YouTubers Go Mainstream How YouTubers Are Spreading Their Social Wings

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The 20,000 Foot View

Views of the top        YouTube channels doubled from        billion in February 2015 to        billion in October 2015. At the same time, the number of subscribers to the top        channels doubled to        billion. Despite Google sticking with its 2013 official statement of one billion monthly unique users for YouTube, it is clear that it is exploding in popularity. The growth drivers are native YouTuber channels, with over half of all subscribers gained in the final        months of 2015 being from this category. With consumer momentum clearly behind them, native YouTubers are now looking to expand their reach beyond the confines of the YouTube ecosystem. As they do so, their unique brand appeal will be diluted in the process of engaging with the demands of traditional media and by the diverse characteristics of different social channels.

Key Findings

• Daily short-form video views across all video servicesnearly tripled between        2014 and        2015 from        billion to        billion 
• YouTubers are able to leverage their highly-engaged audiences to branch out into other areas of media
• YouTubers are most effective when they develop complementary business channels
• They will continue to rely upon YouTube as their core revenue and audience base
• Many YouTubers will find the demands of the wider media industry overly restrictive
• They will also often struggle to add non-YouTube audiences to their fan base when engaging in traditional media
• Brand monetization rates will increase as audience numbers remain static for YouTubers engaging in the non-YouTube economy
• Developing profile on platforms such as Netflix represents the best way for YouTubers to build both audience and revenue simultaneously in one place

Companies mentioned in this report: Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Gleam Futures, Vessel, Ipsy, SourcedBox, Hulu