With 2.3 billion users across the world, and as the second most popular search engine after Google, it’s not hard to see that YouTube is a popular platform in 2022. But what are the reasons behind this? And why do some of its channels rack up over 100 million subscribers? We reveal the craze behind YouTube here.
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Content is king
These days, videos, music and interactive content are grabbing our attention, and this is where YouTube excels. In fact, the majority of Internet traffic can be linked back to video content. Every day, people all over the world watch one billion hours of videos on YouTube. It’s no surprise that YouTube is America’s favourite social media platform, according to ExpressVPN’s social media survey.
Not just that, but the same survey found that those platforms with video content had the highest usage, with over 50% saying they watched YouTube videos for at least an hour a day. 14% said they typically spent more than five hours a day on YouTube. The same can be said in the UK, as Cyber Crew revealed there are over 50 million YouTube users in the UK and 97% log in every month. ¼ of these are between the ages of 16-24.
Money matters
YouTube is completely free, and only a small amount of content comes under the premium streaming service. In fact, over 99% of the content is free.
There are cost benefits for influencers too. YouTube pays social media content makers directly, unlike other platforms, which could be another reason for its popularity. As the compensation comes in, and their videos get more views, the compensation gets even higher. YouTube even opened up a space in LA for people to film videos, but only if you have at least 10,000 subscribers – according to The Fact Site.
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It’s easy to use
Whether you’re searching for a recipe or want to watch a music video, YouTube makes it really easy to find content. Its algorithm also suggests other content you may be interested in, which makes it a great source for trends.
That’s before we mention the behind-the-scenes content, sneak peek interviews and movie trailers that you probably won’t have seen anywhere else. Videos on YouTube aren’t just original but are often educational, and many of them are being streamed in high quality.
There’s a great community
With billions of active users, there’s potential to make connections on YouTube. In fact, YouTube compares its community feel to Facebook’s. Comments and interactions on posts can boost engagement, and the opportunity to subscribe to channels helps to build a growing and dynamic community.
Social media platforms will continue to pop up and the likes of TikTok and Instagram are only set to grow. To keep up, YouTube needs to stay one step ahead with even more quality content. One thing’s for sure, there’s always going to be space for it and we think YouTube will maintain its popularity for at least a few years yet.