How Hollywood Can Capture YouTube User Interest
If you’ve blindfolded yourself Bird Box-style and cocooned yourself within a world of silence à la A Quiet Place, you might not know just how popular social media has truly become. Followers and subscribers very well may be the new box office and ratings results. But that doesn’t mean Hollywood can roll over and give up.
Instead, film and TV studios should shift their focus to converting YouTube users into audience members. Easier said than done, I know. But by understanding who YouTube users really are, what lifestyle and leisure activities they enjoy, and what their media consumption habits are, Hollywood gains a better understanding of where and how to reach them.
More than 202 million U.S. adults across nearly 109 million households use YouTube, according to Greenlight Analytics. That’s a massive slice of both the existing and potential entertainment audience.
Consider this a roadmap studios can use to activate and funnel key YouTube audiences.
Sports
We know sports are important to the YouTube ecosystem, which is reflected in the audience makeup. According to Greenlight, YouTube users are:
10% more likely to be sports merchandise buyers
9% more likely to be professional sports fans
8% more likely to be basketball fans
8% more likely to be sports ticket buyers
5% more likely to be football fans
4% more likely to be baseball fans
We can work with this! Fandom-driven audiences with an affinity for short-form content feeds right into promotional avenues. Actor challenges, athlete endorsements, sports/pop culture crossovers, etc. It’s not about shot-gun blasting advertising; it’s about targeted marketing to the persuadable audience by aligning with their existing interests.
Travel
Similar to sports, younger-skewing YouTube audiences seek out communal real life experiences. YouTube users are:
5% more likely to travel with a significant other
5% more likely to book hotels
4% more likely to travel domestically
This is another lifestyle category studios can tap into to engage social media-heavy audiences. Globe-trotting plot points, location-driven behind the scenes content, travel style promotions, tourism partnerships. The Fast & Furious franchise has been all over this for years. Major releases are leaving money on the table by not emphasizing these easily reachable lanes.
Demos
The two largest age cohorts among YouTube users are the 25-34 and 65+ age brackets. YouTube users are also 18% more likely to live in urban areas. This age divide can help direct tailored messaging; don't serve up my Dad the same trailer cut you're serving me. Elsewhere, creator collaborations, street-level content and in-person activations naturally fit these urban audiences.
Media Habits
They are 7% more likely to be streaming viewers and 12% less likely to watch live TV. That’s an important distinction that lends itself to a direct bridge from YouTube to a given SVOD. How? “Watch Now” mid-roll call-to-action, recap playlists, creator-driven explainers and easter egg videos, limited time exclusive offers, etc. The options are endless as you build ways to direct the user journey via content affinity.
Again, much of this is easier said than done and some of it is already being deployed. But too often studios focus on noisy broad awareness as opposed to focused segmentation. Building pathways directly from YouTube to their home streamers (and theaters) is possible if you press the right buttons.
