YouTube star and beauty vlogger Zoella has 7.5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel. Her recent appearance on terrestrial television (a charity version of the Great British Bake-off #GBBO) boosted viewing figures while confusing some viewers (these responses were almost certainly along 'generational' lines!):
You know that YouTube 'celebrity' on #gbbo last night that made us all go 'er...who?' She's just bought a £1M house @Trishie_D
Niece has had to explain Zoella to me. In return, have had to explain jonathan ross, lapsang souchong and electric ovens #gbbo @Sathnam
A new survey by digital content company Defy Media explores how young people (aged 13-24) in the US are watching TV and digital content.
Key findings
- 96% of those surveyed watch digital content every week
- Traditional TV viewing is down; this demographic is watching twice as much digital content (YouTube, Vine; Netflix etc) as scheduled TV programming
- The rise of digital content fits in to a mobile, online lifestyle
- They also reported that online content was more relatable than traditional TV content
YouTube stars are the new influencers
- The younger respondents (aged 13-17) – admire YouTube stars more than Hollywood stars. They find them more 'relatable' and build up a bond with them. YouTube stars feel like one of their own social circle
- Over 60% of all age groups (13-24) say they would buy a brand recommended by a YouTuber
In search of a 'thumbstopper'
How do you get the attention of this demographic? You need to have something that will catch their attention as they are scrolling through their feeds. But this is not reliant on the content. If something has come highly recommended by peers, or sent or shared by someone the young person respects, then that will gain their attention. You can download the full report – and see videos of the young people being interviewed – here.
Sources: Business Insider; Defy Media; Twitter.