YouTube delivers eight times more media value than Instagram Reels, new research finds

Research involving 535 content creators suggests brands could be overlooking the value of longer videos as influencer marketing costs continue to rise.

YouTube could offer brands significantly greater media value than Instagram Reels, according to new research suggesting that longer videos deliver stronger results against a key marketing measurement.

An analysis of 535 content creators by influencer marketing intelligence platform Kolsquarefound that long form YouTube videos generated approximately eight times more estimated media value per 1,000 views than Instagram Reels.

The findings, published in Kolsquare's Budget Report 2027, come as businesses face growing pressure to justify their marketing expenditure amid rising advertising costs and increasingly expensive partnerships with influencers.

For creators with audiences between 100,000 and 500,000 followers, YouTube videos generated an estimated £496 in media value per 1,000 views, compared with £61 for Instagram Reels.

The pattern was observed across different audience sizes, from smaller creators with fewer than 10,000 followers to those with more than one million.

Why longer videos could offer greater value

The research challenges the assumption that shorter content and larger audiences necessarily deliver better marketing results.

While Instagram Reels and other short form platforms remain important for reaching consumers, Kolsquare's findings suggest that brands should consider how much value different formats generate rather than concentrating solely on views.

Estimated media value is a modelled measure of the advertising equivalent value attributed to content. It does not necessarily represent actual sales, profit or financial returns for the advertiser.

Nevertheless, the substantial difference between the two formats raises questions about how brands allocate their influencer marketing budgets.

The findings suggest that longer videos may warrant greater consideration when businesses are planning campaigns that require more detailed product demonstrations, explanations or storytelling.

Influencer marketing costs continue to climb

The research comes during a period of significant growth in the influencer marketing industry.

UK spending on creator partnerships is forecast to increase by 26 per cent to £1.2 billion in 2026, according to Internet Advertising Bureau figures cited in the report.

However, increasing investment is being accompanied by rising costs.

Almost three in ten marketers, 29.4 per cent, identified higher creator fees as a challenge. Among businesses employing fewer than 50 people, that figure rose to 33 per cent.

Advertising expenditure is also becoming more expensive across major social media platforms.

Meta reported a 12 per cent annual increase in the average price per advertisement during the first quarter of 2026, while research cited by Kolsquare suggested that TikTok advertising costs per 1,000 impressions had increased by between 12 and 16 per cent.

For smaller businesses in particular, these pressures make the effectiveness of individual marketing campaigns increasingly important.

**Follower numbers do not tell the whole story ** Kolsquare also found considerable differences in estimated media value among creators with similar audience sizes.

On Instagram, creators with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers generated a median estimated media value of £1,384 per post.

However, the middle half of posts in this category produced values ranging from £865 to £2,252.

The variation suggests that follower numbers alone provide an incomplete picture of a creator's potential value to advertisers.

Audience relevance, content quality and the suitability of a particular platform may all influence the effectiveness of a partnership.

Quentin Bordage, founder and chief executive of Kolsquare, said brands needed to reconsider how they measured influencer marketing performance.

"Brands have spent years chasing reach, followers and viral moments, but bigger numbers don't necessarily mean better results," he said.

"Our research shows that long form YouTube content can generate significantly more media value for every 1,000 views than Instagram Reels."

Bordage cautioned against interpreting the findings as a reason to abandon shorter videos, noting that different formats serve different marketing objectives.

A changing approach to influencer marketing

The findings highlight an increasingly important distinction between attracting attention and demonstrating measurable value.

For brands investing substantial sums in creator partnerships, a campaign's success cannot necessarily be judged by its audience size or the number of views it receives.

The research also suggests that businesses may benefit from spreading their investment across different platforms and content formats rather than concentrating their budgets on whichever social network currently attracts the greatest attention.

However, estimated media value remains only one measure of performance. Brands seeking to establish actual commercial returns must also consider campaign costs, customer acquisition, conversions and sales.

As influencer marketing continues to expand, Kolsquare's findings point towards a more selective approach to creator partnerships, with greater emphasis on the results brands can demonstrate rather than the visibility they can purchase.