YouTube Trends – How to Find Them and 6 2024 Trends

With over 500 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s more important than ever to stand out. Whether you’re a business owner, marketer, or content creator, keeping up with YouTube trends is the edge you need to cut through the competition, increase your views, and boost your revenue.

With the newest YouTube trends and tips spread across many sources, discovering the insights to improve your YouTube content creation can be tough. That’s why Business2Community will guide you on how to spot trends and examine 6 important YouTube trends for 2024 and the future.

What are 2024’s YouTube Trends?

With around 2.68 billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second-largest social media platform in the world. It is also the second-largest search engine, behind its parent company, Google. That’s why it can be such an incredibly powerful tool for businesses, marketers, and content creators.

YouTube’s reach is unrivaled: Users across the globe spend over 23 hours a month on the platform. Plus, in an average week, YouTube reaches more adults during prime time than any cable network does.

YouTube users are also more engaged; they’re 2x as likely to pay close attention while watching YouTube compared to TV users while watching TV.

Driven by key trends such as greater reach, monetization, and AI, more businesses, marketers and creators are leveraging the platform to reach new audiences and meet their unique goals. We cover these trends in more detail below.

1. Business Impact Soars

According to a recent Oxford Economics report, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over $35 billion to US GDP in 2022, up from $25 billion in 2021. It also supported more than 390,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the US in 2022.

Businesses are tapping into YouTube’s platform to connect with new audiences and create more revenue streams.

• 83% of SMBs agree that YouTube plays a role in helping them grow their customer base by reaching new audiences.
• 78% of SMBs agree that YouTube is essential to their business growth, up from 71% in 2021.
• 83% of businesses agree that YouTube has helped them develop a following in their local area.
• 67% of SMBs agree that YouTube plays a role in helping them grow their revenue.

2. The Creator Economy Flourishes

According to Social Blade’s latest data, there are approximately 60.5 million YouTube creators. 82% of respondents in YouTube’s 2023 Culture Trends Report say they’ve posted video content online over the past 12 months, highlighting a growing video content creation trend.

Figures point to a flourishing creator economy: 55,000 US channels had more than 100,000 subscribers as of December 2022, an increase of more than 15%, year-over-year. Meanwhile, over 6,500 channels had more than 1 million subscribers as of December 2022, an increase of more than 15%, year-over-year.

For creators, YouTube is an opportunity to turn their interests and skills into careers and businesses. As channels grow, they create jobs and expand their impact. In the US alone:

• 80% of creatives see YouTube as an opportunity to generate income and produce content that wouldn’t be available through conventional media channels.
• More than 430,000 creators and partners earn income linked to their YouTube presence.
• 33% of creators who earn money from YouTube agree that YouTube is their primary source of revenue.
• More than 160,000 creators and partners employ other people to work on their YouTube channel.

Key strategies brands and top creators are using to promote and grow their YouTube channels in 2023 include:

• Creating relevant and relatable content that fosters a sense of community.
• Taking advantage of social trends (music, events, fan groups).
• Using trending keywords in headlines, descriptions, and video tags.
• Using trending hashtags in video titles or descriptions.
• Customizing video thumbnails.
• Posting regularly and consistently.
• Leveraging engagement and presence across social media platforms.
• Building a presence on forums and online communities.

3. Monetization Opportunities Grow

The YouTube Partner Program allows eligible creators to monetize their content on YouTube. After meeting certain subscriber and viewership criteria, they can share revenue from ads on their videos, or through various other monetization features.

• Over 40,000 channels in the US earned money from alternative monetization products in June 2022, an increase of over 30% from 2021.
• 83% of creators who earn money from YouTube say that it provides an opportunity to create content and earn money that they wouldn’t get from traditional media.
• 69% of creators who earn money from YouTube agree that the revenue they receive from ads being placed on their content is an important source of income for them.

Since 2018, YouTube has paid over $30 billion to creators, with earnings ranging between $1.61 and $29.30 per 1,000 views in 2023. As of 2023, the revenue-sharing structure is as follows:

• Advertising revenue: YouTube pays 55% of net revenues from ads displayed or streamed on their public videos on their content Watch Page.
• Shorts revenue: YouTube pays 45% of the revenue allocated to creators based on their share of views from the Creator Pool allocation.
• Fan funding features: YouTube pays 70% of net revenues from channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks.

After discontinuing the product tagging feature, which allowed creators to add shoppable links to their videos, YouTube rolled out its affiliate program to all US creators on June 14, 2023. This allows creators to earn commission from products featured in their videos.

4. Short Form Dominates

YouTube Shorts were viewed over 50 billion times a day in February 2023, a significant 66% increase from 2022. Clearly, this YouTube trend shows no signs of slowing down.

According to Statista, short-form video popularity will continue to rise in 2024, with 90% of global marketers increasing or maintaining their investment in short-form videos.

2023 research by Tubular Labs showed that gaming content dominates YouTube shorts, but emerging categories like food and drink now have the highest average views per video.

Comparing uploads with views per category shows where demand outweighs supply and reveals prime content opportunities. The same report reveals that the greatest content opportunities lie in:

• Food and drink: 217,000 uploads vs. 989,000 views per video.
• Home DIY and crafts: 169,000 uploads vs. 921,000 views per video.
• Animals and pets: 196,000 uploads vs. 727,000 views per video.

5. Multiformat Video Trends Up

In 2024 and beyond, multiformat, multi-device consumption will become the norm. In addition to long-form and Shorts, the YouTube experience is expanding to include live streams and podcasts.

The greatest creators have audiences following them from screen to screen. 87% of people have watched at least 4 content formats YouTube offers over the past 12 months. When it comes to Gen Z, YouTube’s fastest-growing demographic:

• 71% like the convenience of being able to watch different video formats all on one platform.
• 67% like when their favorite creators create in different formats.
• 59% agree that they use short-form videos to discover content they can explore in longer versions.

Multiple formats also work well for brands: adding a vertical creative asset to a video action campaign delivers 10% to 20% more conversions per dollar than using landscape assets alone.

6. AI and Video Tool Use Explodes

As more creators embrace AI, they’re finding it a powerful ally to boost their creativity. Even ambitious ideas can be brought to life with greater polish and speed than ever before.

Video tools have exploded, allowing users to clip or remix video and audio, and add filters and effects to create videos more efficiently.

Clipping alone can turn a single video into a larger phenomenon. For example, over 14 million videos have been created each month in 2023 using the YouTube clipping feature.

Audiences are now more open to watching videos about AI or those made with AI. According to the 2023 YouTube Culture Trends report:

• Videos related to or using generative AI tools in 2023 have over 1.7 billion views.
• 52% of people surveyed have watched a VTuber (virtual YouTuber or influencer) in the last 12 months.
• 60% of people surveyed agree they’re open to watching content from creators who use AI to generate their content.

How to Find YouTube Trends

While there’s no secret formula for creating a viral video on YouTube, Google recommends creating novel videos that appeal to a wide range of viewers and align with trending topics. Let’s explore how to find these trending topics.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool that shows the popularity of search queries over time. Use it to spot trending searches, discover untapped niches, and research keywords to optimize your YouTube videos for search engines. Go to Google Trends and switch to the Trending Now tab.

Google Trends gives you daily search trends and real-time search trends for a particular location. To see what’s trending in your location, simply use the drop-down menu to select your country.

Scroll through the trending list to explore hot topics that can help you create content that drives more views.

YouTube Search on Google Trends

To explore YouTube trends, go to the Explore tab. In the search bar, type in a seed keyword or topic. Click on the Web Search drop-down menu and select YouTube Search.

Check the graph to see how interest in your search term has changed over time. To see popularity over a longer or shorter period, use the “Past 12 months” drop-down menu to change the time period.

To explore emerging trends and ideas for new video topics, scroll down to see the Related Queries and Related Topics sections. The sections’ drop-down menus have two options: Rising and Top.

The Rising tab shows the queries associated with your search term that have seen the most notable growth in search volume.

The Top tab presents the terms most commonly searched alongside your search term.

Trend Comparison

Google Trends also has a handy comparison feature. If you’re trying to choose between multiple related trends, this feature lets you see how the interest in different keywords or topics has changed over time.

Trending on YouTube Tab

The YouTube trending page is another source of inspiration for videos and Shorts. Use it to discover emerging YouTube trends, trending topics, and the most popular videos on YouTube.

To get started, head to the YouTube homepage, then click on Trending under Explore on the left navigation bar.

The trending page shows the top trending videos on YouTube by category: music, movies, gaming, and more, making it a great place to spot trends within different niches.

Once you find a video related to your niche, analyze the following to inform your video marketing strategy:

• Video title
• Video description
• Hashtags
• Closed captions (CC)
• Thumbnail
• Viewer comments

X (formerly Twitter)

X (formerly Twitter) is another great platform to explore what’s trending now. By exploring the trends page, you can find a trending topic relevant to your channel.

First, sign in to your X account or create one. Once you’re on the X home page, click on Explore, then go to the Trending tab.

TikTok

Some of the biggest trends are born on TikTok, so it makes sense to check what’s trending there. Head over to the TikTok Creative Center, then click on the Trends tab.

Explore all the trending hashtags and TikTok videos that are likely to cross over to the YouTube platform and craft your own viral content.

VidIQ

VidIQ is a YouTube analytics and channel management tool that offers a variety of features such as:

• Video analytics
• Trend monitoring
• Keyword research
• Competitive analysis
• AI tools
• SEO
• Channel optimization

To get started for free, sign up and connect your YouTube channel.

Find trending YouTube topics and videos by going to the Keywords tab on your VidIQ dashboard. The rising keywords will show you which YouTube searches are becoming popular for “Today,” “This Week,” and “This Month.” You can view the top 3 trends for the week and month for free, but you’ll need to upgrade your account to see additional trends or daily trends.

To dive deeper into a certain keyword or topic, type your seed keyword into the search bar. VidIQ will then generate insights into the keyword’s search volume, how competitive it is, and related keywords.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs’ free YouTube Keyword Tool generates top-performing keywords based on monthly search volume across 170 countries. Use it to discover YouTube search trends in your location.

The free version generates up to 50 “Phrase match” and “Questions” high search volume keywords, providing a roadmap to topics that resonate with viewers’ interests.

To explore thousands of keywords, analyze competitor keyword strategies, apply keyword filters, or access global search volume figures, you’ll need to sign up for an Ahrefs account.

Tube Buddy

Tube Buddy’s Keyword Explorer helps you find and rank for the right YouTube keywords. The browser extension integrates directly into YouTube to generate powerful insights.

To get started, install Tube Buddy’s browser extension. Once successfully installed, head to your YouTube channel, click on the Tube Buddy icon (now visible next to the “Create” button), and sign in.

Use the Tube Buddy icon to access your dashboard, and click on Keyword Explorer. Type a keyword into the explore bar to generate search volume, competition level, and related keywords.

• The Keyword Difficulty metric helps you identify keywords that are less competitive and easier to rank for.
• The Search Volume metric helps you identify keywords that are searched for frequently.
• The Related Keywords and Related Searches sections provide ideas for new video topics.
• The Keyword Trends section shows you how the popularity of a keyword has changed over time.

Switch to the Results tab to see the top channels and videos for your search. Be sure to conduct a thorough analysis of the top results to see how you can incorporate winning elements into your own videos.

The Future of YouTube Trends

Trends point to an expansion of formats, greater ways to express creativity, a richer selection of content, and more technologies to power content creation. Overall, the future is rich with fresh opportunities for businesses, marketers, and creators, to stand out and achieve higher levels of engagement on YouTube.

FAQs