Video Watching Trends on YouTube Fuelled by the Pandemic

Besides being a source of entertainment and knowledge, online videos are also helping people in adapting and coping with the pandemic. The content creators on YouTube are asking their viewers to remain in their homes as much as they can and are offering advice on how to adapt to the new normal by making necessary changes in daily life.

This article discusses the different types of YouTube content, viewership of which has increased due to the pandemic. Knowing these trends will help brands and their partner YouTube marketing companies in better planning their YouTube advertising strategy.

Pandemic has made working from home a norm. This has led to an increase in the consumption of YouTube video ads content that provides tips and tricks on how to do it efficiently and effectively. The content in these videos covers topics such as how to troubleshoot a slow internet connection, how to collaborate effectively with remote team members, etc. In the period between 10 May 2020 and 5 May 2021, global searches on YouTube for the queries such as - best webcams for video conferencing - have increased tremendously. There was a more than 250% increase in YouTube searches for the query-video conferencing setup.

Due to the closing of schools amid the pandemic, students are taking classes from their homes through virtual classrooms. As a result, the viewership of study with me videos on YouTube has increased significantly. These videos provide both motivation and companionship to students. An education company can capitalize on these videos by running a YouTube ad campaign and drive brand awareness.

Due to government restrictions and as a precautionary measure, people are mainly eating homemade food. The views of videos related to recipes and cooking have increased significantly. During the period between 10 May 2020 and 5 May 2021, the overwhelming increase occurred in the cooking and recipes-related queries on YouTube such as new recipes 2020, new recipes 2021, milk powder recipes, dark chocolate recipes, cooking with Lynda, etc.

In order to beat the stress of the pandemic, people are increasingly watching videos featuring ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Views of videos related to meditation and yoga have increased considerably.

Due to the pandemic, many people choose to work out in their homes. This has led to a notable increase in the views of fitness videos. YouTube’s fitness category includes thousands of channels that have videos covering topics such as strength training, cardio workout, aerobic exercise, etc. In the period between 10 May 2020 and 5 May 2021, global searches on YouTube for the query - work out videos to do at home – increased by more than 110%, while for – beginner work out at home – the increase was more than 350%.

Brands and their partner YouTube video advertising agencies should take into account the above-mentioned trends while creating their advertising strategy in order to run effective YouTube campaigns.