2020 was a killer year for YouTube as people turned to videos to replace in-person events and activities. The YouTube stats here show how people are using this video platform right now and what marketers need to know to reach them effectively.
1. YouTube has more than 2 billion logged-in monthly users
That’s not quite as large an audience as Facebook’s 2.74 billion monthly active users.
But keep in mind that it’s possible to watch YouTube content without ever creating an account, so the “logged-in monthly users” number likely underreports the actual number of people watching YouTube content each month.
2. 74% of adults in the U.S. use YouTube
That’s more than Facebook (which reaches 68% of American adults). And it’s almost twice as much as the next runner-up, Instagram (40%).
According to Pew Research, YouTube is the most popular online platform in America.
eMarketer predicts the number of U.S. YouTube watchers will increase to 228.1 million by 2024, up from 214.9 million in 2020.
3. 77% of 15–35 year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube
YouTube is most popular with users 35 and under, but only slightly. 73% of Americans aged 36 to 45 use YouTube, along with 70% of those aged 46 to 55 and 67% of those 56 and older.
This is a very different pattern from other social platforms, where use drops off sharply in the older age groups.
4. 16.4% of YouTube’s site traffic comes from the U.S.
You’ve already seen how pervasive YouTube is in the United States. But keep in mind only a fraction of YouTube’s traffic actually comes from the USA.
According to Alexa’s estimates, while the United States is the single largest source of visitors for YouTube, it still represents only 16.4% of traffic.
5. 56% of YouTube users are male
And 44% are female. (Data is only available for male and female users.)
YouTube’s user based skews male, but there are still plenty of women creating and consuming content on the platform.
6. YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website
And it’s owned by the world’s most visited website – Google.
7. It’s also the world’s second-most used social platform
In this case, it comes in right behind Facebook.
8. People watch more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every day
A billion hours. Every single day. Think about if for a second, that’s an incredible amount of content being consumed, all around the world.
9. Viewers aged 18 and over spend 41.9 minutes on YouTube daily, on average
This includes usage across all devices: mobile, desktop or laptop, and connected TV. That’s an average of 4.9 hours per week or nearly 255 hours per year.
10. 40.9% of YouTube watch time happens on mobile
This number has been shrinking recently as people spend more time watching YouTube on their TVs, but it’s still a significant portion of viewing time.
It’s important to consider because it means YouTube statistics showing how much time people spend browsing YouTube.com significantly underreport the amount of time users actually spend on the platform. (Since mobile views are more likely to use the YouTube app.)
Conclusion
Youtube ads are largest blue ocean right now.
YouTube ran a study and found that 68% of people between the age of 18–48 use YouTube to help make purchase decisions. But how many businesses actually take advantage of this and advertise on YouTube?
Apparently just 9%. Yup, you heard it right.
Although YouTube has been around for a few years, its advertising is only now starting to hit its stride.
Is this an advantage? That’s up for you to decide.
Targeted YouTube advertising is essentially uncharted territory, waiting for pioneers, business owners, like yourself to claim and capitalize on it.
The question is… Will you watch on the sidelines or take action?
If you are ready and would leverage Youtube ads for your business, take a minute and schedule a free discovery with our team: