YouTube is a misunderstood creature. Sure, the creators that produce content on it definitely know their stuff, some in a frightening amount of analytical detail! But for the majority of consumers, there are some huge YouTube myths that need debunking. Whether you’re a casual watcher, marketing professional or someone wanting to explore what YouTube has to offer, we’re here to crush your misconceptions!

Subscribers = Success

We’ve made a whole other blog post dedicated solely to debunking this myth because it’s so ever-prevalent and almost engrained in the minds of most consumers of digital content, but don’t fret if you believed it too. It used to be true when YouTube first hit our computer screens in 2005 and subscriber count was THE metric of success (not least because it was one of the only analytics YouTube provided at the time). Nowadays, there are way more important metrics that revolve around your viewers’ engagement with your content rather than the sheer number of them. But we won’t spoil our last blog post for you, just go read it.

You Need Huge Numbers to be Successful on YouTube

Sure there are some huge hitters like PewdiePie, David Dobrik and Zoella who have built their online empires on millions of views and subscribers. Yet, if you’re a more recent content creator, millions of subscribers and huge view counts isn’t the only way to make a living from the platform. In fact, niche content with a very specific target audience and an engaged community can be more profitable than a ‘day in the life of Jenna Marbles’ that has millions of views. The CPM rates on some niche content are also high because advertisers value the specificity of the audience. If you’re a niche channel with a devoted or highly engaged following, then you’re much more valuable to advertisers and brands. If your following trusts you, they’ll be much more likely to buy the products you recommend or that simply appear alongside your videos. So no need to chase huge numbers with viral or over-done content, instead you should pick a niche, hone your craft and engage your following!

YouTube Viewers Expect Free Content

YouTube has been completely free for years and many people believe that YouTube viewers are less likely to pay for their entertainment. In fact, the opposite is true. They are 2x more likely to buy digital movies, books, music, and 5x more likely to buy games than non-YouTube viewers. YouTube Premium has over 20 million users, but compared to the 2 billion users that YouTube attracts every month, it’s pretty clear where this assumption comes from! However, the rise in Patreon pages and Twitch subscriptions over the last few years has further suggested that a loyal following can be easily triggered to financially support creators.

YouTube’s Demographic is Mostly Teenagers and Young Adults

YouTuber scandals and the most popular creators in certain categories are often associated with teenage fans and outlandish ‘kid-friendly’ pranks. But teenagers actually make up a small minority of the overall viewers. Over 90% of people who watch YouTube are over 18, and over 50% are over 35! While controversial YouTubers make the headlines, a lot of the viewership spend time watching fitness videos, how-to’s, cooking and parenting videos.

So here you have it, a couple of YouTube misconceptions you may or may not have believed and now have hopefully changed your mind about (or not, that’s cool with us too!).

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