The way we tell stories, as well as who gets to tell those stories, keeps evolving. That’s the underlying message of YouTube’s latest 

, a statistical breakdown of how global events influenced video creators and viewers alike. With data showing the rise of virtual events and relatable content creators, the report proves video is still a powerful medium for expression - maybe the most powerful.

From the constant popularity of online gaming to our shared experiences around virtual events, here are the key insights from YouTube’s report.

New Creators Made YouTube Their Storytelling Home

According to YouTube, a large number of people became video creators in 2020. There was a 95% increase in new YouTube channels on the platform, and most likely, this contributed to a diverse group of emerging creators.

Ash Chang, YouTube culture and trends manager for the Asia-Pacific region, said as much in his video summary within the report:

“More than ever, it feels like the creator archetype of what we think a creator should be, should look like or should make content about has broadened and evolved to meet an audience more receptive to a diversity of stories and storytellers.”

Statistics around these diverse creators, as well as their genre-bending content, were also highlighted in YouTube’s report:

47% of people said it’s hard to place their favorite creators into one genre. 

, a U.S. creator who mixes makeup with true crime content, is a great example.

58% of people said they’d watch online content from creators in any age group.

By October 2020, VTubers (animated AI characters) were viewed 1.5B times per month.

, an indigenous creator from Ecuador became one of the top creators in Latin America, growing her channel from 100K subscribers to 1M in 2019.

In 2020, Video Connected People to New and Exciting Experiences

We’ve shared video experiences before, but not as fervently as in recent months. Instead of watching digital events solo, many viewers decided to watch alongside their favorite creators for a shared experience.

One example is rapper Travis Scott’s virtual concert on 

. Viewers were able to watch for free on the gaming platform, and 

 decided to do just that. However, Earnest Pettie, trends insight lead for YouTube, said many viewers tuned in to their favorite creators’ live streams, watching them react to Travis Scott’s concert instead. The same thing happened during other online music, sports, and gaming events this year.

By itself, online gaming is a popular watch category across the web. Here are the statistics from YouTube’s Culture & Trends report:

73% of people watched gaming content via online video platforms.

Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters Grand Finale

” is one of YouTube’s top 10 trending videos of the year.

Online Video Helped Us Reckon With COVID-19, Racial Injustice, and More

Humans have always known adversity, but 2020 challenged us to address several global issues at once. Through video consumption, viewers channeled their desire for socio-economic progress, as well as pandemic stress relief.

Here are the key statistics from YouTube’s Culture & Trends Report:

54% of people watched humorous content online to cope with challenging moments in 2020.

Daily views for two songs spiked during widespread protests. In June, “This Is America” by Childish Gambino was viewed 1.6M times each day. “Fight The Power” by Public Enemy was viewed 30K times each day for the same month.

Whether you’re a content creator or consumer, Y

ouTube’s Culture & Trends Report proves the continual

 power of online video. It helps people of all backgrounds express themselves, connect with others, and share ideas about the world at large.

Did you catch YouTube's Culture & Trends Report for 2020? The global year-in-review highlights the rise of virtual events, emerging creators, and collective resilience during a challenging year.

YouTube in 2020: Powerful Stats You Need to Know

Did you know that for gaming channels on YouTube, making episodic content is the quickest way to lose viewers?

They either get burnt out as the series progresses or become discouraged after reading a video title with a high episode number - something along the lines of, 

Viewer burnout happens on YouTube no matter what you’re posting, so that’s not the biggest problem with episodic content. The real challenge is understanding how a viewer reacts to numbered episode titles.

For example, after reading a hypothetical title like 

 how do you think the viewer will react? Will they attempt to watch the previous 52 episodes or click on a different video with immediate, up-front value?

Most likely, it’ll be the latter. That’s why we always advise gaming channels to stop putting episode numbers on every YouTube video. It doesn’t generate the success creators are looking for, so it’s time to find a different strategy.

How Episode Numbers Impact Video Performance on YouTube

Dan, our resident gaming expert, has personal experience with using episode numbers on YouTube. Years ago, he used them in most of his video titles, especially while playing games like Minecraft.

The idea was to create a series of content reflecting specific tasks or missions in the game. Over time, Dan created multiple series on YouTube spanning dozens of episodes.

Fortunately, the first episode in a series usually performed well. The video got a decent number of views, so logically, it made sense to continue the series using numbered titles. But as time passed, the opposite effect took place. Every subsequent episode seemed to earn fewer views than the last.

Dan recently explained why this happened, and every gaming creator should heed his warning. Watch his insightful video explanation below:

YouTube’s search function, which is amazingly intuitive for viewers, is one reason episode numbers aren’t the best strategy for video titles. When a viewer types a phrase into YouTube’s search bar, the platform tries to auto-complete the request. For gaming searches, the term “Ep. 1” appears more often than any number, which means viewers are encouraged to watch the first episode of a gaming series en masse.

Therefore, 20 episodes into a series, Dan realized that viewers watching from episode one got burnt out - even if episode one got thousands of views.

He didn’t blame the episode numbers themselves for decreasing his views. In Dan’s opinion, it was his mindset as a new creator that trapped him in an unsuccessful strategy. Instead of focusing on episode titles, he needed to create unique, valuable content.

YouTube’s algorithm wants to recommend your videos to like-minded viewers. But if people keep skipping over your content (due to episodic burn out or any other reason), YouTube will recognize that and give the opportunity to another creator.

To make sure that never happens, provide a clear value proposition in each video. Make sure new viewers not only feel welcome but understand what happened in previous videos on your channel.

The Best Way to Present Episodic Content on YouTube

Even if episode numbers don’t create the best titles, they do serve a purpose. At the very least, they exist to help fans of your ongoing series understand which part of the show they're about to watch.

But if episode numbers have both helpful and harmful qualities, how should you use them (or not) on YouTube?

When you don’t know what to do, use these tips to make the right decision:

Instead of using episode numbers in your titles, create a playlist for each gaming series on your channel. That’s an easy way to segment a lengthy show on YouTube.

 to use episode numbers, stick them at the end of your titles. That way, the relevant information and keywords appear first.

No matter what, don’t put episode numbers in your thumbnails. This preview image is the first thing viewers see, and spotting “Ep. 87” in the corner of the graphic won’t encourage them to watch. Unfortunately, no one wants to start a show in the middle of its season.

Additionally, understand that for each video, some viewers are meeting you and your channel for the first time. So even if they’ve landed on episode 23 of a gaming series, reassure them that the video is about one specific thing they need to know.

Need an example of what that sounds like? This quick video introduction should do the trick:

What's up, guys? I'm [creator name], and welcome back to our Minecraft let's play. So in the last episode, we set up this map, and now that we know where we are, today we are going to trade with the villagers. If you missed the map video, by the way, don't forget to check that out in the link in the description below.

How you present your content on YouTube is important. But the first step is to make videos anyone can watch at any time, with thumbnails and titles reflecting that intent.

Do these two high-value tasks, and without a doubt, you’ll attract more views and subscribers to your gaming channel.

Episode 1... episode 2... episode 3... Does this titling method help you get more views as a gaming channel? In our experience, the answer is no. Here's a better way to present your content on YouTube.

Please Stop Using Episode Numbers on Your Gaming Content

This year - and what a long, arduous year it's been - is finally coming to a close. For many YouTube creators, 2020 was a non-stop grind that hasn't stabilized just yet. In the thick of COVID-19, video creators constantly supplied the world with entertainment during lockdowns and quarantines - and some are still creating at outstanding rates. 

If you're one of the thousands looking forward to some end of year rest, take the time you need. But before you go, don't forget to give back to your loyal YouTube audience. These are the people who brought you tons of views throughout 2020 and are most vocal about your content.

This holiday season, let your subscribers know that even though there are millions of videos to watch on YouTube, you’re glad they chose to tap on yours. Because all the comments, the extra Watch Time, and even the occasional 

 aren’t just achievements to be analyzed. They’re actions from real humans who believe in their favorite creator - a.k.a. you.

Ready to show your appreciation this season? W

ou can delight loyal viewers and attract new ones at the same time.

1. Do a Giveaway During Your Next Live Stream

Live stream giveaways are a fun way to delight your audience. Gifts are usually received positively, and it’s exciting to give them over live video.

What you decide to give away will depend on your audience. If you have a beauty channel, you may decide to give a makeup kit to three lucky subscribers. Or perhaps you have a business channel and want to give yearly planners to goal-oriented viewers.

No matter what you decide to give, make sure it's valuable to your audience. That way, your viewers will look forward to the live stream giveaway, and lucky winners will truly appreciate the gift. It’s all about promotion and building anticipation for the big moment.

If you’re wondering how live streams can benefit your channel, read our blog, “

How to Make More Than $100 on YouTube in Less Than an Hour.

” You’ll discover that an energetic live stream (with no giveaway) can attract thousands of in-the-moment views plus revenue from donations called Super Chats.

 powerful without a giveaway, imagine what the promise of a gift can do.

2. Give Your Viewers the Spotlight With a Share-For-Share Campaign

. But what if you flipped that spammy practice into something honest and sustainable that works just like free advertising? Then you’d have a secret weapon called 'share for share', a cross-promotional strategy few creators are doing.

In your next video, encourage your viewers to screenshot/screen record their favorite moment from the video they’re currently watching. Ask them to share the images and videos to another platform (such as Instagram) and tag your profile in their post. Instagram will notify you of all the tags, and you can easily repost fan content to your Instagram Stories.

If you can get even 10% of your subscribers to advertise your content on another platform, that’ll benefit your channel. They’ll introduce you and your content to potential subscribers, which is an easy way to get more exposure.

Of course, your subscribers will gain something valuable too. For those super fans who are most vocal about your content, they’ll love the idea of being featured on your social media.

I’m not sure who the originator of share for share is, but I first saw the campaign on a channel called 

. If it’s a good fit for your audience, give it a try.

3. Highlight Top Commenters at the Beginning of Your Videos

In each video, you can easily reward your audience by shouting out their comments. After your video introduction and before the main topic, take a few moments to highlight screenshots of funny or uplifting comments.

Doing this right at the start of a video is helpful because you’ll have viewers’ full attention. And if you have a growing number of top commenters, there’s a good chance they’ll listen closely to hear their name called.

Need some help identifying your top commenters? Read 

 or watch the video below for more information:

So how does this strategy help grow a YouTube channel? Well, if you’re constantly highlighting the best comments, you’ll encourage more viewers to write public notes beneath your videos. The more comments you receive, the more opportunities you’ll have to 

From there, you can build an irresistible comment section. Newcomers will be more likely to join your community if they see supportive notes, funny jokes, and interesting discussion threads below your content.

4. Create That One Video Your Audience Has Been Asking For

You know the one. It’s the video idea you always see in the comments but haven’t found the time to film this year. If it’s a good idea that doesn’t violate YouTube’s Community Guidelines, why not surprise your audience by uploading that video just for them?

This is an act of goodwill, so the payoff may not be immediately quantifiable. There’s no guarantee that fan-requested videos will go viral or attract more subscribers.

However, taking your viewers’ thoughts and ideas into consideration is endearing. You can get a positive return on this investment, which materializes in several ways:

Strengthening the bond you’ve created with viewers

Proving your dedication to potential subscribers

As a YouTube creator, it’s still your job to decide which videos fit your channel and content strategy. But it never hurts to pay attention to your audience and include them in your decision-making, whenever possible.

Your subscribers watch your channel because they like your content. But sometimes, making your audience feel seen and heard is just as valuable as producing videos that get thousands of views. Whether it’s something of monetary value or even a verbal thank you, don’t forget to give back this season.

What goes around comes around. If your YouTube subscribers have supported your content all year, here are four ways to give back and grow your influence all at once.

How to Grow Your YouTube Channel By Giving Back to Subscribers

 was first released in 2018, few gamers were interested in the online, multiplayer game. However, that changed when COVID-19 spread across the globe and disrupted everyone’s 2020.

As a matter of public safety, cities around the world issued stay-at-home orders and temporary lockdowns. With few entertainment options, bored gamers decided to finally give 

One of those early gamers was Chance Morris, a.k.a Sodapoppin. In July, he started streaming the game to 2.8 million followers on his 

. By September, the game was so popular that 

 is the talk of the internet, millions of people are accepting the game’s challenge: Repair a malfunctioning spaceship while an "imposter" hunts and kills members of the crew. Everyone’s playing it, from influencer royalty like James Charles to 

 is popular on Twitch, but the game also has a large presence on YouTube. According to vidIQ’s keyword tool, more than 54 million viewers entered the phrase ‘Among Us’ into YouTube’s search bar. And that was just in the past 30 days.

Want to snag some of those views for yourself? Here are some tips for creating awesome 

 videos, take some time to review the game’s top keywords. Once again, we used the vidIQ keyword to compile this list:

These are great keywords to consider at the start of your research. But keep in mind that these are the most popular terms, meaning they’re harder to rank for on YouTube. If you have a small to medium-sized channel, use variations of these keywords to stand out from the competition.

‘Among Us Stack Kill’ A Top Keyword for Imposter Strategies

Look at the top 10 keyword list above. ‘Among Us imposter’ makes the cut, but our keyword tool says it's an extremely competitive search term. If you wanted to make content around the imposter side of 

, how would you do that and get decent views?

All you have to do is niche down even further. Dig deeper into the thrill of being an imposter, and you’ll find a valuable keyword opportunity: 

The videos attached to this keyword are absolutely hilarious. In them, creators share their strategies for killing multiple crew members at once on the 

SKRIMP, a channel with nearly 10K subscribers, got more than 30K views with this “stack killing” video:

Not bad for a channel with less than 10K subscribers, right? 

Other channels are experiencing success with “stack kills” too. For example, 

 has 1K subscribers and earned nearly 5K views with their video, “

Among Us Impostor Secret Stack Kill Strategy.

‘Among Us, But’ Is the Shock Value You Need For More Views

 is fun, but the entertainment value explodes on a modded version. Some creators are taking advantage of this by playing/creating outlandish versions of the game, and you should too.

 used the ‘Among Us, But’ keyword to showcase their video game development skills. Their video is titled “I Made Among Us, But It’s Single Player (Among You).” That’s a headline many die-hard fans would click, as evidenced by the video’s 2.9M views:

Tokaint has 108K subscribers today, but they didn’t start there. Our community manager Daniel Holzhauer discovered that this channel went from 7K to 100K 

 in less than a month. Interestingly, their most-watched videos contain the 'Among Us, But' keyword.

Another creator is leveraging this term too. 

 has 7K subscribers and is getting tens of thousands of views using ‘Among Us, But’.

Admittedly, this keyword is getting some attention from top YouTube gamers, so it’s a tad competitive. However, there’s proof of smaller creators getting more views than they’d normally receive.

 is a fun game and a joyful online trend, but who knows how long it will be popular. If gaming is your niche, use this trendy title to get more views on

Are you playing Among Us like the rest of the world? While you're fixing that spaceship, use these tips to upload the footage to YouTube and get more views.

How to Get More Views On YouTube By Playing Among Us

Dan, our executive producer at vidIQ, has achieved something every creator dreams of. After posting a video to YouTube’s platform of 2 billion monthly viewers, he's gained 852,000 views in just a few weeks.

That magical video is titled, “How to Make a Map in Minecraft 1.16.3," and it’s one of his shortest videos at only 58 brief seconds:

Dan’s video - and any vertical video less than 60 seconds - is what YouTube is now calling YouTube Shorts. The platform has been testing this content in the 

, a new display area for discovering short-form content. In it, viewers can cycle through random videos - kind of like TikTok’s never-ending loop of content.

We’ve talked about YouTube Shorts a lot on 

 to help creators understand what Shorts are and how they behave. If you need more information about short-form content on YouTube, use those two resources to get caught up!

As for Dan’s 852,000 YouTube Shorts views, just keep reading. There’s a strategy behind his success, and it’s repeatable for both newer and established creators.

How Long Does It Take For a YouTube Short to Get Views?

When Dan isn’t filming YouTube growth tutorials for vidIQ, he posts gaming videos on his own channel, 

. But as a gamer, he wasn’t sure how YouTube Shorts would complement his channel's strategy. Gaming videos are usually much longer than 60 seconds, so he decided to post a couple of Shorts and wait for the results.

Within 48 hours of posting his first Short, Dan's video was featured on the YouTube Shorts shelf. It quickly gained tons of views, and then suddenly, people stopped watching the video.

Meanwhile, his second Short was stagnant with minimal views, no discovery placement, and no circulation on YouTube. To his credit, there were 337 views, but those came from people finding his video through YouTube’s browse features or loyal subscribers watching his content. He welcomed those views, but Dan was aiming for the YouTube Shorts shelf specifically.

About four weeks went by, and then it finally happened - the views on Dan’s second YouTube Short began to skyrocket. The process was fascinating to watch because the ascent wasn’t steady. On some days, the video earned anywhere between 50 and 100,000 views in just 24 hours. And right now, it's the most-watched video on his gaming channel.

Of course, that’s the same video we’re so intrigued by right now: “How to Make a Map in Minecraft 1.16.3.” It has more than three-quarters of a million views and has earned Dan more than 5,000 new subscribers.

To hear the details of this feat, watch our latest video about how Dan got featured on the YouTube Shorts shelf:

Now that we’ve witnessed the power of YouTube Shorts, only two questions remain: How did Dan’s short video attract hundreds of thousands of views, and what can creators learn from his experience?

How to Get More Views on Your Next YouTube Short

If you know anything about Minecraft, you know that creating a map is a beginner-level task in the game. But to get on the YouTube Shorts shelf, that’s exactly the kind of topic Dan was looking for - a teachable moment.

Prior to creating his first Short, Dan did some keyword research on YouTube and learned that new players were curious about how Minecraft maps work. With such powerful intel, he decided to make a video answering that one, specific question.

Whether you're trying to rank on YouTube’s search pages or get featured on the Shorts shelf, doing these two things will help you succeed faster:

 Shorts still appear on the regular side of YouTube, so Dan took the time to create a proper thumbnail, write a video description, and plug in some tags - all for the benefit of anyone watching his video outside of the Shorts shelf.

Don’t overlook a video's ‘weaker’ traffic sources.

 Even with Dan getting 750,000 views on a Short, percentages from ‘lesser’ traffic sources represented thousands of quality views.

So what does this mean for you and your channel? Well, for one thing, it tells us YouTube Shorts aren't just for people who dance in front of their phones. Gaming channels can benefit too.

Our Best Tips For Creating YouTube Shorts

Out of everything Dan learned from his viral moment, here are his best tips for creating popular, attention-grabbing Shorts.

To create a Short, simply record a video as you normally would, in a widescreen format. When you’re editing the video, you can adjust the aspect ratio and chop off the left and right sides of the frame.

Shorts should quickly add value to a viewer’s day. Try to teach people something new, and have a strong hook from the beginning. If you can make viewers laugh, that’s even better. Humor should boost your video’s retention rate, and that lets YouTube know your content is worth sharing.

Finally, have some patience. Shorts can take 24 hours or even a month to start getting thousands of views on YouTube.

Dan’s latest Shorts are doing OK, but who knows how they’ll perform in the next 20-30 days? 

No matter what kind of YouTube channel you have, add some Shorts to your strategy so you can potentially, 

Since YouTube Shorts were announced, we've wondered whether creators could get nearly 1 million views from a 60-second video. Now that we've seen it happen, here's what you should do to reach that milestone.


How This Creator Got 852K Views in 58 Seconds From YouTube Shorts

As a YouTube creator, you can learn a lot about your audience by regularly checking the comment section. You’ll discover a few things below each video, such as the number of total comments and how many likes/replies they’ve received. If you go beyond the numbers and read each comment, you’ll learn even more. 

Die-hard viewers often share video ideas and valuable feedback you need to see. The more you 

 and encourage their ideas, the tighter your community will become.

It’s incredible to see helpful suggestions of any kind, especially when you're just starting out. But did you know you can glean extra information from the hundreds of YouTube comments you receive?

What Creators Can Learn From YouTube Comments

On the YouTube mobile app, you’ll find more than a list of comments below each video. YouTube has upgraded the section to include helpful information about who comments on your content.

We don’t have a name for this feature yet (and perhaps YouTube doesn’t either), but here’s what the tool displays:

When the commenter subscribed to your channel.

How many subscribers the commenter has on their channel.

How the commenter interacts with you, such as how many comments they’ve posted on your channel and the likes/replies you’ve left on their comments.

Snippets of previous conversations with commenters, plus the option to jump to the video where each conversation occurred.

The commenter’s YouTube channel banner, which should communicate the creator’s niche (tech, gaming, cooking, beauty, etc.).

To learn more about the new comment feature and its valuable insights, watch our latest video, “Who Posts The Most YouTube Comments on Your Videos?”

How to Find Comment Insights on YouTube [New]

When you want to learn more about the viewers who comment on your videos, follow these steps:

Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.

Navigate to a public video you’ve uploaded, then scroll down to the comment section.

Find a comment/commenter you’d like to investigate. To the left of the comment, click on the channel icon beside the commenter’s name.

Next, you’ll see a screen filled with information about how the commenter interacts with you. It’ll contain everything we listed above, and here’s what the screen looks like:

This tool is filled with information, so be sure to check it out. Regardless of your subscriber count, these highly engaged viewers are worth getting to know!

Do you know who your most engaged viewers are? The ones who comment on most of your videos with encouragement and helpful tips? If not, here's how to find out.

Find Out Who Posts the Most Comments on Your YouTube Videos

As a YouTube creator, you know that video thumbnails are a vitally important part of your content strategy. Depending on how yours look, they can seriously make or break the performance of your videos - no matter how informative or entertaining they are.

With everyone aiming to make the best thumbnails possible, sometimes it’s hard to stand out in YouTube search results. If your thumbnails aren’t colorful, eye-catching, and easy to digest, you may earn fewer views than your channel is capable of.

That’s why every creator should have a 

for comparing thumbnails, and luckily, we’ve developed one right here at vidIQ. Watch our latest video about how to leverage this amazing tool below:

Our thumbnail preview tool has one goal, and that’s giving your content the best chance of being discovered on YouTube. When you’re ready to start raking in the views, here’s how it works.

To access our new thumbnail preview tool, follow these three important steps:

Upload a video to YouTube, along with your preferred thumbnail.

Look for the thumbnail preview tool on the right side of YouTube’s workflow. This appears on the first upload page, as shown below:

Next, type in the search term you would like to rank for and click ‘

’. Instantly, you’ll see a mock-up of your video, complete with your thumbnail, title, and description of choice. The thumbnail preview tool will then compare this mock-up to videos already ranking for the search term you typed.

The process above can help you get more views before you even press publish on a video. And it’s especially useful when you’re competing for a specific search term on YouTube.

But what do you do when YouTube starts recommending your content to random viewers browsing the platform? How can you ensure your thumbnails will perform well in that scenario?

Luckily, we have a solution for that too.

The thumbnail preview tool has two content display options: home screen and search screen. The home screen preview shows you a more random selection of videos, just like you might encounter on your YouTube homepage. Viewing this display helps you determine whether your video can catch someone’s attention when they have no viewing agenda.

To toggle between search and home screen displays, go to the top left corner of the preview tool and click either option, as shown below:

And here are some extra features that make life easier for creators...

More YouTube views? BEFORE publishing? It may sound too good to be true, but anything's possible with a video preview tool. Here's a guide to using our very own.

Posts Written By Lydia Sweatt

YouTube in 2020: Powerful Stats You Need to Know

Please Stop Using Episode Numbers on Your Gaming Content

How to Grow Your YouTube Channel By Giving Back to Subscribers

How to Get More Views On YouTube By Playing Among Us

How This Creator Got 852K Views in 58 Seconds From YouTube Shorts

Find Out Who Posts the Most Comments on Your YouTube Videos

How to Get More Views on YouTube Before Publishing Anything

How to Grow on Twitch as a YouTuber

YouTube's Monetization Update: FAQ's for Creators

YouTube Will Run Ads On Some Unmonetized Channels, But Those Creators Won't B...

Why You Should be Using YouTube Video Chapters

YouTube Shorts Analytics: Why Every Creator Needs This Data