Trends and Needs of Youtube Creators - What YouTubers say.

Introduction

Unraveling the mysteries of the YouTube algorithm, pursuing viral content, being engulfed in metrics - these encapsulate the usual assumptions we have about what YouTube creators require to flourish. But are these assumptions grounded in reality? Let's finally put them to the test!

Upview recently conducted a comprehensive investigation into the varied world of YouTube content creators, drawing insights globally. We interacted with over 110 YouTubers, conducted more than 80 in-depth interviews, and received 35 detailed survey responses. 

Our participants ranged from budding YouTubers with a few months of experience to seasoned creators with a half-decade-long journey, with subscriber counts varying from 1,000 to 100K. 

This report reveals:

• Comprehensive feedback from 110 creators hailing from over 10 countries, offering their views on the importance of YouTube tools and their struggles and triumphs in the content creation landscape.
• Valuable insights into creators' appraisal of various YouTube tools, underpinned by high interest in Video Success Prediction and Collaboration Tools.
• A spotlight on the existing gap in creators' understanding of YouTube analytics, illuminated through the survey responses of more than 30 creators worldwide.

Delving into the demographics, most of our respondents were relatively new to the YouTube Creator experience, with less than a year under their belt. However, their subscriber counts were predominantly above the 1,000 mark.

Our respondents were evenly distributed across the experience spectrum, ranging from three months to over five years. Almost 38% of our respondents had fewer than 1,000 subscribers, while the largest segment, comprising 40%, boasted subscriber counts ranging from 1,000 to 10,000. A majority hailed from the educational content creation sector and were based in the US, UK, and Canada.

This diverse group of content creators, who boast of subscriber counts of upto 100K, we delve deeper into their enlightening perspectives to uncover our key learnings:

1. YouTube Creators Priorities: Metrics, Collaboration, and Clearer SEO Understanding Top the List.
2. High Demand for AI: The Big Demand is for Better Thumbnails.
3. AI and Ideas: Creators Seek Assistance in Polishing Ideas but do not want them to be dictated.
4. Learning SEO Should Be Fun: Gamification Could Help Creators with Regular Analytics Review.

Let's dive right into it!

1. Priorities for YouTube Creators: Metrics and Collaboration, Facing SEO and Algorithm Mysteries

The spirit of collaboration is on the rise in the YouTube creator ecosystem. Our survey revealed that almost 70% of creators were likely to use a tool suggesting potential collaborators. This suggests that creators are recognizing the mutual benefits of collaboration, such as; 

• Increased reach
• Shared resources,
• Diversified content. 

As the platform evolves, YouTube creators are also keeping a keen eye on several metrics. Our survey indicated a heavy emphasis on 

• Subscriber count (50%),
• Views count (71%), and 
• Watch time (63%). 

Other important parameters included 

• Revenue or monetization (60%), 
• Month over month growth (50%), 
• Average view duration (57%), and 
• Click-Through Rate (60%). 

As we noticed from the trend of the responses, the parameters of highest importance are collaborations and view counts, with 70% respondents choosing them to be their top priority. Surprisingly, only 10 respondents deemed traffic sources as significant.

However, navigating YouTube's algorithm emerged as the primary challenge. Creators shared the challenges they face, with understanding and manipulating YouTube's algorithm topping the list. 

This was followed by struggles with SEO, hashtags, keywords, and thumbnails. Others mentioned hurdles around editing, particularly among new creators, and the difficulty in achieving growth and subscriber targets. The challenge of picking a niche, creating authentic content, and understanding virality were other commonly reported concerns, which we will dive deeper into in our subsequent segments.

Upview supports this trend by providing an effective way for creators to discover and connect with potential collaborators.

2. AI Assistance In Demand: Better Thumbnails Are the Need of the Hour

Thumbnails play a pivotal role in captivating potential viewers, and our creators know it. Over 70% expressed enthusiasm for AI assistance in crafting compelling thumbnails. Yet, intriguingly, only a small fraction utilized different thumbnail options regularly.

Equally surprising was the lukewarm interest in tools providing YouTube video's health score or insights on SEO, thumbnails, and tags, despite their acknowledged importance.

Upview's AI-driven platform offers a game-changing solution: personalized, AI-generated thumbnails designed to capture audience attention and drive click-through rates.

The following chart depicts our respondents' evaluation of the importance of insights related to video health, specifically focusing on SEO, tags, and thumbnails.

Furthermore, only 30% frequently checked the health of their old videos. This did come out as a surprising insight that while everyone is talking about the algorithm as the elephant in the room, and yet a tool that helps leveraging the insights to maximize the creator’s potential and crack the algorithm is ranked as a moderately important subject.

Around 65% of respondents also showed interest in a tool predicting the success or failure rate of a video idea.

To address these concerns, Upview aims to simplify the process of optimizing content for search engines. It provides users with easy-to-follow recommendations that drive traffic and improve visibility. This feature empowers creators to maximize their channel's potential and reach a wider audience.

3. AI and Ideas - More than Two-thirds of Creators Eager for AI Help to Polish Ideas, Boosting Demand for Creative Services

Creators have shown a clear preference for fine-tuning their own ideas, rather than being told what to create. Around 65% of respondents showed interest in a tool predicting the success or failure rate of a video idea. 

By providing AI-powered, data-backed insights, Upview empowers creators to evaluate and refine their content ideas. This feature allows creators to maintain their creative autonomy while leveraging AI insights to maximize their content's potential.

Only 12% of our respondents said that they struggle to come up with new ideas very often, whereas more than 60% responded that they rarely struggle with content ideas and have clarity on their niche. 

However there was an excitement for a tool that can help in fine tuning the ideas for better reach and content quality. In other words, Creators Seek AI Tools for Enhancing Original Ideas, Not Dictating Content Creation.

Not just for idea refinement, there is also a rapidly growing demand for Service Platforms for creators. New creators often grapple with editing and other production aspects, underscoring the need for platforms where they can access resources to enhance their content quality and production efficiency.

This problem highlights the importance of service platforms that connect creators with editors, voice artists, and other resources to enhance the quality and efficiency of their content production.

Upview's platform aims to meet this need by connecting creators with a network of skilled professionals, offering a one-stop solution for managing all aspects of content production.

In the following chart we see the creators' response to how often do they struggle to come up with new content ideas across its recurring frequency:

4. Gamification and SEO Education for Creators: A Key Need for the 72% Who Lack Regular Analytics Review

The insights we gathered are striking and challenge conventional assumptions about creators' needs. Interestingly, SEO—a critical factor in YouTube success—remains a significant pain point for creators. 

While everyone talks about the elusive YouTube algorithm, a surprising 50% of respondents were indifferent about a tool that provides actionable SEO insights. 

We also noticed that 72% of our respondents agreed on the importance of easy-to-understand insights from video analytics. 

However, less than half of the group reviewed their video analytics daily, and some (15%) didn't focus on it at all. This data implies a potential knowledge gap and highlights an area where creators could benefit from additional resources. 

Creators' attitudes towards learning resources and gamification were equally illuminating. Only 28% actively sought out educational resources on YouTube video creation or analytics, but a larger percentage of people were interested in using a tool that provides optimal timing and frequency for publishing content. 

However, gamification as a concept was not well-absorbed by many, indicating a need for more hands-on experience and understanding.

This potential lack of awareness underlines the importance of educating creators about SEO in an engaging, accessible way. Upview uses gamification strategies to make SEO learning more enjoyable and effective, encouraging creators to master SEO and use it to enhance their reach.

Final Reflections:

Our survey reveals a richly diverse landscape of YouTube creators, which is a rich tapestry, with varying perspectives, goals, and challenges. Creators, both new and seasoned, grapple with a range of issues – from understanding the algorithm and mastering SEO to growing subscribers and fostering a robust community.

Intriguingly, the use of analytics and optimization tools is not as prevalent as anticipated. Many creators remain either unaware of these resources or do not fully grasp their potential.

Bridging this information gap is crucial. Platforms can play an active role here, offering easy-to- understand insights and educational resources to enhance creators' knowledge and effectiveness.

The mixed response towards gamification also warrants attention. Some creators embrace the concept, while others remain indifferent. This indicates the need for a more nuanced approach, potentially combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivators tailored to the unique needs and triggers of creators.

As the creator landscape evolves, our findings highlight the importance of specialized tools and community engagement strategies custom-tailored for creators.

Are you ready to redefine your YouTube journey? Embrace the future with Upview and discover how our platform can transform your content creation experience. Join our waitlist here - https://upview.ai/

Let's work together to navigate your way to success in this vibrant creator economy. Join Upview today!