The 3 Major Trends That Drove YouTube Viewership In 2018

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People watch over a billion hours of video on YouTube every day. Three major trends emerge to show what people are really looking for on the platform.

Billions of hours watched, billions of views. There is no defining YouTube by numbers. It’s simply huge. YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google, and everything we look for on the platform can be quite revealing of how society is evolving.

Google looked into the three major trends that drove YouTube viewership in 2018.

1. Searching for relaxation

According to the APA 3 in 4 Americans have experienced at least one stress symptom in the last 30 days, so it seems many are turning to YouTube to find ways to decompress and unwind. YouTube found that watch time of videos related to relaxation increased by more than 70% over 12 months.

Source: Google Data, U.S., July 2017–June 2018.

2. Looking for inspiration

The world is not getting any simpler. People are increasingly turning to YouTube to make sense of it all and help them narrow down choices. The platform saw a 100% watch time increase for YouTube videos on “which product to buy” this past year.

YouTube saw a 100% watch time increase for videos on “which product to buy” this past year.

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And YouTube influencers remain a great source of inspiration; over 70% of shoppers said they were open to brands getting more involved and help them decide what products to buy.

wersm youtube behaviors 2018 inspiration

Source: Google/Magid Advisors, U.S., “The Role of Digital Video in People’s Lives,” n=2,000, 18–64 general online population, July 2018.

3. Seeking more connection

Finally, people are looking for more connection. It is not new, and it is very much in our nature, but in times where everyone seems to be stuck to their phones, more and more people are looking to connect and watch videos together.

Google found that 7 in 10 Gen Z-ers feel more connected when watching videos with others. Enough to make you reconsider the importance of new features like Facebook Watch Party? Maybe.

Source: Google/Ipsos Connect, U.S., Generation Z Media & Values study, n=1000 people age 13–17, May 2018.

7 in 10 Gen Z-ers feel more connected when watching videos with others. Enough to make you reconsider the importance of new features like Facebook Watch Party?

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The world is moving fast, and people are looking for ways to cope and find their way through the noise. YouTube trends are showing us what they want. Will brands deliver?