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YouTube has been considered the number one source to upload, view and share video since its emergence in 2005, but brands are recognizing that more and more users are turning to other social networks as their main channel to discover videos. Most notably, Facebook recently topped four billion video views per day and 82 percent of Twitter users say they watch videos on the platform.

Brands can capitalize on the rising popularity of videos on social media knowing that users are receptive to it, as a recent study conducted by Twitter says that 37 percent of users would like to see more branded videos.

In addition, influential target demographics are some of the most active social media users. According to Mary Meeker, a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers who published the 2015 Internet Trends Report, 12- to 24-year-olds are the trendsetters for digital content consumption, and they are most active on social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest.

So far in 2015, 57 percent of marketers are using video in content campaigns, and 72 percent plan on increasing their use of video. As more marketers and advertisers add video to their social media strategy, taking advantage of social video trends is key in staying ahead of the competition.

Here are the four most recent trends you need to know about:

1. Native Video on Facebook and Twitter

Facebook has already changed its News Feed algorithm to reflect video’s weight on the network, and the impact of native videos, specifically, has led to its transition as a publisher.

There are more than one billion people active on Facebook, and according to a Socialbakers study, native videos generate more average organic reach than any other type of post. This trend is worthy of note for brands because Facebook’s content-recommendation algorithm places priority on its own video player when determining what content to show in news feeds.

In comparison to Facebook, Twitter research shows that users discover, watch and engage with video much like YouTube users. Promoted Video on Twitter launched in August 2014, and already native video produces more engagement than third-party video, generating 2.5x more replies, 2.8x more retweets and 1.9x more favorites.

2. The Rise of Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest:

Facebook is challenging YouTube as the go-to network to share video content, but the rising popularity of other social media apps allows for cross-platform distribution and ensures brands reach specific target audiences who favor different platforms.

In addition to Facebook and Twitter, newer platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest are gaining popularity with the younger crowd. From 2014 to 2015, 12- to 24-year-olds’ use of Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest rose by an average of over six percent, and their use of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn dropped by an average of four percent.

While this influential group of video consumers are extremely active on platforms other than Facebook and Twitter, only 36 percent of marketers are using Instagram and a mere two percent are using Snapchat.

3. Engagement Through Periscope and Meerkat:

Not only do brands have the ability to reach their audience through a variety of platforms, the recent trend of livestreaming gives them a new way in which to interact.

Livestreaming apps Meerkat and Periscope launched in February and March respectively, and both created a huge amount of buzz. Periscope looks to have an advantage over Meerkat due to the fact that it was acquired by Twitter, and the integration between the two makes it easy for brands to reach the audience they have already established on Twitter in new ways.

Brands can use Periscope to conduct live how-tos and tutorials, Q&As with company members, and sneak peeks at new products and services. Livestreams are free to launch, brands can capitalize on their newness, and Periscope allows brands to access video details including viewers, duration and time watched data. If marketers and advertisers are not seeing the results they desire, they can easily ditch livestreaming efforts and focus campaigns somewhere else.

4. Mobile Optimization:

The one constant across all social media platforms is that users access and interact with them through mobile devices more frequently than desktops or tablets, which means it’s crucial branded videos are optimized for mobile.

Of the four billion video views per day Facebook receives, 75 percent come on mobile devices. In addition, 90 percent of Twitter video views occur on a mobile device.

There are a number of different ways for brands to connect with their audience through video on social media. By capitalizing on trends that are popular with a target audience and exploring new outlets for native video, brands can generate strong returns.

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