About two-thirds (67%) of 13-24-year-olds who watch online videos say they are watching more digital video because of the pandemic. Findings from a recent report [excerpt download page] from Hub Research shows that increased online video viewing is mostly reserved to younger consumers, with only about 3 in 10 (29% of) respondents ages 35 and older saying their online video viewing has risen since the pandemic.
The survey of about 1,900 US consumers ages 13-74 with broadband internet who watch at least one hour of TV per week found that YouTube is a preferred platform for those who watch online videos, no matter their age. Some 78% of respondents ages 13-24 and 74% of those ages 35+ who watch online video use the platform.
Unsurprisingly, younger consumers are more apt than their older counterparts to watch videos on social media platforms. For example, among the online video viewers surveyed, youth (13-24) are considerably more likely to watch online videos on Instagram (70% vs 26%), Snapchat (54% vs. 9%) and TikTok (53% vs 11%) than their older counterparts.
Earlier research indicates that younger consumers are more likely than older ones to have made a purchase directly from an influencer’s post. They also appear to have more of a familiarity with products and brands promoted by influencers. Hub Research found that close to two-thirds (65%) of younger consumers who watch YouTube influencer videos say they have seen a product or brand featured in a YouTube video, compared to about half (47%) of consumers ages 35 and older.
What’s more, YouTube influencers hold more sway with young people than other advertising channels. Some 7 in 10 (69%) youth ages 13-24 who watch YouTube influencer videos say that these influencers’ endorsements make them more likely to buy than an ad on social media. Additionally, they report that a product endorsed by a YouTube influencer makes them more likely to buy than an ad on TV (66%), a banner ad (62%), print ad (61%) or radio ad (54%). Notably, YouTube influencer video viewers ages 35 and above largely agree, though not to quite the same extent, with around half saying that influencer endorsements hold more sway than social media, banner, print, and radio ads.
An excerpt of the report can be downloaded here.
About the Data: Findings are based on a December 2020 survey of 1,907 US consumers aged 13-74 who have broadband internet and watch at least 1 hour of TV per week.
