14 YouTube Trends for 2020: New Forecasts & A Look Into What’s Next

When it comes to online video sharing, YouTube is, without a doubt, the ultimate destination. The platform has established itself as a peerless social media website where modern video culture unfolds daily. Because of this, marketers have turned to YouTube to build brand relevancy and spur their video marketing strategies. However, positive results have been hard to come by, especially for marketers who are not abreast of key YouTube trends.

In this article we’ll reveal all the latest YouTube trends you should know. We’ve sifted through the staggering collection of videos on YouTube to spot trends that make sense to business owners, marketers, brand influencers, and advertisers. The goal is to help you use video marketing to promote your brand and keep up with the sustainably-minded consumers.

In today’s fast-paced business world, there are millions of products and services vying for consumers’ attention. The cutthroat competition has impelled marketers to try new ways to make their products known to the masses. One way is content marketing, which has become a pillar for many marketing teams. From blogs, podcasts, and infographics to ebooks, whitepapers, and case studies, marketers are all out to get the attention of their consumers.

However, over the years, video marketing has vividly overshadowed all the others. Video marketing has taken over marketing, and it’s easy to see why. According to CodeFuel, an average internet user stays 88% longer on a website with videos than without. Besides, the same study found that 64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching its video. So, what makes video such an instrumental part of today’s marketing strategy?

Apparently, video marketing has two key aspects that make it truly irresistible. One, video is good at capturing your consumers’ attention. Today’s consumers have hectic schedules and often don’t have time for the lengthy, textbased product description or sales pitch. Video allows marketers to circumvent this problem. It makes it a breeze to provide information in a way that consumers want to engage with.

Second, with video, it’s easy to deliver information that tags at the heartstrings of your consumers. This is because videos blend sounds and visuals that evoke emotions more effectively than text-based content. This way, when consumers watch videos, they feel more connected to your brand or product and are obliged to take action.

Besides, with videos comes clarity. When these three aspects are welded together, video generates increased conversion and higher ROI. To illustrate, according to HubSpot, adding a video on your landing page can increase conversion rates by 80%.

1. YouTube By Numbers

Since its inception in February 2015, YouTube has grown exponentially to become the giant platform it is today. What started with a single, 18-seconds video called, “Me at the Zoo,” has developed to become the second most popular website, after Google. Today, there is a proliferation of YouTube videos with creators uploading 400 hours of video every minute.

In terms of users, YouTube receives an unbelievable 30 million visitors daily. Also, in total, YouTube has over 2 billion logged-in users each month (Youtube.com), making it the third most visited website, trailing behind only Google and Facebook. Besides, video consumers watch over 1 billion hours of video on YouTube daily.

As it stands, YouTube controls nearly a third of the internet. The ever-growing numbers tell a story of a social networking platform that is setting the trends in the realms of online video sharing. YouTube has positioned itself as an incredible social platform not just for the entertainment industry, but also for businesses. Its rise as a social channel for business is poised for steady growth with researchers predicting that by 2020, 82% of the total internet traffic in the world will be video-based (cisco.com)

As expected, many businesses are using YouTube today. In fact, statistics show that in 2019, up to 62.9% of business used YouTube to post a video (Buffer.com) The growth in the importance of YouTube as a video sharing platform makes the business video world a highly competitive arena. Because of this, creativity alone won’t make your video stand out on YouTube. Rather, your videos will appeal to consumers only if you adopt sound video marketing strategies and above all, understand the current and emerging YouTube video trends. You can read this compilation of video marketing data to gain a better understanding of this landscape.

2. YouTube Live

Consumers prefer to watch videos that tell a story. There is no better way to tell a captivating brand story than through a live stream. This is because live streams create a first-person, interaction that allows the consumer to relate and connect with your brand in real-time. The prospect of directly speaking to a brand intrigues consumers and inspires them to stick around longer.

Live streaming has taken social media space by storm, and YouTube has jumped the bandwagon. YouTube Live is an incredible live streaming feature that enables you to engage consumers in numerous interesting ways. Since it was rolled out in 2011, YouTube’s live stream functionality has changed the way people consume video content.

In fact, today, more people are likely to watch a live stream on YouTube than a regular video. The inclination of consumers towards live streaming is gradually eroding the consumption levels of regular videos. In fact, consumers spend 8 times longer watching live video than video on demand (Livestream.com). As a result, if you want to reap additional value from YouTube, you must rethink your strategies.

YouTube Live makes video content seem authentic and relatable. Brands and marketers can use YouTube Live to start unfiltered conversations with their consumers. By allowing consumers to ask questions and speak to you directly via YouTube Live, it makes them feel valued.  This way, the consumers feel obligated to reciprocate the favor. As a result, there is a high possibility that they will like the product or service you are introducing.

3. Immersive shopping

In its own right, YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google. Its search volume dwarfs that of Yahoo, Bing, Ask.com, and AOL combined. This, coupled with the fact that consumers are making buying decisions based on videos, makes Youtube a valuable source of information for shoppers.

To make it even better, YouTube allows video creators to share different types of shopping videos. From “Hauls,” “Shop With Me,” “Gift guides,” and product reviews videos, the platform makes it easy to create videos for shoppers in the pre-purchase and post-purchase stage. These digital videos are not created equal, but their ultimate goal is to simplify the customer experience.

For example, a “Shop with Me” video offers a guided tour at the retail store. A video creator documents the video to show viewers the A to Z of picking out items, say denim dress. This way, a potential buyer won’t have to worry about how they would look in a denim dress or how much it would cost.

The soaring popularity of immersive shopping videos on YouTube has upended shopping. To illustrate a study found that 80% of online shoppers watched a YouTube video  (ThinkwithGoogle) of the product they were planning to buy. Besides, over the last two years, the watch time of “shop with me” videos has grown tenfold. (ThinkWithGoogle) Besides, “does it work” grew 12 times and “Everything you need to know” videos increased by two times.

As you can see, consumers view YouTube as a helpful shopping guide and research destination. Watching shopping videos is no longer a passive experience for buyers. It is an amazingly active experience that ends up with viewers buying from brands. The conversion of shopping videos is high, and it’s time you took advantage of this trend.

4. How-to Tutorials

The How-to video is not a new genre on YouTube. The trend has been around for a long time, but even so, its popularity is not slowing down anytime soon. In fact, Google, YouTube’s parent company, has made changes to help how-to videos gain more traction.

Today, when you type a question on Google, you get two types of results. One is text-based results and second, is how-to video results. Given that video tutorials don’t just talk extensively about the solution, they demonstrate how to solve it, more consumers are now gravitating towards these videos.

From applying makeup, cooking a delicious recipe, and installing new software, how-to videos teach consumers how to do virtually anything. They simplify the lives of consumers, remove confusion about products’ use with firsthand information, and save time easy-to-follow steps. On the other hand, the videos take work off the plate of the customer service teams by reducing consumer’s concerns and questions.

When you evaluate how-to videos from a brand’s perspective, you’d be forgiven to wave it off as a tricky proposition. However, a deeper look into how-to and learning content reveals that this category is one of the best ways to capture consumers’ attention on YouTube. Recent research showed that how-to videos get the most attention on YouTube than any other category (ThinkWithGoogle). Also, 67% of Millenials strongly believe they can easily find how-to videos on virtually anything they want to learn (ThinkWithGoogle)

5. Follower-Decided Content

Up until the last few years, YouTube creators were in full control of content creation. However, things have changed, and viewers are now getting the opportunity to decide the content. The fierce competition, propelled by the increasing viewers’ demands, has pushed creators to this whole new level.

Additionally; today, it’s more difficult than ever to capture the viewer’s attention. It takes immense creativity and strategic interactivity between the creator and the audience for videos to earn compelling viewership. But YouTuber creators have come up with a way to ensure the content they create is easy for viewers to relate with.

Instead of solely dictating content, influencers are now engaging viewers in a two-way dialog prior to content creation. Whether it’s via live videos, polls, or comments videos creators are investing in interactions, their fans love to have. This way, they harness viewers insights, while cultivating the type of connections that guarantee a more engaged audience. Here, you can employ one of the best customer feedback and review management solutions to guide your course.

There is no doubt the  ‘follower decides” trend takes the influencer-viewer relationship a notch higher. But does this trend offer any benefits to marketers? Over the last year, the followers-decide video trend garnered more than 100 million views on YouTube (ThinkWithGoogle).

6. Morning & Night Routines Videos

People love stories. When the story impacts the viewer’s life, they pay close attention. The morning and night routines trend exemplifies YouTube storytelling. However, unlike other forms of stories on YouTube, morning and night routines videos tend to center around daily rituals.

For example, a morning routine video might include drinking coffee, gym schedules, and skincare regimen. On the other hand, night routine videos might include applying essential oil before bedtime.

Morning and night routines videos are made to solve the most common routine woes. Basically, influencers or celebrities film themselves applying makeup, getting ready for bed, unwinding after a tedious day, or doing any other morning or night rituals. They share these routines videos to inspire viewers and help them choose their skincare products, cosmetic options and even restructure their daily routines.

There is an upsurge in the viewership of morning and night routine videos. In fact, statistics show that the watch time of night routine videos has increased by 80%, whereas that of morning routine videos has grown threefold (ThinkWithGoogle). Also, 60% of online shoppers say YouTube videos inspire them to make a purchase decision (ThinkWithGoogle).

The morning and nighttime routine videos continue to grow in popularity. These videos are tailored to the in-the-moment needs of the consumer; hence, they present an irresistible product placement goldmine.

7. 360-Degree Videos

We all love exploring products and content in unique ways – there is no doubting that. In fact, when you are allowed to go in-depth with details about a product, making the purchase decision becomes a breeze. One of the best ways to rigorously examine a product is through 360-degree videos.

The introduction of 360-degree videos has been a monumental change in the way brands present products to consumers. Initially, video content was a click-to-play affair for consumers since there was no freedom to change the screen’s perspective.

However, that has changed with the emergence of 360-degree videos. Today, with 360-degree videos, consumers can move the video content around and interact with it in ways they previously couldn’t. The videos provide a truly immersive, virtual reality experience, keeping viewers thrilled.

The best thing about 360-degree videos is that they spike true engagement via immersive content. This way, the videos capture consumers’ attention and allow them to examine the product from their most convenient perspective.

8. YouTube Ads Over TV Ads

Not long ago, the television (TV) was the channel of choice for business ads. However, recently, the marketing space has seen a dramatic change and businesses are reaping fewer returns from TV ads. Not only are prime TV ads expensive, but they also don’t reach as many consumers as they used to. The internet wave has swept away TV’s prime time viewership, and unsurprisingly, businesses are pulling away from TV ads.

The dwindling fortune of TV ads has turned the odds in favor of YouTube ads. Today, many brands are investing their money into YouTube ads. This is quite understandable because YouTube ads are less expensive and they reach more consumers than TV ads. In fact, according to one Nielsen study, on mobile alone, YouTube reaches more adults consumers than any cable network does (ThinkWithGoogle). Other compelling statistics include:

• Consumers primarily watch YouTube on mobile during prime time. (ThinkWithGoogle)
• 75% of adults watch YouTube at home on mobile devices. (ThinkWithGoogle)
• Paid YouTube mobile advertising is 84% more likely to grab consumer attention than TV ads. (ThinkWithGoogle)

From the data, its clear that YouTube ads have overtaken TV ads. Besides, YouTube has redefined mobile viewing – from a daytime and on-the-go session to prime time activity.  As a result, YouTube ads now rule where TV ads used to flourish, and the trend is gathering pace. By combining YouTube mobile advertising with one of the best mobile marketing software platforms, you easily achieve the desired goals.

9. Celebrity Channels

Traditionally, celebrities relied on media publications and record labels to release their content. However,  the technological strides made in the social media landscape has changed the rules of the game.

Mainstream celebrities want to be close to their fans than ever before. This means that they have to deviate from the norm to allow fans to see them in their unplanned form. As a result, many A-listers have moved from publishing content via their record labels. They have taken to social media to create urgency around their brand and connect with their fans on a personal level.

For long, Instagram and Twitter have been the social channels of choice for many celebrities. With features like Instagram Stories, it has been easy for celebrities to release content that keeps fans engaged and yearning for more.

However, lately, the YouTube channel trend is redefining how celebrities interact with their fans. With YouTube channel, celebrities can now deliver unscripted video content that is seen as being more authentic. Unlike the professionally produced content, the behind the scenes content has brought a new dimension to celebrity video content, making it more relatable.

Celebrity YouTube channels are personality-driven. This means celebrities have to jump out of the famous world and show fans the other side of life. This, in itself, is a well-calculated gamble for many A-listers, and many are willing to take the step. The move has blurred the lines between celebrity and social media influencing. On the other hand, it has given brand ambassadorship a breath of fresh air.

10. Docuseries

Docuseries means a series of related, documentary-style videos released in segments. Generally, docuseries are videos that are released incrementally. These videos are massively trending today and influencers, as well as independent creators, are riding the wave. Some of the celebrities riding high on this trend include Ariana Grande and Shane Dawson.

What happens is, docuseries contain numerous crossovers and ideas that complement each other. This episodic nature of docuseries means that when viewers watch one segment, they are constantly on the lookout for the next one.

11. ASMR Variety

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos are not the usual YouTube content. They are uniquely and professionally produced videos, primarily to deliver certain sounds and visuals. The videos are intended to invoke certain feelings that are satisfying and soothing to the viewers.

Generally, ASMR videos include things such as whispering, cooking, book reading, cosplay, eating, etc. The ASMR started a small niche, but the trend is currently on high gear. The video category has won the hearts of many viewers, and the online community of ASMRtists is growing steadily.

The emerging breed of ASMRtists has taken the influencer marketing space by storm. The evocative nature of their video content defies the norm of conventional marketing. As a result, this category is an irresistible platform for brands related to meditation, mental health, wellness, and therapy.

12. YouTube Search Engine

Video marketing is on the rise, as more and more marketers seek to reap its benefits. In fact, HubSpot’s State of Inbound study found that 45% of marketers are spending more on YouTube marketing than any other channel. The influx of marketers to YouTube means that to see success, you need more than your creative video recording skills and the best video editing software.

To generate increased conversion and greater ROI from video marketing, you need in-depth knowledge of YouTube search engine optimization.  YouTube makes hundreds of changes each year, and 2019 is no different. For example in July 2019, YouTube tweaked its algorithm to make family content easily accessible (Bloomberg). This change was made to appease parents and convince them that YouTube content is safe for kids.

This is one of the many changes made by Google to alter the YouTube algorithm. Generally, not all changes will favor your video marketing strategy on YouTube. For this reason, you’ll have to make the necessary changes to your SEO strategy for YouTube videos to stand out. What you need to know is that you’ll not be in direct control of some of the most important YouTube metrics. However, there is plenty of ‘best practices’ that can be adapted to align videos with the changing YouTube landscape.

For example, to increase video CTR, you can change the video title, thumbnail, and description. Besides, to boost audience retention endear to create clear, captivating, and valuable video content. Also, YouTube rewards videos that keep viewers on the platform. As such, it’s important to create high-quality content, produce long videos and include captivating end screen elements.

13. Ugly to Beauty Challenge

Are you in the beauty or skincare products industry? If yes, then, this is a trend to keep an eye on. The ugly to beauty challenge videos are on an upward trend on YouTube and other social media platforms. These tutorial videos fall under the how-to video category. However, we decided to highlight this as a trend on its own because of the targeted nature of these videos.

The Ugly to beauty challenge videos are created by creators with a vast knowledge of beauty and skincare products. As the name suggests, YouTube creators share these videos with the intent to help viewers, especially those making their first move into cosmetics. This category has taken the online landscape by storm and its proving to be a reliable social media marketing strategy for B2C companies.

14. Sustainable Living

It seems consumers, especially beauty mavens, want to look good and at the same time, live a good life. To put it simply, today’s consumers crave a more sustainable and minimalist lifestyle. Borrowing a leaf from the primitive technology videos, sustainable living videos are overhauling the modern lifestyle.

These videos have sprung to life on YouTube as more and more viewers turn attention to eco-friendlier products and services. The trend is not new, but it’s definitely worth to keep an eye on, especially for brands in the real estate, beauty, and hospitality industry.

As we have noticed, sustainable videos are playing out YouTibe in different ways. For example, there is a notable proliferation of videos in categories like “zero-waste swap.” In this category of videos, creators capture themselves using products that offer a more sustainable option. Another category that is causing ripples on YouTube is the minimalist existence videos, where creators ditch the urban life for a nomadic lifestyle like living in a van.

What should you do with these YouTube trends?

Trends change almost daily, and it is no different with YouTube. However, the trends we’ve mentioned above have shown consistency in the way they have dominated the YouTube landscape in recent years. New trends will spring up in the most unexpected time; there is no doubt about that. But for now, its time to take advantage of the existing YouTube trends.

These trends are ruling the waves at a time when there is a huge surge in the adoption of video by marketers. If you want to blast into the future of video marketing, you need to align your strategy with these trends. The best thing is that you don’t have to own a YouTube channel to reap the potential benefits. You can partner with established celebrities and YouTube influencers to market your product or service to the target audience. Above all, you should understand what campaign management in marketing is, and use the right software solutions to streamline your entire marketing strategy.