The Creator Conundrum: What Content Keeps Audiences Engaged?

Many people spend hours scrolling through social media and watching influencer videos each week. Video content has become more popular than ever before, helping creators earn more money and build lucrative careers using social media.

But what qualifies as good content? To learn more, Podcastle surveyed 2,000 Americans to gauge what they want and don't want to see from content creators to determine how they can grow their following, keeping audiences engaged with the content type and overall video quality.

Key Findings

1. The platforms Americans are most interested in engaging with influencers on are YouTube (64%), Instagram (52%) and Facebook/Meta (37%).
2. Americans want to see 3 new pieces of content from their favorite influencers weekly.
3. Four in 5 Americans are tired of seeing clickbait titles or misleading thumbnails, leading 77% to hit unfollow.
4. Americans find it excessive when an influencer posts more than nine times per week.
5. Over 1 in 10 Americans say influencer content needs to be over 15 minutes to build relationships.

Decoding Social Media Influencer Engagement

Ensuring your content gets to the right audience is imperative, but sometimes, deciding which social media platform to use and what topics to cover can be difficult. The data below reveals where Americans are most interested in engaging with influencers and the type of content they want to see.

American viewers want to see three new pieces of content a week from their favorite content creators. To make this happen, content creators often use online video editing software to speed up the process and add details to their videos that set them apart.

While YouTube (64%), Instagram (58%) and Facebook/Meta (46%) are the top platforms for influencer engagement, Americans spend 49 minutes daily on YouTube and 33 on Instagram.

We determined that platform-based engagement differed by phone operating system, with Android users most interested in YouTube (71%), Instagram (41%) and Facebook (41%), while Apple users interact the most on Instagram (61%), YouTube (57%) and TikTok (38%).

When it comes to generation, Gen Z is 73% more likely than older generations to be interested in engaging with influencers on TikTok. They are also 24% more likely than older generations to be interested in watching influencer livestreams. However, Gen Z is the age group least likely to be interested in watching content containing inspirational or motivational themes.

Exploring Content Fatigue - How Much is Too Much?

While content creators need to be consistent, posting too much and being repetitive can annoy your audience, making them scroll to the next video. Here are some reasons why people might keep swiping instead of tuning in.

Keeping your audience interested in what you have to say is critical, but sometimes, overposting will affect your engagement, as Americans consider nine posts a week excessive. Nearly 3 in 5 Americans are tired of seeing repetitive and unoriginal content, and a staggering 80% of those have unfollowed accounts because of it. When using video recording software, content creators need to keep in mind short attention spans and the fact that Americans tend to give each video 17 seconds to draw them in before they move to the next. So, editing video content to maintain authenticity and originality will keep viewers engaged and interested.

When demographics are concerned, Baby boomers are most likely to unfollow influencer accounts due to clickbait titles or misleading thumbnails (64%), while Gen X unfollow due to lacking substance or value (79%). Gen Z is 77% less likely than older generations to say they are tired of seeing unboxing videos. Apple users were 18% more likely than Android users to have unfollowed an influencer because their content was overly polished or edited.

Beyond Authenticity: Crafting Content that Resonates and Converts

People like to feel heard and understood, so when your content is something a viewer can relate to, and it's the perfect length, they are likely to watch more of your videos. But where's the video length sweet spot?

Many factors can keep people watching your videos. When it comes to video length, more than 1 in 3 people want their video content to last less than 5 minutes, but it can vary based on your target audience. For example, 2 in 5 Gen Zers feel videos need at least 15 minutes to build relationships.

However, when it comes to personality traits that appeal to an influencer audience, it varies based on generation, with Gen Z being most interested in humorous content (64%) while Millennials (61%) and Gen X (63%) want authenticity. Meanwhile, Baby boomers are most interested in seeking knowledge (59%). Although Gen Z is interested in humorous content, over 1 in 4 said they are more likely to engage with an influencer if they do, in fact, address social or political issues.

Nearly 4 in 5 Americans say audio quality is just as important as video quality with digital content. An online video editor can help ensure that both aspects of the video are where they should be. We learned that nearly 9 in 10 people have watched sped-up videos on TikTok compared to 82% on YouTube. On the contrary, over 2 in 5 baby boomers say they have never sped up a video they watched online. And when it comes to subtitles, Gen Z prefers them more than older generations when watching content, so much so that they are 38% more likely than Baby Boomers to watch videos with them.

Using the power of video to find your audience

Creating the perfect video for your audience will take some trial and error, but having the right tools, such as an online video recorder and powerful video editor, can help get you to your goal. Understanding your audience is crucial for success, whether you're hoping to create long-form or short-form content. You have a good chance of getting noticed if your videos are authentic and you avoid oversaturating your channels. All it takes is one well-timed post to go viral.