What Do People Like to Watch on YouTube? (And What You Should Know as a Brand)

YouTube is the second-most popular search engine after Google. Users upload approximately 500 hours of video to the site every minute. Viewers watch around one billion hours of YouTube videos daily. 

Understanding consumption patterns is critical for creating and implementing marketing strategies if you’re an advertiser. But what do people like to watch on YouTube, and how can you capitalize on content trends to connect with your target audience?

What Is YouTube’s Influence on Content Consumption?

YouTube maintains a firm grip on digital consumption, with users logging on regularly to view what’s new on the platform. Here are a few facts to help understand its global influence:

Best Types of YouTube Videos

As video consumption evolves, advertisers and content creators must keep up with new demands to reach members of their target audiences. While there are several content types you can pursue, here are some of the most popular types of YouTube videos:    

Video Tutorials

Content tutorials teach viewers how to perform a particular action. Helpful tutorials address customer pain points by offering accessible solutions. 

When a consumer has a problem, a brand can provide an answer using a visual method that’s easy to follow. Video tutorials can also help content creators establish their authority in specific industries.

Product Reviews

Product reviews are classic advertising techniques that help brands build trust with a dedicated client base. You can also influence consumer purchase intentions by drawing attention to a specific product. Finally, product reviews can increase your subscriber rate by bringing in additional viewers who stumbled upon your channel. 

Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Behind-the-scenes content provides viewers with an inside look at a company’s culture. They can also use this type of content to humanize your brand, offering an in-depth assessment of your company’s daily operations. Going behind the scenes can provide a light-hearted feel that appeals to consumers.

YouTube Audience Traits

All types of people consume video content through digital platforms, meaning video trends on YouTube constantly change. However, you can examine some consumer traits to maximize the effectiveness of your content distribution.

Time of Day

For optimal viewership, determine when your target audience will be on YouTube. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid posting content in the middle of the day when viewers are probably busy with work or attending school. Aim to post during evening hours once people have settled down for the day.

Desktop vs. Mobile

Mobile devices are increasingly becoming the go-to for YouTube viewership. In the second quarter of 2021, mobile accounted for 63% of YouTube viewing time. Viewers can also quickly share content with others when viewing on mobile, which can boost brand awareness. 

Age Range

YouTube’s age demographics remain diverse. According to the Pew Research Center, 83% of adults ages 50 to 64 use YouTube. Consumption patterns go up to 95% for those between 18 and 29. 

Not surprisingly, media consumption habits are changing with the younger generations. Generation Z is the first to rely on something other than TV as the primary form of media consumption. Advertisers will need to adjust their media strategies to engage them.     

Dispelling Common YouTube Myths

Like any major platform, YouTube is not immune to misconceptions and myths. Here are three falsehoods about the site: 

1. Longer Videos Rank Higher

Longer videos don’t necessarily rank higher; rankings depend on the audience’s interests and what they’re looking for when they find specific content. The key to identifying the proper length is assessing your brand and determining how to cultivate a positive experience for the viewer.

2. A Single Video Will Destroy Your Channel

At some point, a content creator will probably upload content that isn’t well-received by the target audience. But here’s the good news: Having one video flop is part of the advertising journey, and likely won’t destroy everything you’ve been working toward with video marketing techniques. Use your experience to improve your content distribution strategies. 

3. Clickbait Is a Must for Views

Clickbait is a false advertising technique in which creators use intriguing text or an attention-grabbing thumbnail to encourage viewers to click on your video. It’s deceptive because the text or thumbnail doesn’t represent the content. While videos may generate high clicks from this tactic, your watch time will remain low, and users may down-vote the content. 

Establish a YouTube Presence with Channel Factory

Video trends on YouTube constantly evolve, so advertisers must adjust their outreach strategies and distribute unique content that captivates their target audience. Channel Factory can help you cultivate your YouTube audience. With the right performance metrics, we can maximize your brand’s performance and re-align your advertising techniques.

Contact us to see how we can help your organization invest its advertising dollars more effectively and see real results.

Reducing Media Waste: How to Optimize Advertising Campaigns [3 Ways]

If you work in marketing, you understand the challenges of optimizing your advertising expenditures to achieve the best campaign results. We’re talking about media waste, when marketers use their advertising budget to reach consumers outside their target range. 

Learn more about the factors involved in media waste expenditures and solutions for optimizing your expenses and improving your digital marketing campaigns.

Exploring Media Waste in Marketing

When brands attempt to reach non-target consumers, their campaigns usually fail. They waste finances, consumers dismiss ads, and advertising teams scramble to pick up the broken pieces. 

Note that there’s a distinction between media and ad waste. Media waste describes how budgeting is used for non-target consumers, whereas ad waste is when a campaign fails to reach its objectives. You can read more about solutions to identifying ad waste here.

Here’s an example: Consider pop-up social media ads on a user’s Facebook feed. Unless you’ve targeted a potential lead, you’ve just wasted a portion of your ad budget attempting to convert an uninterested customer.

Remember that media waste occurs across multiple channels and platforms, including:

  • TV ads
  • Display ads
  • Pay-Per-Click advertising
  • Social media ads
  • Podcast ads

What Causes Wasted Expenditures in Marketing?

Several causes can result in media waste; let’s examine three critical ones:

1. Poor Audience Targeting

Without detailed audience targeting efforts, you’re likely using your marketing tactics on consumers without a connection to your brand. Successful marketing teams devote their strategies to finding the ideal buyer to elevate their brand and increase sales. With a defined target base, you can avoid low click-through and conversion rates for your organization.

2. Ad Fatigue

Many ads clutter the digital world. According to Zippia, the average American sees anywhere between 4,000 and 10,000 ads per day. Unfortunately, some advertisers rely on creative techniques, including flashy pop-ups, to reduce ad fatigue. 

Most consumers don’t want disruptive content forced upon them. Brands with disruptive techniques fail to expand their audience reach.

3. Focusing on the Wrong Platforms

If you’re targeting B2B (business-to-business) consumers, it’s unlikely that they’ll use Facebook or TikTok. Focusing on the wrong social media channels results in poor brand messaging, lack of consumer engagement, and loss of ad expenditures. With a detailed understanding of your audiences’ preferred channels, your advertising campaigns won’t become a marketing waste

Solutions to Minimize Media Waste

Shifting to a zero-waste expenditure tactic is manageable with a solid digital marketing plan and effective targeting strategies. Here are three marketing budget tips to maximize good media budgeting.

1. Develop a Unique Customer Persona

Developing a comprehensive understanding of your buyers is the best way to minimize ad spending waste. When you identify a core target audience that can elevate your brand’s image and increase sales, your marketing team can allocate its advertising budget to areas that bring results. 

Start by focusing on consumer attributes like personality, interests, purchase intentions, subculture, and preferred platform.

2. Adjust Your Branding Techniques

A unique brand identity is crucial for customer acquisition and proper media budgeting. 

Develop ways to connect your brand values to what your consumers want. Additionally, customize your logos to make them instantly recognizable. When you adjust your branding techniques, you’ll attract more customers at a lower cost per acquisition, helping to reduce media waste expenditures.

3. Optimize Your Techniques During a Campaign

Marketers make a critical mistake by waiting until the end of a campaign before making modifications. They’ll have used up their ad budget with minimal returns by then. Dive into your metrics and assess what’s generating your desired campaign results. 

Optimizing during the campaign allows you to devote more finances toward areas generating the desired results. You can also use third-party analytics to track audience insights, including reach, impressions, and conversion rates.

Minimize Ad Spending Waste with Channel Factory

Media waste doesn’t have to derail your marketing campaign. You can create a cost-efficient campaign by identifying areas of consumer value, developing a solid brand, and tracking your results. Channel Factory can maximize your advertising expenses. 

We’ll align your ads with appropriate YouTube content that resonates with your customers and help you make smarter media expenditure decisions.

Learn how to sail past competitors by keeping up with current marketing trends. When you’re ready, contact us to learn more about our solutions.