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CRS 2021: A Fireside Chat With YouTube's Kevin Allocca
February 17, 2021 at 1:20 AM (PT)
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YOUTUBE Head of Culture & Trends KEVIN ALLOCA spent 50 minutes discussing the popular streaming platform and how it relates to Country music during a "fireside" virtual chat YESTERDAY (2/16) during CRS 2021. Among the topics he covered were what makes something go viral, trends and how to capitalize on them, live streaming and its ongoing prevalence in today's virtual world, a lack of genre definition and mistakes to avoid when creating content.
When discussing content and what makes it go viral with BILLBOARD Executive Editor/West Coast & NASHVILLE MELINDA NEWMAN, ALLOCCA noted that a main component is that there's "usually some way for the viewer or audience to participate." Whether it be through recreating the content themselves, or simply commenting and seeing engagement with others, the interactive experience is an important part for users of the platform.
On the topic of live streaming, ALLOCCA presented some interesting numbers. He reported that 70% of people used YOUTUBE in replacement of an in-person event in 2020, and that most people who watch livestreams online believe it helps them "feel connected to something larger than themselves." Perhaps more noteworthy, ALLOCCA reported that half of people say that watching a livestream is almost as good as attending an event in person. He cited a survey showing that people expect to watch more livestreams in 2021 than they did in 2020.
As far as genres are concerned, ALLOCCA discussed how less importance is now placed on genre by audiences, and he reported that around half of people say they can't place their favorite content creator into one specific genre.
ALLOCCA wrapped up the session with some tips on mistakes to avoid. He noted that while being informed and up to date on trends is important, it's more vital to optimize the trends and not "chase" them. Trying to do the thing that everybody does might not work for your specific brand. Lastly, he noted that the trend itself is less important than the experience that is created for your audience. If something seems unusual to you, try to look at the deeper value it is adding for your audience.