Here’s Why YouTube Is Worth The Investment

YouTube has over a billion users and its content receives over 200 million unique views per month. Every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views. While these numbers are impressive, that means its even more important for a brand not to get lost in the crowd.

As always, knowing your audience is critical to any marketing campaign, and YouTube’s diversity makes it possible to reach just about anyone you’d like. On mobile alone, YouTube reaches more members of the 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 year-old age groups than any cable network in the US.

When it comes to trusting information online, 57 percent of Millennials (ages 20 to 34) and Generation Z (ages 16 to 19) trust endorsements from the social media personalities they follow.

While a majority of viewers are between the ages of 25 to 34 with a near even split between men (55 percent) and women (45 percent), teenagers are still a huge draw for the platform.

“YouTube remains the top destination for teenagers, who also rate it the ‘coolest’ social platform and they trust the creators on it much more than they do traditional celebrities,” explained Caroline Collins, director of social media at Ayzenberg in the company’s fourth quarter EMV report.

In fact, a recent study found that nine out of 10 US teenagers said they use YouTube—that’s more than any other social network. A separate study by Defy Media revealed that 54 percent of teens surveyed followed YouTubers on social platforms, compared to 42 percent who followed TV and movie stars. Following this trend, 63 percent would try a product or brand suggested by a YouTuber but fewer than half of respondents said the same about recommendations from a TV or movie star.

More Ways To Play

This year, YouTube has introduced new ways for influencers and brands to connect with viewers world-wide. The addition of 360-degree livestreaming, for example, allows audiences to feel like they are physically there watching a live event or trotting along with an influencer on his/her adventures.

YouTube Red and video monetization options provide opportunities and freedom for creators to build their brand and earn a nice living doing so. With one YouTuber making a whopping $7.4 million dollars last year alone, the potential for successful influencer partnerships is at an all-time high. While still in its infancy, YouTube Community has already shown great promise—allowing creators to reach their audiences by posting photos, asking questions, etc.

Fifty-one percent of marketers say that video content produces the best ROI and YouTube remains the king of social video platforms, even with Facebook Live, Twitch, Periscope and even upstarts like YouNow and Live.me rising in popularity in recent years. When it comes to broad reach, diverse creation options and tapping into prime influencer territory, it’s good to be the king.