Facebook launches new tools as Watch gains more momentum over time

According to Facebook, Watch is garnering some interesting numbers for the platform. They say, "More than 1.25 billion people visit Watch every month to discover and share videos from millions of creators and publishers."

However the actual performance of Watch as a legit video platform is tough to point out. 

According to Facebook's previous report on Watch viewership, the actual engagement figure is slightly diluted in the way which Facebook counts the active viewership. In June 2019, Facebook reported that about 720 million people were spending at least a minute in Watch every month. Although that number has doubled since then, a minute per month doesn't indicate solid engagement. 

Facebook is successfully pushing more people across to its Watch platform and there is significant engagement with the social media giant's original video content. 

This week , Facebook has outlined some new tools to help users discover more relevant content on Watch which will be based on their interests. 

According to a Facebook blog post, "We’ve made it easier for people to find more videos they’ll like with better navigation, expert curation and smarter machine learning. And we’re working on ways to connect people with videos that match their interests." 

To help users get better content recommendations, Facebook rolled out a new topic selection option within Watch. 

They also added a dedicated section for live videos which was recently used to showcase live sporting events like the UEFA Champions League Final. 

The blog post said, "Across Latin America, more than 13.7 million people tuned in to watch the UEFA Champions League final, making it the most-watched football broadcast on Facebook. Events like these are more than a stream of a game, they’re a way for fans to share in the moment by interacting in real time with the broadcaster and others."

They also added a new section for music videos for US and Indian markets. 

The blog post added, "The music destination in Watch lets people explore music videos by genre, artist or mood, and features themed playlists. Last month, Katy Perry debuted her new music video, “Smile,” the title track of her just released fifth album, exclusively on Facebook to millions of fans."

Debuts like this will definitely help the platform grow and be a serious contender in the video platform category. 

Facebook also continues to develop its creator tools which includes in-stream ads, Stars and fan subscriptions. They are also developing new analytics options to help the user maximize the potential of their Watch uploads. 

According to the Facebook blog post, "We're in the early stages of rolling out a new Organic Video Post Testing tool to help partners A/B test aspects of a post, including thumbnails, titles, descriptions and video content so they can better determine what works best for their audience."