Twitter's recent report unveils insights into consumers' video consumption behaviour

Twitter is where Indians who are on the microblogging platform come to watch or talk about what’s happening, as per a report by Twitter India.

As per the report, a majority of people (51%) on Twitter in India actively search for videos on the service. The report also revealed that for 62% of people in India, Twitter is one of the main sources of video content online.

The report also found that the service in India is associated with informative (59%), professional (54%), and exclusive video content (53%).

To unlock the potential of video for household names and budding brands, Twitter dived beyond the surface and uncovered interesting insights around consumer video consumption behaviour in India. The findings have been published in a report that both brands and marketers can tap into to accelerate successful adoption of this highly influential format. 

Preetha Athrey, Director, Global Business Marketing, Twitter APAC, said, “This report on consumer video consumption behaviour is a window into what people are seeking and how brands can lean into it. Video is growing and is fast becoming a central piece of what's happening on Twitter. The possibilities for our favourite moving medium are endless and we are seeing more and more brands tap into the power of click ‘play’ to engage with the most leaned-in audience, connect to what's happening, and be a part of today's visually-driven digital world.”

What are people watching most on video? 

When it comes to video, connectivity and relevance are critical. Online conversations and consumption patterns are deeply tied to people’s interests - sports, entertainment, finance and much more.

Videos that cater to people’s passions, are trendy, or seek to entertain, hold the greatest stopping power, and 70% of Indians agreed that Twitter is a great place to see videos that align with their interests. In fact, a majority (65%) of people in India agree that there is a wider variety of video content on Twitter.

The top interest-based categories that attract the most viewers are: 

News and Current Affairs - 51% 

Celebrities - 43%

Business/Finance - 39% 

Educational - 35% 

Sports - 33% 

The second-screen experience: people are not just watching video, they’re also talking about it.

Today audiences are on the lookout for more; their hunger for content goes beyond the television screen and converges on Twitter – where they come for a second-screen experience. Viewers turn to Twitter to catch-up on exclusive content like sports match highlights, behind-the-scenes footage from the most iconic events, or bytes and snippets from their favourite artists. Moreover, even while they’re watching videos on other platforms, they’re also on Twitter – talking about it. 

93% of Indians on Twitter say their usage of Twitter increases while watching TV, and they turn to the service for trailers, highlights, and latest news about TV shows. For 85%, the same is applicable when watching movies and 90% say this is true when they’re watching streaming content.

79% people in India use Twitter more when they’re watching sports content elsewhere, and what they seek on Twitter is exclusive content, game highlights, interesting stats, and live coverage.

People are spending more time viewing live video content. 

While marketers lean on snackable content to tackle the short attention spans of today’s audiences, live streamed content might just break that pattern – almost 9 in 10 people on Twitter in India have watched a live stream video on the service. Several brands have harnessed the power of live video on Twitter – including automotives like Mahindra, OEMs like Oppo India, B2B-tech brands like Microsoft India – when introducing new products or campaigns.

With Twitter’s real-time nature, people turn to the service to watch events as they unfold around the world. 88% of audiences in India say they have watched a live stream on Twitter, and these are the top categories of live content people are engaging with: 

News events - 43%

Product launches - 39%

Red Carpet events/Award shows - 37%

Festivals - 36%

Sports events - 33%

People are engaging positively with video ads.

Twitter’s report reveals that 64% of its audience in India enjoys watching video ads to see what brands have to offer. This, and people’s overall inclination towards video, presents a concrete opportunity and space for brands to optimise the format when engaging audiences with ads - 57% of people on twitter in India prefer watching video ads on the service than on other platforms and 67% feel that video ads on Twitter are less disruptive to their browsing experience than on other platforms. 

Brands across categories and sectors have been creatively optimising a range of video ad formats on Twitter. In the e-commerce category, Flipkart’s #TheBigBillionDays coupled the charm of celebrities with Twitter’s Video Ads with Website Buttons to drive audiences to the brand’s website; In the BFSI category, State Bank of India used Promoted Video to amplify the reach of its Holi campaign – creatively connecting with audiences around an influential festive moment, among others.

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