Why YouTube Is So Important To the Internet
The internet has its good points and bad points. But one of the positives is undoubtedly YouTube. The video sharing platform enables publishers of all kinds to share information and entertainment. It is a source of alternative news, an educational platform for anybody with an interest in anything and can be used by brands to promote products, build brand awareness and engage customers.
YouTube started out in 2005 as a platform to share video clips. Within 18 months of its humble beginnings, YouTube was acquired by Google for $1.65bn. Since then the social video sharing platform receives 1.5 billion active users each month watching 1 billion hours of video on a daily basis.
Video is the most consumed media on the internet and covers an entire range of subjects and human connection. From amusing clips of animals and toddlers to fascinating discourse and inventions that could change the world, the length and breadth of video content covers everything you can imagine.
Filmora created an infographic that shows many interesting and up to date YouTube statistics,
How YouTube helps brands
Given its intimate connections with Google, YouTube is the second most powerful search engine in the net. Furthermore, YouTube videos often appear on page #1 of Google and over 60% of users click on one of the first three links in search results. Over 90% of users select a link in the top ten.
Video is vitally important to internet users and Google’s purpose is to deliver end-users with content they want. Furthermore, the human brain is hardwired to consume visual content. 90% of the information computed by the brain is visual, and 40% of people prefer to learn using visual aids.
Brands should be taking advantage of modern technology. Video is the fastest growing advertising medium year-on-year and with the emergence of 360 video, virtual reality and augmented reality, brand advertising is on the verge of taking the customer experience to the next level of “advertertainment”.
Furthermore, YouTube is a social sharing website. It provides a platform for users to interact with content and engage with other users, including brands. The comments fields allows users to share ideas and provide feedback to online companies.
The sharing mentality of YouTube users can have significant benefits for brands. Word of mouth advertising is and always will be the most powerful and cost-effective form of advertising. And modern consumers make 20-50% of their purchasing decisions based on peer reviews.
Videos on mobile
More internet users access the web on mobile devices than desktop computers. And 40% of videos consumed online are mobile users. Brands can take advantage of this growing trend by publishing videos and using YouTube as a host.
Videos are not only informative but can be used to drive traffic to other content. They are also an important device for building backlinks and improving search engine rank. By utilising video as a part of your marketing strategy, you increase the chances of earning trust and authority which will increase online visibility and profits.
Video is a vitally important tool for businesses and is set to be even more important as video technology improves. As a video sharing platform hosting billions of footage, YouTube is an integral cog in the wheel of revolution. And we would like to celebrate it as a victory for the internet.
