WHAT MAKES CONTENT GOOD?
According to viewers, it’s the story.
A global shift in the way we enjoy entertainment is underway, with digital consumption rising more than 30% in 2021.1

As people decide what, how, and when they want to watch, viewer choice is reshaping content and driving engagement.
With more choice when it comes to entertainment, people, not production companies, get to define what makes a piece of content good. We partnered with Talk Shoppe to find out how today’s audiences determine quality.
VIEWERS SAY
GOOD CONTENT IS: RELEVANT TO THEM, INTELLECTUALLY AND
SENSORIALLY STIMULATING, AND EMOTIONALLY RESONANT
of viewers in Thailand2 and India3 are open to advertising or branded content when watching video that is personally relevant to them.
Viewers seek out content that is not only relevant to their interests, but also made by approachable, relatable creators.
Over
90%
“Our audiences have to be able to see themselves in the content. And if they don’t, they will leave.”
Chief Digital Officer, Vice Media
CORY HAIK
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Viewers appreciate content that introduces them to new things, including brands. This content runs the gamut from educational series to product reviews.
Viewers in Japan4 and Australia5 say that YouTube is the No. 1 ad supported video service in delivering intellectually stimulating content.
“Viewers are turning to platforms like YouTube because they’ve gotten more accustomed to getting practical how-tos from people who feel like they could be their neighbor, who look and sound and feel just like them.”
Group Communications Strategy Director, Droga5
JONATHAN DALY
Good storytelling is all about the details. For instance, viewers in Australia are most likely to say good content tells a good story.6
And viewers in the Philippines,7 Thailand,8 India,9 and Vietnam10 are most likely to say good content helps them learn something new and features a personally relevant topic.
“Authentic, aesthetically imperfect content that resonates, that gets to the heart of matters, is what’s winning right now and what will be winning in the future.”
Managing Director, EGAMI Group
PARRIS BOWE
People say good content makes them feel something.
Viewers in Taiwan are most likely to say good content brings out their emotions and features a personally relevant topic.11
“It doesn’t have to be dramatic. I just want to be taken from one emotion to another while watching the video.”
YouTube user
JUANES
More than two billion people come to YouTube every month to watch content that satisfies one or all of these needs.13
Creators know this best: As they help to accelerate the shift to streaming, they also contribute to and shape new tastes and trends. 92% of viewers in Indonesia say YouTube makes them excited for the next piece of content from a series or creator.12
of viewers in India say they can find good content on YouTube higher than the competitor average (93%).14
98%
“Unforgettable characters, compelling plots, some form of social commentary, and populist entertainment, broad appeal. All four of those characteristics drive the best storytelling today, and all four of them are present on YouTube."
President and CEO, BBDO Worldwide
ANDREW ROBERTSON
While trends come and go, the elements of entertainment stay the same. Whether content connects is not determined by budget, famous faces, or fancy cameras, but by the story it tells.
Editor: Marianna Nash
Designer: Kate McManus and Sohee Cho
Production Lead: Jenny Maughan

Credits

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Research: Katie Herskovitz, Veronica Fabiani, and Victoria Drake