As the leaves change their color, and the nights grow longer, it’s clear that Halloween season is upon us. And consumers are getting ready for the big night by turning to the world’s second largest search engine: YouTube.
The video streaming domain has become the place for consumers to research creepy costumes, macabre makeup, and festive food. After all, consumers want to make a splash (or a scare) this Halloween — and YouTube is how they’re finding holiday inspiration.
Let’s take a closer look at how consumers are tuning in for Halloween content on Youtube:
Halloween Content Attracts A Larger Viewership Each Year
Pixability’s data analysts found that Halloween continues to attract a growing viewership each year as more and more viewers turn to the video domain for longer viewing sessions. This is consistent with our analysis of viewership across YouTube, as well as on Facebook and Instagram — even though consumers are cutting the cable cord, or never subscribing in the first place, they’re still looking to view entertaining or informative content. And they’re increasingly turning to major video powerhouses for their favorite video content, whether on their smartphone, or while relaxing in front of a Connected TV screen.
On YouTube, Pixability found that Halloween content attracted 26B views in 2017, and projected the annual viewership will increase to 36B in 2018 — a 39% year-over-year increase. By developing a video strategy around Halloween, marketers can get in front of these viewers and make a significant impact on the consumers that matter to their advertising.
Viewership of Halloween Content Spikes In October
Unsurprisingly, October sees the largest consumption of Halloween content on YouTube. However, it’s important to recognize that the Halloween viewership is not exclusive to the lead-up to Halloween in the fall — there’s a significant audience for Halloween content through Q4, and this content sees a steady viewership through the rest of the year. In fact, Pixability has found that marketers can maximize the long-tail impact of their video strategy by publishing content well in advance of holidays, including Halloween.
Viewers Are Watching Halloween Vlogs, Kids Content, Movie Trailers
The most popular Halloween content on YouTube is vlog content, as popular influencers often incorporate seasonal themes into their daily uploads. Halloween vlog content has attracted more than 1.3B total, while kids content also attracts a large viewership of more than 800M total views. Between YouTube’s massive viewership and the rapid evolution of user-generated content on the domain, audiences have developed a passion for made-for-digital content like vlogs and challenge videos. Marketers would be wise to incorporate digital-first content into their video strategies to reach and engage their target consumers on YouTube.
By understanding what consumers are watching on YouTube, marketers can better plan their video strategies, and reach their target audiences with relevant and engaging content — particularly around holidays like Halloween.
Want to learn more about how you can take advantage of the massive viewership around Halloween, or reach viewers during the fast-approaching holiday season? Let’s get in touch — we’d love to walk you through how the Pixability platform can help you maximize the impact of your digital video strategies across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Connected TV.