We may live in a mobile world, but when it comes to advertising on YouTube, mobile isn’t the only answer.
In the recent 2018 YouTube Data Report from Strike Social, we analyzed a year’s worth of data across 22 industries. The report examined view rate and cost per view metrics across demographics, seasonality and device.
While taking a look at device data, we expected to see high view rates across smartphones. While that was certainly the case, it’s desktop that takes the lead in YouTube ad engagement.
Download the full 2018 YouTube Data Report to see what else we found.
Audiences are more likely to watch your ads on desktop devices
Those 24 or older are most likely to watch ads on desktop. The average view rate for desktop is 35.4% compared to 33.2% on phones.
Tablets fall the lowest at 26.2%, but don’t leave them out completely.
There is that possibility that tablet browsers read as desktops, so it’s important to analyze how well tablet devices could fit into your strategy. Not to mention — 55-64 year-olds are the most active on tablet devices.
The on-the-go “skip” generation
So why do desktops receive a higher view rate for YouTube ads than phones? It might seem a little backward given that mobile use is the leader across all devices.
But when it comes to your YouTube ads, we can infer that smartphones naturally ensue more skips or lead to weaker attention spans. People are on the go and don’t have as much attention or time to devote to ads. Consider 25-34-year olds — an age group just starting out in their careers. They have the starkest contrast between view rate on desktop and mobile.
Ask yourself: who is your audience and where do they watch YouTube?
What does this mean for you? While mobile may be a key focus for you, consider a balance between mobile and desktop. Desktop clearly dominates in ad engagement, while mobile isn’t far behind. The best strategy is one where you analyze your audience carefully to determine where they’re most likely to watch your ads.
Download the free data report now to:
- Get the latest insights on YouTube advertising view rate, cost per view and click through rate metrics
- Access data on demographics, seasonality trends, device and more
- Discover new ways of thinking about and targeting your audience
