Marketing in the Age of Multi-screening
Global digital studio TheSoul Publishing has released the results of its study on consumer content trends to understand how viewing and content consumption habits have changed over 2021. While it’s no surprise that the social landscape is constantly unearthing new digital trends, a survey demonstrates that reality and the virtual landscape have intertwined. With the […]
Topics
Global digital studio TheSoul Publishing has released the results of its study on consumer content trends to understand how viewing and content consumption habits have changed over 2021.
While it’s no surprise that the social landscape is constantly unearthing new digital trends, a survey demonstrates that reality and the virtual landscape have intertwined.
With the advancement of the metaverse, consumers not only expect more from their digital experiences, but they rely, adapt, and build habits around them, making the role of content creators increasingly important.
TheSoul Publishing – the global digital studio delivering positive video content that soars on social media and streaming platforms has released the results of its study on consumer content trends.
The survey included responses from more than 2,000 men and women to understand how their viewing and content consumption habits have changed over 2021.
Key findings pointed to numerous trends tied to the growth of the digital universe and the rise of short-form and experiential video content across social media:
“Multi-screening” is the new normal. Seventy-one percent of respondents shared that they regularly multi-screen when relaxing. This is up by 13 per cent when compared to 2020 (63 per cent). However, older generations are less likely to multi-screen with only 45 per cent of those aged 55 or older engaging in the practice compared to 71 per cent of those aged 16-24, 82 per cent of 25-34 and 77 per cent between 35-44.
Following the massive rise in remote work culture, has multi-screening become the new multitasking as people consume a variety of content at once? With younger generations adapting quicker to new platforms, it’s no surprise younger content consumers are conditioned to multi-screen with more frequency.
Short-form content has given rise to mobile viewing. More than two-thirds of the total respondents watch content primarily on their phones, with women (76 per cent) watching short-form content much more frequently on their phone than men (61 per cent). Also, consumers reported watching less content on their computers in 2021 (13 per cent) compared to 2020 (21 per cent).
With this, last year, computer usage dropped for women (2021: 9 per cent, 2020: 18 per cent) and men (2021: 18 per cent, 2020: 27 per cent) when compared to the previous year, indicating that viewing on the go and consuming content with mobile compatibility are being prioritised by consumers.
Interactive and live content are no longer consumer wants, they’re expectations.
Respondents would like to see more virtual reality (30 per cent), shopping features (28 per cent), gaming content (27 per cent), and augmented reality (19 per cent) in their short-form video content suggesting consumers no longer want to consume, but also partake. This means creators with a call-to-action of interactive and live content will better capture consumers’ attention in the years to come.
Where are we watching “Live”? Currently, more than half of them share that they are more likely to watch “live” content on YouTube, followed by Facebook (43 per cent), TikTok and Instagram (33 per cent each), then Snap (15 per cent) and Twitter (12 per cent). Half of those, aged 16-24, are watching live content on TikTok more than any other platform.
Fun and positive online content is a necessity – not a superfluity. You are what you consume. Overall, 81 per cent of the respondents strongly agreed that “fun and positive online video content will become an even more important and popular source of entertainment.”
Attention spans are waning, and content needs are changing as a result.
Consumers report an increase in the inability to concentrate when reading long articles or watching long video content, which includes videos of 10 minutes or longer. Nearly half of the respondents strongly agreed with this sentiment. This is up from 42 per cent strongly agreeing (18 per cent) with this statement in 2020. More than one-quarter of men expressed this sentiment, compared to 20 per cent of women.
Knowing your audience is key to growth. What to watch next? Respondents shared that YouTube (25 per cent) offers the best recommendations for content followed by Netflix (18 per cent), TikTok (13 per cent), and Amazon Prime (9 per cent) – leaving Peacock (2 per cent) at the end of the list. Additionally, consumers are demonstrating confidence in TikTok, with 28 per cent saying that TikTok will be the most popular platform by 2026.
Further, one-fifth of respondents believed YouTube will be the most popular platform in five years, followed by Facebook (17 per cent) and Instagram (10 per cent), with some reluctant to make a guess at all (13 per cent). It’s clear that viewers are becoming more conscious of trends and how platforms react to their preferences, which will ultimately impact where they choose to consume content in the future.
The instruction manual is dead. Nearly two-thirds of people learn new skills on YouTube, while only 17 per cent are learning new skills from parents and grandparents. Printed manuals are the least popular with just 14 per cent of people turning to those for guidance. While YouTube is dominant in helping with skill-building, 42 per cent of people ages 16 – 24 are looking to TikTok, while only six per cent of people ages 55 and older are using that platform.
In regards to the results of the survey, TheSoul Publishing’s VP of Platform Partnerships, Victor Potrel said: “As a global content studio, we’re always keeping our finger on the pulse of what’s next – whether it be upcoming content trends or major shifts in consumer behaviour. The findings from TheSoul Publishing’s study show what we know to be true – that audiences are constantly evolving, especially with today’s fast-paced social media landscape. Viewers, more than ever, want to be a part of the experience, and content creators have to fulfill these needs to find success.”
If you liked reading this, you might like our other stories
Video Marketing Demands Attention: Why Is It So Powerful?
Do you YouTube?
