Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 5/2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehension.

With 400 hours of video content uploaded to YouTube every minute, the platform continues to grow faster than anyone can keep up with. 

The power of video continues to be validated by these shocking statistics. There is no shortage of content on YouTube and it doesn’t seem to be slowing.

This is why a video marketing strategy is so crucial for maximizing your business’ reach.

Read on to learn 2019 YouTube stats, how to grow your own following, and how to get started with a video marketing strategy. 

General YouTube Stats

  • YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine.
  • YouTube is the 2nd most-trafficked website behind Google.
  • Google purchased YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006.
  • YouTube is available in more than 91 countries and in 80 different languages.
  • YouTube users collectively watch over 46,000 years of content each year.
  • Over 1 billion hours of videos are watched on YouTube every day.
  • 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
  • Over 50,000 years of product review videos have been watched on mobile devices over the past 2 years.
  • YouTube mobile ads are 84% more likely to hold attention than TV ads.
  • The most popular IOS app in 2018 was YouTube.
  • The most popular branded channel is LEGO.
  • Music videos are 95% of the most popular YouTube videos.
  • The 4 most popular content categories on YouTube are comedy, music, entertainment/pop culture, and “how to.”

YouTube Demographics

  • YouTube reaches more 18-49 year olds than any broadcast or cable network on mobile.
  • Over 1.9 billion monthly active logged-in users are on YouTube.
  • On mobile devices alone, YouTube reaches more adults aged 18-49 during prime time
  • Over 90% of 18-44 year-old American internet users watch videos on YouTube.
  • Over 50% of YouTube’s audience is female.
  • 15.8% of YouTube users are from the U.S.
  • The most visitors are from the U.S., India, Japan, Russia and China.

Interesting-to-Know YouTube Statistics

  • “Me at the zoo” was the first video uploaded to YouTube on April 25, 2005
  • The first YouTube video that reached 1 million views was a 2005 Nike ad that featured football star, Ronaldinho.
  • The youngest YouTuber is Ryan ToysReview, a 7-year-old boy with $22 million in yearly income.
  • “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee is the most-watched video on YouTube with over 6.2 billion views.

How Do I Get A Million Video Views On Youtube?

If you’re feeling behind in achieving a million video views, you’re not alone. 

But that’s okay – this might not be the right measure of success for you. 

You can build a video marketing strategy by asking these questions:

  • What is the objective of the video?
  • Who is the audience?
  • Where is this video going to live?

The answers to these questions not only help you understand the video’s message and tone but also where you’ll be engaging with your audience. 

It also helps you understand what the real video objective might be. Achieving a huge number of video views is rarely the best objective.

Many businesses and organizations want to drive more traffic to their website. You may think that placing the video on YouTube or even embedding the YouTube video player on your webpage will help accomplish this goal. 

At best, the strategy will drive traffic to the video on YouTube. And less than 1.5% of viewers will click from YouTube to a landing page (0% if a URL is not included in the first three lines of the YouTube description or in a clickable link in the video). 

This is not an effective way to increase traffic to a website. 

If you want to increase traffic to your website using video, your website probably needs an alternative YouTube marketing tactic.

Video marketing statistics

YouTube isn’t the only place that you can employ a video marketing strategy to get more traction for your business.

Take a look at some of these stats from other online platforms:

  • Facebook: Video is the best performing type of content. 
  • Twitter: Tweets with video get 10x more engagement.
  • LinkedIn: Users are 20x more likely to share a video than any other type of post.
  • Pinterest: Users are nearly 3x more likely to buy a product as a result of watching a brand video.

If your audience isn’t on YouTube, then creating a video for Facebook, for example, is a better approach.

Here are some additional video marketing stats to think about as you’re thinking about your own strategy:

  • 85% of all internet users in the U.S. watched some sort of video content online.
  • 54% of consumers want to see more video from the brands they support.
  • 88% of video marketers are happy with the ROI they’re receiving from their social media efforts.
  • Video marketers enjoy 66% more qualified leads per year.

Creating your video marketing strategy

Whether you’re set on pursuing YouTube fame or your strategy will be more all-inclusive, expert advice is a must. 

Follow these steps to get started:

  • Use these YouTube optimization tips.
  • Develop your customized video marketing objectives.
  • Consider using video to explain a complex idea or to connect an emotion to a service/product.
  • Work with a video production company who will guide you every step of the way –  not just hand you the video file and leave you to figure out the rest.

An experienced professional and comprehensive video strategy will ensure maximum success.