The eighth edition of Vidcon, a major summit dedicated to online video creators, was held in Anaheim, California. Bringing together influencers, brands, agencies, platforms and fans, it welcomed more than 30,000 participants in four days. As every year, the Made in team was there to review the major trends in online video content creation and strategy.
Even though we’ve been immersed in the world of digital marketing for several years, we are still shocked by the magnitude of YouTube’s phenomenon. We keep asking ourself: “This is crazy. How did we get here?”. As some creators remind us, “You start making videos because you want to do good”, to bond with people, to share experiences and stories, to stay informed, etc. Some find a way to express themselves, others to identify themselves, to have fun and to learn. The key ingredient to success: real-life authenticity!
Thirteen years after the launch of YouTube, we are in this new era where celebrities are no longer Brad Pitt and George Clooney. They are PewDiePie (63 million YouTube subscribers), Stephen Sharer, Phil de Franco, Hanna Hart and even the dog Doug the Pug! We had the rare chance to attend this dog’s Q&A on-site. From his small basket, he was sitting in front of a crowd of fans overexcited at the idea of learning more about his daily celebrity life.
While TV remains the number one medium for 41% of Americans, YouTube is on every screen and generates 43% of incremental audiences on TV*. The video format, therefore, remains the undeniable favourite content with 64% of 18-34-year-olds watching a video “at least once” a day**. No wonder YouTube announces the release of the “vertical” format for its videos. The company is adapting to the mobile device remaining at anyone’s fingertips.
With a glance at the figures from YouTube – 1.9 billion subscribers in 90 countries – we come to think: what if YouTube is becoming the number one television channel on the planet? What if YouTube was the new global economic system with millions of spokespeople for global impact?
The Made in team attended several conferences led by “the creators”. Is was not only YouTube enthusiasts who were facing us, but real marketing and media experts. From the creation of their thumbnail, without forgetting the tag and the title, everything is meticulously prepared from analyses: tracking keywords on Google Trends, studies of audiences, their behaviour and their expectations.
Everything is precisely calculated and quantified. Influencers are content producers, and today they are the leaders of video downloads on Facebook (56% of videos vs 38% for media agencies) and YouTube (89% of videos)***.
Major digital players rely on the power of these creators and the business opportunities they represent to establish new development avenues. YouTube Premium will offer the opportunity to design pre-recorded programs, but present them as a “live” programs, to increase engagement between audiences and content creators. The sale of derivatives will also be put forward by a carousel under “the bio”. Finally, online commerce platforms such as Amazon or Shopify offer content creators the opportunity to help them design their online commerce and increase their revenues.
Some YouTubers bring us down to earth. It’s the case with Rossana d’Eh bee family (6.5 million subscribers) who cites: “It feels good when you have likes and bad when you don’t. But don’t make videos to be viewed. Don’t let the numbers get you, don’t forget what you say and why you say it.” This reconciles us with the phenomenon. It restores a profoundly human aspect to the endeavour, reminding us how digital has made it possible to give a voice to the voiceless; to give everyone a chance to express themselves.
The words “authenticity” and “storytelling” come back in every conference. What moves people the most are the most authentic stories; the real experiences in which they can project themselves and feel emotions. Live and Stories are thus emerging as the new dominant trend, allowing influencers to rediscover a feeling of freedom and spontaneity towards their audiences who are always asking for more!
We are also witnessing the rise of the LiveMe platform, which we discovered in 2016. Moreover, just as we have been doing for several years at Made in, agencies are starting to acknowledge the importance of monitoring emotions, reactions of internet users beyond ensuring awareness/notoriety, commitment and conversion. New tools like Canvs prove it.
