The Longevity of YouTube Links

Tips & Advice

A recent study by the popular link shortening service Bit.ly has unearthed some interesting trends with regard to different types of links. Their investigation shows that different kinds of links grow, and then shrink, at different speeds, depending which platform they are posted on.

Hilary Mason, Chief Scientist at Bit.ly used the concept of ‘Half Life’ to help explain the patterns observed when users clicked on 1,000 popular Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links. In their study, half life is “the amount of time at which a link will receive half of the clicks it will ever receive after it reached its peak.”

The Bit.ly study showed links to breaking news stories typically had a shorter half life as their relevance drops off rapidly. Links to amusing videos have longer half lives as they are less time sensitive and not part of an on-going event or continuous information stream.

The half life of a link is also related to the platform upon which it is released. Links posted on Facebook last, on average, 24 minutes longer than links to the same content posted on Twitter. Furthermore, links contained in emails and instant messages last even longer than those posted on Facebook, though only slightly.

The Half Life of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Links

Links posted to Facebook, Twitter, email and instant messaging follow a broadly similar pattern. According to Mason, this is likely to be the result of the way these platforms interact. For example the links posted on Twitter will then be shared again via Facebook, then again via email.

Interestingly, YouTube links displayed a completely different click through pattern. The average half life for the 1,000 links on Twitter, Facebook and email/instant messaging was approximately 3 hours. The average half life for the same links posted on YouTube was 7.4 hours.

Mason believes that “You could say that Twitter is the best way to post something if you want people to see it quickly”. “But one platform isn’t necessarily better than another. We’re just showing that the platforms have different dynamics.”

So in summary, it’s not only what you post but also where you post, that has a major bearing on your link’s lifespan and ultimately, it’s impact. From a Social Media Marketing point of view, the timing of your posts also plays a huge part in the effectiveness of your overall strategy and this is something we’ll explore in a future blog post. By pushing your content out to different platforms, at different times it’s possible to maximise the lifespan of your Social Media links, making the most of your content.

For help and advice with your Social Media Marketing Strategy, please give us a call on 01772 685 977 or email us hello@quentinjamesdesign.co.uk. You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook and see our web video productions on YouTube.

"Quentin is quick to understand what you need and even helps fill in any gaps where you've not quite thought of everything."

"If you need design work that's going to actually help produce sales, he's the man!"

Jon Price

Complete Care Shop

"We have used Quentin for design work ranging from the design of infographics and websites through to a large majority of our own branding and print material."

"Quentin is quick to understand a brief and always delivers outstanding work on time and on budget."

James Brockbank

Digitaloft

"Quentin has provided an excellent service to Catapult PR over many years and always produces fresh and exciting treatments."

"His right-first-time approach saves valuable time on every project and he backs his design work with excellent advice."

Jane Hunt

Catapult PR

"Quentin has a great ability to create a creative piece from a vague brief."

"A pleasure to work with and we will be using Quentin James Design again."

James Conlon

Niavac Ltd

"Quentin James Design took on the brief of producing an important presentation for us quite last minute."

"The finished article was excellent and perfectly balanced for the audience involved."

Greg Clementson

G&P Batteries Ltd

"What I loved about the way in which Quentin worked is that he gave me options in terms of the design."

"He interpreted my rather vague brief with speed, quality and an intuitive sense about what I needed."

Georgia Parker

Find Your Inner Unicorn

"I found Quentin James Design very easy to work with and understanding of my needs."

"Having had the initial discussion Q came back with various options and from there on in through regular discussions he produced a website design that I'm proud of."

John Ashton

VJA Consultancy

"Quentin is full of innovative ideas, works quickly and thoroughly and is a great communicator."

"I would highly recommend Quentin James Design if you are looking for a partner for your business."

Elizabeth Downing

Green Monkey AV