Thanks in part to the growing data limits, and the launch of many unlimited data plans, more and more people are using their mobile devices to watch videos. A study conducted by AOL found that 86% of consumers report that they watch videos on their smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. This compares to just 70% of desktop users.
Of those who watch videos, 57% of mobile users report that they watch video on a daily basis on their devices, compared to 58% on desktops and laptops. The rapid growth of mobile video has gotten to the point where mobile is going to be surpassing desktop in this area.
42% of the people responding say they watch videos that are 5 minutes or less most of the time. These short form videos are very popular and are used for movie trailers, marketing videos, funny videos, and much more. Even many cooking and how-to videos are ‘fast forwarded’ to reduce the length of time that they will take to watch.
Advertisers are keeping up with this transition from desktop to mobile video watching. 47% of advertisers report that they will be boosting their mobile ad spend by at least 25% this year.
The majority of Millennials aka 18- to 34-year-olds are increasingly relying on their mobile devices for internet use. In fact, this generation browses the internet via a mobile browser up to three times more than they do on desktop site. Given the advances in mobile technology, it is no surprise that this is a growing preference of this group.
Though mobile seems to be their preferred platform for digital consumption, when on desktop, Millennials spend more time on each website than when viewing it from their mobile devices. This contributes to the fact that desktop currently remains a more profitable platform for ad revenue. However, this is forecast to change within the next two years.
Ad networks are also continuing to develop and roll out new and innovative video options including 360 degree videos and even virtual reality options to help give viewers a more immersive experience.
