Pew Internet released a study today whose main conclusion was that 78% of adult internet users watch or download videos, which is up from 69% in 2009. This figure includes adults who watch videos on a video-sharing site, watch videos online at all, or adults who download video files onto a computer to watch later. Certainly, online adults under the age of 50, as well as non-adults under that age do lead the charge in online video consumption. It’s nonetheless important for marketers to note key distinctions about these age groups: younger users are drawn to music, comedy, and animated videos, while adult men are more likely to be found watching political, sports, and educational (or how-to) videos. Another interesting demographic conclusion: the higher the household income, the more video watching occurs; at $75,000+, 70% of adults watch online videos, while at $30,000-$74,999, only 54% watch.
While these results aren’t intrinsically groundbreaking, they’re important to study, particularly for digital marketers who are looking to target specific age groups with pitches and campaigns. Ultimately, it seems as though comedic videos are the most universally accepted across gender, age, and income brackets, while more niche categories should be used to target specific age brackets and audiences. For the full details, click through to the report.
