2018 is only a few days away and there are quite a few things we can learn from this 2017 video statistics round up. In this article, we have collected some of the most relevant data regarding live video. It will help create a successful strategy for your live videos in 2018.

As we all know, videos are more engaging than any other content type. Therefore, most brands, blogs and people in general are creating more and more videos. To be exact, 74% of internet usage is being covered by videos and live streaming is growing in demand. Have a look at the statistics below and find out why live videos in 2018 will be the best way to reach a bigger audience and increase engagement.

Let’s take a look at some key video statistics here:

• For 67% of viewers, video quality is the most important factor when watching a livestream broadcast.
• Viewers spend 8X longer with live video than on-demand: 5.1 minutes for on-demand vs. 42.8 minutes for live video content (Tubular Insights).
• Live video continues to outpace the growth of other types of online video, with more than 100% increase in ad growth year-over-year.
• 55% of people consume video content thoroughly.
• Businesses using video grow company revenue 49% faster year-over-year than non-video users.
• 51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI.

As we can see, companies are using videos to grow faster than all the others. Any brand that is not using video yet, will probably be left behind. More importantly, live video can be a way to grow even faster, since its rapid increase in ad growth year-over-year. Also, viewers spend much more time watching live videos than videos on demand, which can give you the upper hand when planning your strategy.

What about the video consumers?

• According to HubSpot Research, videos are the number one content consumers want to see from brands.
• The primary motivator for live video viewing is compelling content.
• 4X as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
• More than 40% of internet users look for videos before purchasing products or services.
• At least once a week, 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites.
• 59% of executives would rather watch a video than read text, according to Forbes.

Live videos in 2018 need to have compelling content, more than ever, since video is the number one expectation of your customers and followers. Also, the fact that more than half of executives would rather watch videos than read, gives you an idea of what kind of content to focus on. Of course, text is still important and combining both can help you reach a greater audience.

The power of video on social media

• Next year, at least 46% of marketers plan to add Facebook video to their content strategy.
• 45% of people watch more than an hour of videos a week, on Facebook and YouTube.
• Every day on Facebook, 100 million hours of video are watched.
• 82% of online audiences prefer live video from a brand than social posts.
• On social media, video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined.
• Videos uploaded on Facebook have 10X higher reach in comparison to shared YouTube links.
• According to Facebook, users watch Facebook Live videos 3x longer than videos that aren’t live.
• Users comment on Facebook live videos at 10x more than on regular videos

There is no question about the popularity of Facebook and social media, in general. Based on these statistics, it’s safe to say that Facebook Live is an amazing way to find your audience, get them engaged with your content and get them to share your video.

YouTube

• YouTube has 1.5 billion users.
• Every minute, 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube.
• Almost 5 billion videos are watched per day.
• YouTube has more than 30 million visitors per day.
• 3.25 billion hours is the total number of hours of videos watched per month.
• Viewers spend more than an hour a day watching YouTube content on mobile devices alone.
• YouTube reports mobile video consumption rises 100% every year.
• The number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube is up 60% year-over-year.
• The time people spend watching YouTube on their TV has more than doubled year over year.
• “How to” searches on YouTube are up 70% year-over-year.

Although, Facebook has more users, YouTube is still extremely relevant. It’s the second most used search engine, standing just behind Google. Having content on YouTube in 2018 is a must. YouTube is also planning a lot more features for live videos in 2018. 

A few more reasons why you should focus on videos in 2018

•   Video drives a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines.
•   According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research, the value of one minute of video is 1.8M words.
•   88% of visitors stay longer on a site with prominent video displayed.
•   Including video in an email leads to a 200-300% increase in click-through rate (Forrester).
•   Companies using video get 41% more web traffic from search than the rest.
•   On a landing page, video can increase conversion by 80% or more.

Videos on demand and live videos can be used to drive engagement in many different ways. They can help you get more traffic to your website, increase the clicks on your emails and increase conversion on landing pages.

Live Videos in 2018

Judging by the rapid and steady growth of live streaming videos, it’s safe to say that they are here to stay. Live videos in 2018 will be extremely important for the audience. They have the power to create a personal connection between brands and customers, celebrities and fans or any presenter and viewer.

In 2018 make sure your strategy is around creating videos first. Everything else is important too, but videos, and in particular live videos, are key. They have to be your priority when it comes to content, engagement and interaction with your audience.

Sources:

Marketing Statistics  – Hubspot

Video Marketing – Hubspot

You Tube Statistics – Fortune Lords

Stats Live Video Streaming – Livestream

YouTube Facts and Figures – Social Media Today

Content Strategy 2018 – Entrepreneur

Facebook Live Statistics – Media Kix

Here are 2 blog posts to help you with your live videos for 2018:

How to Promote Your Live Streaming Videos

The last thing you want is to spend hours creating content for your live video and none promoting it, because you might end up with an empty “room”. (Learn more)

5 Tips to Live Stream Your Event Like a Pro

Streaming your live event is a great way to extend your event capacity and maximize your efforts. It allows you to invite more people locally or from all over the world, depending on your industry. (Continue reading)