In December 2005, YouTube officially launched and was almost instantly streaming 2 million videos a day into the homes of its first users. The premise behind YouTube was that the developers believed that people would enjoy sharing home videos, but history has shown the platform can be used for much more.

There are now over 2 billion individuals using YouTube on a monthly basis, and while the majority of these are content to watch videos, many others are busy creating and uploading.

As the developers originally hoped, there are indeed plenty of home videos being shared. Very often these are of the ‘epic fail’ nature when unexpected accidents happen for comedic effect. But, there are also many influencers and creators showing live and original streaming content for their audience.

But what is the best content if you want to grow your audience?

How do you grow a YouTube audience?
Growing a following on any type of social media can be time-consuming. Facebook has the ‘people you may know' feature which lets you add people often quite randomly. But this type of growth isn’t very effective for brands or creators.

These people need an audience that is genuinely interested in their content, and importantly, will engage with it. Content is everything on YouTube, and one thing that happens often is the most watched videos will attract more viewers.

For example, if Video A has 300 views and Video B has 300,000 views, the user will almost always pick Video B. Even if the title is identical and the content is the same. This is because Video B seems more legitimate and credible.

Therefore, buying views is one way to grow audiences fast which will make your videos appear higher on searches and gain extra hits.

Great content versus buying views
There are many growth services available for social media platforms now. These involve sharing and liking different posts, and followers can also be bought. As a long-term strategy they can be ineffectual as you need a genuine audience to engage with your posts, and ideally, buy your product if you are a vendor.

However, buying YouTube live views for instance can see an instant rise in subscribers and viewing figures on your video streams. This isn’t to say that content isn’t critical though.

Buying views will help to increase interest in your videos and thereby attract a bigger audience. If these people subscribe to your channel then you are winning. But, if you fail to create content that they enjoy watching then your new audience will start to dwindle.

To be successful on YouTube, requires you to figure out what your target audience wants to see.

What is the most watched video on YouTube?
It is extremely unlikely that you haven’t seen this video, or not heard the music from it. The Baby Shark Dance is the most watched video and has now racked up over 11 billion views on YouTube.

The top ten most watched YouTube videos as of August 2022 were made up solely of children’s entertainment, and music videos. No other type of content is featured.

However, this doesn’t mean you have to be a pop star or sing nursery rhymes on camera to be successful on YouTube.

What content is most popular on YouTube?

Understanding what content is popular is a good starting point when trying to create your new channel. There are many benefits from growing subscribers including increased revenue from views, and adverts.

The most popular YouTube content includes the following:

● Funny animals
● Video game tutorials and walkthroughs
● Tutorials and how-to guides
● Product reviews
● Celebrity gossip

These make up the top five most popular types of YouTube content. Number 10 incidentally, is educational videos. Video has proven to be far more effective for content retention. Around 95% of information absorbed from a video is remembered compared to just 10% from text only.

This may be why game walkthroughs, tutorials, and reviews are now more popular in video form than in a book or magazine.

The popularity of videos can also come down to the presenter themselves, and the actual content. If you have a combination of good video content and a winning personality, then you could see your audience grow quickly.

Finding the right niche can do wonders for a YouTube channel also.

Why should you find a niche?

Finding a niche can mean that you become something of an authority on a certain subject. Video games are a good example, as are health and beauty.

Recently, the Film Academy’s museum connected with audiences uniquely and unexpectedly. The operators had concerns that today’s younger generations were more interested in streaming than in movie history. But, their fears were unfounded.

Film previews and breakdowns are highly popular on YouTube, and are another niche area. This can lead to a loyal audience and increased subscribers if your style and material are appreciated.

Summary

Attention spans seem particularly low on the internet. Bounce rates are estimated to be as low as 20 seconds for web pages, and it is said that the average user watches just 50% of selected videos on YouTube. Finding the right content is critical to growing subscribers.

However, understanding what content works are only half the battle. You need to be knowledgeable about what you are presenting, stay relevant, and produce quality work. If you can be easily found on the platform and gain a reputation for good work then you should find the audience you are looking for.