With the proliferation of mobile devices in recent years, it should come as no surprise that many top websites are reporting users are accessing their sites from mobile devices at a rate which is increasing exponentially. This is evidenced through statistics recently released by Google showing how often YouTube is accessed via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
During its Q3 earnings call this year, Google announced that YouTube received 40% of its traffic through mobile devices. If this trend continues, as it appears it will, it is obvious that the majority of YouTube videos will be watched and uploaded through mobile devices in the years to come.
The main reason
for the increase in mobile visitors to websites like YouTube is that these devices have become much more powerful in the last few years. Not only have their hardware capabilities increased dramatically, but mobile networks have picked up the pace as well.
4G LTE networks, like that of Verizon Internet for example, are even faster than the home broadband connections that many web surfers are still using today. It takes a speedy connection to be able to stream a YouTube video over the airwaves and, quite suddenly, mobile data devices appear to be up to the task.
Another reason
That users are accessing YouTube through their phones or tablets more often is because almost each and every one now comes with a video camera. In only a few seconds, a user can shoot a video on their device, open the YouTube app, and upload their video. With such an easy process for uploading videos, it seems as if YouTube and mobile devices go hand-in-hand.
So, what does this mean for companies
- Who are using YouTube to help grow their brand? Most people have experienced the frustrating situation of a smartphone or tablet that is taking too long to load a webpage. This can not only happen when the mobile device has bad reception, but also when the page it is trying to load is not optimized for the mobile web. Such issues should be taken into account when creating a YouTube marketing campaign or advertisement.
- YouTube videos that are shorter in duration and more to the point will not only load quicker, but capture the viewer’s attention much quicker as well. Most people use their mobile devices when they are on the go, which means they do not have the time to watch a 10-minute video no matter how engaging it might be. They simply want to be entertained or enlightened during the few seconds or minutes they have to spare.
In the future
YouTube and mobile devices will only become more integrated than they already are. Google is the parent company of both Android and YouTube. Therefore, they could theoretically blend these two products into one as much as they desire and other companies like Apple would be forced to keep up with the pace.
Conclusion
It appears that technology as a whole is all about mobility now. The distinction between home computers and tablets is shrinking. This is something every company and its marketing team must keep in mind if they intend to create cutting-edge advertising campaigns.
With that said, by optimizing YouTube videos for mobile devices and viewers who have a very short attention span, those videos will be able to better send the intended message and have a much greater impact on the target audience when they do.
