YouTubers are winners - not losers

To help brands understand who they are reaching through YouTube and, in turn, ensure they deliver relevant content, Google recently set out to discover what kind of audience the video-sharing site attracts. And the findings weren’t what you may imagine. Far from being square-eyed teenagers in need of some serious natural sunlight exposure, Ipsos MediaCT who conducted the survey found that, on the whole, YouTube advocates are highly social and rather mature in age.

The findings suggest that this group are twice as likely to take a trip to the pictures or go and see a sporting event than non-YouTubers, and four times as likely to go to concerts and gigs. Also, far from being a community of post-Millennials, YouTube’s following are mostly adults, with 90% being 18 or over and 50% being older than 35.

And they’re not all watching sneezing pandas, either; the most popular video category is music, according to the top ten list that Ipsos MediaCT compiled:

1. Music videos (59%)
2. Comedy (44%)
3. How-to/DIY (40%)
4. Film previews/trailers (33%)
5. Live music (concerts) (24%)
6. Short films (24%)
7. Technology, electronics and gadgets (24%)
8. Food, cooking and recipes (21%)
9. Personal or home videos (21%)
10. TV shows (20%)

So, it looks like YouTubers are a humorous bunch who are into their DIY and can cook up a storm in the kitchen. Who knew?

If there’s one thing they aren’t though, it’s stingy; they don’t mind forking out for their content. In fact, brands will be glad to know that this group are two times as likely to pay to download films, music and books and five times more likely to buy video games as their non YouTubing peers. 

Also music to marketers’ ears is the fact that YouTubers are real brand advocates; 58% will tell their friends about a brand they like, compared to just 33% of non-Tubers. They are also three times more likely to give ratings and reviews online that others.     

David Black, director of branding for Google UK, comments: “YouTube is increasingly shaping what matters in content and culture today. Each month more than a billion people come to YouTube to find content they love – from fashion, to music, to food. This research highlights the opportunities for brands to engage with a passionate and influential community of fans.”