it’s also very easy to scroll away when its content, you’re not particularly interested in. This leads creators to make ‘click bate’ videos and what we really wanted to touch on was dishonest product reviews.
I’m sure we have all heard of Mikayla Noguiera review the L'Oriel mascara. The controversy was that many speculated she actually added fake lashes to make the mascara look better than it actually was. Whether this was true or not it led people to purchase the mascara for them to try it out to see if the product worked as well in her video as it does on herself, or people were purchasing it just because it was so heavily talked about. The same goes for Meredith Duxbury. She reviewed the elf jelly lip balm thing and kept breaking it. Again, people would purchase to see whether it would break or not or just simply because it was being heavily talked about. Both of these creators were sponsored by the brand to create this video so both received a portion of profit from the companies. Both of these creators, that brought attention to these product, do produce amazing makeup looks and create content that is very appealing to consumers that are interested in the makeup industry.
To say this style of review differs from the OG YouTube reviews is an understatement. Back in the old days of YouTube it was very rare for a creator to be sponsored or have a brand deal with a big company, so it felt like the reviews were a lot more genuine. However, as YouTube grew it wasn’t uncommon to see more sponsors brand deals and affiliate links for 10% off codes. Now of course YouTuber’s and TikTok creators alike both may try to oversell a product to you that isn’t that amazing however it felt like people were a-lot more hesitant to buy from a YouTube creator. Which could partly be down to the fact they didn’t have to state it was sponsored whereas now on TikTok it will show up at the bottom when a product is tagged. One factor that plays a big role is convenience. I know we all can’t get enough of the TikTok shop deals they do on makeup products, so I wonder if the affordability of the product as-well as the way it is marketed towards us plays into the way we make our purchasing decisions.
Now Mikayla and Meredith are not responsible for what we do with our money or are they the only people that advertise makeup products; however would we still buy the product if they hadn’t marketed it in such a way? I mean would we even watch their videos if it had been a 10 min in depth makeup review about the product. Something about the snappiness of TikTok has completely shaped the way we consume products. These short and snappy TikTok videos make it a lot easier to stay focused on what the creator is talking about. Some other talented creators are: jordanlipscombe on TikTok and YouTube who recommends affordable makeup products as well as creates stunning makeup looks and the revolutionary Made by Mitchell who has a growing range of makeup products that are perfect for consumers in the industry or just as everyday makeup. The list of talented artists is endless and so is the amount of information out there.
As a whole TikTok and YouTube work quite well together. A content creator can give you the option of watching a short video on TikTok or a more in-depth video on youtube which can suit your personal preference. Social media is becoming a place to advertise your work and products. It gives you the chance to try new products, techniques and learn new skills. What do you prefer TikTok or YouTube?
