What YouTube viewers want: To belong

Even the most successful content creators on the internet sometimes question whether or not they are making the "right" content. The social media landscape is always changing, and audiences are not always consistent when it comes to what they most want to watch.

Thankfully, figuring out which types of content will most draw your audience's attention on YouTube doesn't have to be a complete mystery. According to YouTube's official Why We Watch 2.0 report, there is one surefire thing viewers want more than anything else: content that makes them feel like part of a community.

The report, which uses data from viewer surveys and from recent research findings, notes specifically that "more than half of viewers agree that their content selections collectively create a sense of belonging, while a majority of younger viewers say that watching content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch makes them feel seen and understood."

Think of some of your favorite content creators, either from when you were younger or whom you still might follow today. What drew you most to them when you first started following them? Chances are, following their content made you feel like you were a small part of something bigger -- a piece of a larger community all gathered around a creator, channel, or personal brand.

It's possible that this is the key to creating a successful YouTube channel -- or any form of social media presence, for that matter. Create content that thrives on a sense of community. Encourage people to rally around something you care about, or create a space where people feel comfortable, seen, heard, and appreciated.

Something we often get wrong about content creation in general is that it's not actually all about us, even if we're seemingly at the center of the content we create. It's really about the audience, and why they matter.