Video Influencers Get 84% of YouTube Views, 56% of Facebook Views

With VidCon 2018 just days away, this is a good time to look at the state of video influencers. According to the Q2 2018 State of Online Video report just issued by online video intelligence company Tubular Labs, influencers attract most of the views on YouTube and Facebook.

Looking solely at YouTube views for creators with at least 10 million total views in Q1, Tubular found that influencers got 84 percent of all views. Media companies got 13 percent and brands got a lowly 3 percent.

The situation is similar, but not as dramatic, on Facebook: Influencers got 56 percent of total views, media companies got 40 percent, and brands drew 4 percent.

Part of the reason why video influencers get so many views is that they upload a lot more videos. When Tubular focused on uploaded Q1 videos that got at least 100,000 views, it found that influencers had uploaded 89 percent, media companies 9 percent, and brands 2 percent.

Facebook offers similar numbers, where influencers uploaded 56 percent of the videos, media companies 38 percent, and brands 6 percent.

(These numbers come from a "proprietary discovery algorithm" is all Tubular Labs will say on its survey's methodology.)

What this all means is that top influencers get that way by uploading a lot of new content that resonates with fans. Brands would be smart to pay attention to how they operate.

"Successful Influencer creators are uniquely gifted with a range of content strategy and audience development skills that publishers and media companies should take note of, particularly the ability to spot up-and-coming trends and adapt and evolve them for their own audience," the report says. "If a video trend is sweeping through the Influencer community, brands and publishers should be alert for opportunities."

There are many types of influencers, Tubular notes, and they engage their audiences with content that feels authentic. Working with the right influencer can lead to a strong return on investment.

For more, download The State of Online Video Q2 2018 for free (registration required).

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net