YouTube has been a fan favorite over the years for informational tutorials and entertainment. Now, we are seeing a shift in video length to increase the time for Ad revenue provided to these content generators. How will this affect how consumers use YouTube? The key is in the consumer’s viewing patterns. 

 long-form video (20+ minutes) accounted for 54 percent of total video consumption on smartphones in the first quarter of 2018, up from just 29 percent two years ago.

These days, videos are created to trap us into a never-ending binge-watching session. For these content creators, we are aiding in their profit. Imagine your binge-worthy sessions and multiply them by the billions of views on YouTube each day. 

Longer videos = more time for Ad placement 

YouTube Facts: 

• The total number of people who use YouTube – 1,300,000,000.
• 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute!
• Almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day.
• YouTube gets over 30 million visitors per day.
• The average mobile viewing session lasts more than 40 minutes.

http://videonitch.com/2017/12/13/36-mind-blowing-youtube-facts-figures-statistics-2017-re-post/

These facts alone should be enough proof for your business to create a channel. 

The business of YouTube

 YouTube’s push for long videos represents their push for more money. This is a reinvention of YouTube’s purpose from their launch in 2005. The fine line between wealthy production and an at-home blog is now blurred. 

However, the money curated from these advertisements poses a threat to creative content. Letting this monetary success control the content displayed to your users can not only undermine your channel but result in an un-monetized wasteland. 

Genres

Genres are shifting as videos extend in length. Make-up videos are getting shorter, while story-time videos are getting longer…but also whirling the truth. 

The content creators are adapting to the change in need from the users. They once made 2-3 minute videos that have now turned into 20-minute skits. Yet, people still watch! 

Even if the video should only be 5 minutes, content creators are stretching them out to at least 15 minutes, and it works. Placing advertisements on longer videos convinces the audience that it is worth sitting through the 30-sec advertisement to then be rewarded by 20-minutes of entertainment. 

YouTube is depending on this shift to turn their platform from a social site to a regular entertainment base.  They’re testing multiple strategies that are in fact risky, but so far, they have shown they know how to manage their market to be successful. 

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