According to YouTube’s 2024 Culture & Trends Report, the key to consumers’ hearts is fandom. Whether as a casual fan or a super fan, niche and popular trends alike, fandom is what drives engagement.

Perhaps more importantly, the report explains that conversation around niche topics and trends tends to drive more engagement than the original content itself—an interesting find, and one that can seriously strengthen influencer marketing campaigns.

Key Shift in Fandom and Content Creation:

The report recognizes a key shift in fandom and content creation that can open many doors for innovative ways to use social media as a tool (pg. 3):

“Fans aren’t just consuming their favorite content anymore — they’re actively in conversation with it — creating their own videos to showcase their devotion to the source material and to strengthen bonds with other fans.”

YouTube Trends Survey Insights:

Using Google and SmithGeiger’s YouTube Trends Survey, researchers found that 80% of fans—as in, people online aged 14-44 who self-identify as fans—use YouTube specifically to consume content about whatever person or thing they are a fan of at least weekly. Considering that 85% of 14-44-year-olds online consider themselves a fan of something or someone, this cohort is full of vast interests and, consequently:

“Creators are often objects of fandom and fans at the same time” (pg. 4).

The cyclical nature of fandom implies a sort of endlessness to social media creation and consumption, so capitalizing on fandom is a long-term project full of new opportunities for brands.

Gen Z and Brand Engagement

Speaking of brands, 74% of Gen Z (14-24-year-old) fans from the YouTube Trends Survey actually:

“Agree they like seeing brands engage with things they’re a fan of” (pg. 8).

In all seriousness, reading this statistic surprised me at first, considering ads generally are not something people like to see. Then, I realized that it isn’t just about ads. Brands that are active members of the social media ecosystem are both relatable and engaging—thus, when brands remove obstacles to fan creativity, such as memes, shorts, and more, they stand to benefit much more than those who impose obstacles. Creators and brands alike need to be responsive to fan culture.

What This Means for Brands

• Monitor Fan Content

  “The popularity of fan content often eclipses that of original work” (pg. 10).
  Brands must keep a close eye on what their fans are creating—their audiences are or are not responding to certain brand content, and it’s crucial to figure out those patterns and maintain a proactive online presence.

• Strengthen Connections with Fans

  “Your fans are going to play with your content anyway; you may as well use it as an opportunity to strengthen your connection to your audience” (pg. 10).
  This point speaks to how to maximize a brand’s cultural relevance, considering that fandom is all about cultural relevance. By letting your content become culturally relevant, mostly by loosening the grip on your creations and letting your audience remix and remake your content, brands will have much greater chances of getting people’s attention in a positive manner.

• Be Authentic

  “Be responsive to what your fans are passionate about and highlight the things you’re passionate about, even when it isn’t directly related to your own content” (pg. 10).
  Arguably, authenticity is the single most important ingredient to online success nowadays—capitalize on that to strengthen your brand’s connection to its audience.

• Embrace New Trends

  “Don’t be afraid to lean into new and unfamiliar phenomena” (pg. 10).
  The report puts this concept perfectly, saying:
  “Today’s niche can be tomorrow’s mainstream” (pg. 10).
  This means that specifically in YouTube’s case, fans of the most niche topics are still connecting with other fans, 24/7. As a result, tapping into both niche and mainstream trends is a worthwhile endeavor; in some ways, tapping into niche fanbases might be even more helpful, especially in terms of creating an individual image for your brand.

The Importance of Fandom and Authenticity

So, there it is: What you need to know about YouTube’s 2024 Culture & Trends Report. If you take anything away from this article, let it be that fandom is cyclical and authenticity is key. Let your brand’s audiences play around with its content, and remember that the line is becoming increasingly blurry between consumer and creator, so never underestimate the power of a fan.