We're all now fitness gurus, amateur chefs, and DIY wizards, and our video consumption mirrors these new verticals. As publishers, you can tap into relevant channels and maximize CPMs and increase revenues. We focus on three of the most popular lockdown video trends and how high-quality video content keeps us (and our users) hooked.
Fitness First
There's been a boom in online fitness content! Whether you couldn't get to the gym or you never really wanted to, grabbing your sneakers during lockdown seemed a great idea. With little else to do, we started bingeing on Instagram fitness challenges and YouTube home workouts. Suddenly, practicing pop star dance routines in the backyard was not just for Gen Z, as our inner J.Lo came out in full force.
YouTube saw daily uploads of videos with "workout at home" in the title increase by over 55% in March 2020 compared to the year before. A fave across the Primis network was the "10 Minute Core Home Workout" from the Level Fitness channel. This high impact, quick workout caught the attention of viewers trying to get fit fast! You can check it out on the playlist in this blog.
Cooking up a Storm
With nights out at restaurants banned and fine dining limited to the living room, a surge in takeaway apps and panic buying was followed by us heading to the kitchen and experimenting with meals. Primis saw video consumption of cooking and food-related videos jump by 50% in April 2020. The steep increase was followed by fluctuations throughout 2020, then rose by the end of the year, most likely connected to the holiday season as we tried to enjoy the festive period.
Typical video content can last anywhere from 3 to a whopping 12 minutes, and Primis viewers fell in love with Twisted and Twisted Bar by Jungle Creations, which concentrates on all things cooking and drink. But, like the title of the channel itself, these videos come with a "twist." With engagement grabbing titles like "8 Cocktails for Chocolate Lovers," it's not hard to imagine why viewers are glued to the screen.
DIY Dreams
The pandemic's uncertainty and restrictions included closing schools, which meant juggling to keep the family entertained and finding ways to reduce our stress before quietly going mad… so we took up crafts. If your memories of 2020 include rummaging through boxes in your garage only to recover a rusty hammer and saw, you are not alone.
Home improvements and kids' activities provided ways to keep sane, so videos on DIY and crafts grew. The first lockdown saw an increase of 85% in video consumption and 48% in user engagement. Channels like Craft Factory Kids are giving publishers some great video content to share with parents looking to spend quality time with their children in a creative way.
What we can "takeaway"...
The impact of lockdown acted as a catalyst to speeding up digital adoption, and our users and ourselves alike turned to online video in new ways. Desperate to be productive and end the boredom, we consumed video like toilet paper on a Walmart shelf and went crazy!
In 2021, the publishers who present the right video content to their readers that truly taps into the trends that have arisen throughout lockdown, will find the most benefit. Not only to their bottom line, but also to their relationship with their fans and followers.
