Where can you go to learn something new, be entertained and find neverending lo-fi music streams? YouTube, of course.
If you haven’t put much thought into your YouTube marketing strategy, this is your sign to start. According to The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, more than three-quarters (78%) of all social users have a YouTube profile. YouTube is also the leading platform for long-form video content (and has been since its launch in 2005).
So, what was trending on YouTube in 2024? And how will the platform evolve in 2025? In this article, let’s dive into 13 current and emerging YouTube trends you need to know to fuel your video strategy.
Current and emerging YouTube trends
YouTube is a jewel in any digital marketer’s crown. But just like any platform, social media trends on YouTube come and go.
The challenge lies in keeping track of what trending YouTube content is on the rise, what’s currently making waves and which trends are already on their way out.
Use this list of 13 relevant YouTube trends to inspire your own content.
Short-form video
The ubiquity of vertical short-form video content on social media shows no signs of slowing down. According to The 2024 Content Benchmarks Report, 81% of consumers want to see more short-form brand videos.
If you don’t binge-watch TikTok videos or Instagram Reels daily, you likely know someone who does. YouTube’s take on the format, YouTube Shorts, is becoming more popular by the day. The platform now gets an average of 70 billion views daily (up from 30 million in 2021).
This mobile-first feature allows brands to reach new users, test different content styles and increase their following. YouTube also regularly releases new tools and features. One example is extending the duration limit for Shorts from 60 seconds to three minutes, giving marketers more creative freedom.
Pro tip: Repurpose your TikTok or Instagram Reel content for YouTube Shorts. This is especially useful if you want to attract a global audience—40% of YouTube Shorts users aren’t on TikTok or Reels. Just remove any platform watermarks first.
We love how beverage brand Liquid Death uses YouTube Shorts to create high-energy, entertaining content that aligns with their rebellious brand. They use a strong visual hook, quick edits and a unique subject to keep their audience engaged. In the video, YouTuber and vlogger Airrack flies Liquid Death’s fighter jet and plays a game of “Try not to blackout.” The rest of the video shows Airrack and his friends trying to withstand the G-force, to hilarious results.
Live videos
Live video isn’t new, but it’s also not out. A Statista survey found that a quarter (25%) of US adults watch live stream video several times a day. That’s a lot of time to make an impression.
YouTube has piloted some exciting new livestream tools. Watch With is a new tool that allows creators to provide live commentary, analysis and real-time reactions to games and events.
Their Multiview feature lets viewers watch up to four live programs simultaneously without switching between channels. The Coachella Music Festival used this feature to create a “first of its kind” viewing experience. Fans could watch performances from four of Coachella’s six stages at once and select audio from one stage at a time.
Social commerce
Social commerce functionality has been a major focus for many top platforms over the last few years. Experts predict that by the end of the year, there will be 110.4 million U.S. social media shoppers, nearly half of all social media users.
YouTube is no exception, with a full suite of shopping features, like the ability to tag and highlight products in videos and live streams. Newer features include Shopping Collections, which lets creators curate products around themes or topics. The Affiliate Hub is another addition, designed to connect creators with brands for affiliate marketing partnerships.
Activewear brand Popflex’s YouTube Shorts are a masterclass in social commerce. In this video, founder Cassie Ho shares a humorous yet informative behind-the-scenes look at how a new product—a low-rise running short—came to be. She shows the design process, highlights key benefits and features and offers a quick styling tip. While the product is tagged in the video, it doesn’t feel overly promotional, thanks to the value Cassie delivers.
Creator-led content
The creator economy is more than just a buzzword in the industry. Consumers trust creator-led content more than brand-created content. Creators humanize brands and offer an authentic voice.
Good creators understand and connect with their audiences, which, in turn, makes those viewers trust them. According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report, nearly half (49%) of all consumers make daily, weekly or monthly purchases because of influencer posts.
Clothing brand REVOLVE pairs two popular influencers together—Vinnie Hacker and stylist Jason Bolden—with the latter offering fashion tips to the former. The video integrates the clothing very naturally while showing off their personalities.
Brand storytelling
Consumers love stories. Brands that use storytelling well connect with their audiences around shared values and experiences and convey authenticity.
One of the best ways to ensure your brand storytelling hits the mark is to leverage voice-of-customer feedback. Use social listening tools to track rapidly shifting consumer expectations and preferences. This will help your brand stand out in your industry.
Outdoor activewear brand The North Face takes brand storytelling to new heights by sharing short documentaries featuring athletes snowboarding, climbing and various other outdoor sports. YouTube’s long-form horizontal video format works perfectly to show off the cinematic nature of these videos.
Gaming and community content
Live streaming video games is an interactive, fun way to build community and loyalty first while promoting your brand and products in the background.
Even if you’re not a gaming brand, there’s a lot to learn from the popularity of this content. To get inspired, look at creators like Kelsey Impicciche, who has grown and cultivated a community of nearly a million YouTube subscribers who watch her play The Sims 4 and other games.
She engages her audience with unique challenges and series like her “100 Baby Challenge.” Kelsey also has a secondary channel where she posts unedited live streams—a great way to repurpose content with minimal effort. Lastly, she uses Shorts to post more digestible content, such as clips from her gaming videos or funny life updates, and Posts for important announcements, like merch drops or changes to her uploading schedule.
Relaxing or comforting content
Many of us have leaned hard into comfort content to relax and take our minds off things.
This phenomenon is also true on YouTube. People turn to the platform for videos that help them relax or feel comforted. A 2024 survey found that 39% of Gen Z respondents consider YouTube more relaxing than traditional TV, streaming platforms and movies.
Whether this means you’re watching a day-in-the-life vlog while making breakfast or have an ambient Lofi Girl video on while working from home, this trending YouTube content can help us all decompress from the stress of daily life.
Some YouTube creators have made it their brand. Kennedy (aka Cozy K) bills herself as a comfort creator, regularly posting vlogs or body-doubling videos of her reading or cleaning.
YouTube for the TV
In contrast to YouTube TV, the subscription service that offers live TV viewing across 85 channels on desktop, mobile and smart TVs, the YouTube TV app enables users to watch YouTube on their TV.
Viewers watch a billion hours of YouTube content on television daily. On top of this, the watch time for sports content on TV has grown over 30% year over year as YouTube is now a one-stop shop for clips, highlights and post-game interviews.
To make the most of this viewing format, take the time to get to know your TV audience. Understand how your content performs by looking at metrics like TV watch time, views, average view duration and new subscribers from TV.
Also make your content as ‘TV-like’ as possible by upping the production value and leaning into episodic content. For example, furniture company Wayfair created “Iconic Objects”, a series that explores the unique backstories of popular objects in home design.
In the episode below, host Becky Lynn, a YouTuber and interior designer, explores the history of the Crock Pot (and how the TV show “This Is Us” almost ruined its reputation).
Cross-platform storytelling and multiformat content
The content you create for longer horizontal and shorter vertical YouTube videos doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Short-form, vertical video is popular right now but that doesn’t mean horizontal video is dead. 96% of Gen Zers in the U.S. say they watch both short-form and long-form videos on YouTube.
Additionally, short-form video is no longer just for mobile audiences. Last year, views of YouTube Shorts on connected TVs in the U.S. grew by more than 75%.
In short, to maximize your reach, you need to tell stories across multiple formats. If you have a longer YouTube video you want to drive people to, create unique, bite-sized YouTube Shorts to promote it.
Lean into the nuances of each content style. Use Shorts to capitalize on viral trends or share quick tips. Create longer videos for more research-heavy, nuanced topics.
Fitness creator Taliyah Joelle is an excellent example of this multi-format approach. Her longer videos are primarily vlogs or educational how-to guides, whereas her Shorts are quick, digestible #GRWMs (Get Ready With Me) and workouts. She repurposes clips from her longer videos into Shorts to maximize her long-form content.
The new meme content
Trending sounds and videos from short-form video platforms have created a new way to meme.
As these platforms have evolved, so has their meme content. While lip-syncing to viral sounds is still prevalent, 2024’s most popular trends were more conceptual.
For example, the “suspect running challenge” or the “we listen, and we don’t judge” trend gave users a framework for humorously roasting a loved one or confessing something harmless (in theory).
However, the “Gen Z marketing script” trend was fun and simple for unexpected brands to take part in. Case in point: the National Oceanography Centre. The organization used the trend to highlight the centre’s key features in a funny and digestible way.
Pro tip: Some YouTube trends are evergreen. Some come and go. In addition to jumping on trending memes and audio, keep track of YouTube trending content and think about adapting those topics into stories that make sense for your brand to tell.
Explainers and video essays
Even in a social media landscape dominated by short, digestible content, many users come to YouTube for fun and helpful insights. The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found that 66% of social users find edutainment to be the most engaging brand content, even more than skits, memes or serialized formats.
Notably, younger audiences love to watch deep-dive videos that offer more nuanced insights or thorough explanations around a particular topic. According to Google research, nearly three-quarters (74%) of Gen Z respondents said they often spend more time watching content that discusses or unpacks something than the thing itself (for example, a movie trailer, a new music video or a significant cultural event).
GRMNT is a company that offers made-to-order clothing and fashion design courses. It uses YouTube to share masterclass videos and explainers investigating the rise (and sometimes fall) of popular fashion houses like Burberry or Yeezy.
Reaction and commentary videos
Reaction and commentary videos have grown into their own content genre, spanning numerous subcategories—from reality TV recaps to album first listens.
Their popularity is undeniable. A Google survey found that 64% of people feel watching events like the Oscars or the Grammys feels incomplete without reactions, commentary and related content. Furthermore, 60% said they would rather watch creators break down a major event than watch the event itself.
Netflix created a reaction series with drag queens Trixie and Katya, “I Like to Watch.” In the series, they watch popular Netflix movies and shows and share their unfiltered takes. The series is successful because Netflix allows Trixie and Katya to be themselves. They share honest opinions—even when those opinions are negative.
This authenticity helps Netflix build trust with its audience. It also positions the company as a fun, self-aware brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Video podcasts
No longer an audio-only medium, more people are listening and watching podcasts on YouTube. In 2024, users watched over 400 million hours of podcasts monthly—and that’s just on televisions. YouTube is a great platform for discovery. According to a Cumulus Report, 84% of surveyed Gen Z monthly podcast listeners in the US have found a podcast on YouTube.
When users create a podcast on YouTube, they have access to many features to help promote their show, such as inclusion in the YouTube Music app and eligibility to be featured on YouTube’s dedicated podcast page.
Google data analysis found that podcasts with video—particularly those featuring hosts on camera—perform better than podcasts with static visuals. Shorter clips from the podcast can also be repurposed as YouTube Shorts to boost reach.
“Why Won’t You Date Me” is a long-running podcast by comedian Nicole Byer. Uploading video episodes to YouTube adds a new layer to the show’s storytelling and humor.
In the episode below, the set is decorated with Sonic the Hedgehog memorabilia to honor the guest, actor Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic in the movies. Nicole even wears a Sonic costume, making the visual experience as entertaining as the conversation.
How YouTube search trends can enhance your content
Does creating impactful YouTube content strategy feel like a guessing game? It doesn’t have to be. YouTube search trends reveal what viewers are actively looking for. Brands and marketers can use this data to create videos they know their audience will love—before they even ask for it.
For example, if you’re a social marketer for a food brand and see that “meal prep ideas” are trending, you could post a meal prep recipe video featuring your product.
YouTube is also the world’s second-largest search engine, powered by Google. Optimizing your content for YouTube search makes it more discoverable both on the platform and beyond, boosting your reach and streamlining content planning.
Here are a few popular ways to tap into YouTube search trends.
Sprout’s YouTube Listening
With Sprout’s YouTube Listening tool, brands can tune into exactly what their audience cares about most. Use it to uncover trending topics and hashtags, understand audience demographics and preferences, and identify relevant thought leaders and influencers.
YouTube’s Trending page
* This article was originally published here