2020 has seen a significant increase in the number of video offerings geared toward younger audiences. The latest to gain a spot in the space? Reddit.
Reddit recently announced the acquisition of Dubsmash short video platform. Reddit will integrate its video creation tools into the app to increase the creative opportunities for creators and brands.
“Video is increasingly core to how people want to connect, and as we continue to grow our community, we’re committed to providing the best possible tools users need to find, create, and interact with one another through video,” Reddit shared in the official announcement.
The path to video
Reddit has reported that native video usage has increased dramatically since 2017, when it launched. It grew 2X in 2020, resulting in millions more organic video uploads. Separately, a spokesperson for Reddit shared with sources at Social Media Today that A Reddit spokesperson told SMT that, RPAN’s first year, over 291,000 streams were shared on the platform, by more than 54,000 streamers.
While initially these streams were capped at 45 minutes, there’s now a way to extend the length, which could open the window for creators to monetize their videos and tap into Dubsmash’s 52 million daily active users.
For some background, Dubsmash stands as one of TikTok’s biggest rivals that gained initial traction in 2015 as a lip-sync video app. It added more features to make it a social platform, and moved its headquarters from Berlin in Brooklyn in 2017. Fast forward to 2017, it had over 1 billion downloads and was ranked second in the short-form videos market.
Representation of underrepresented voices
Consumers prefer realistic portrayals of life versus displays of escapism, therefore it’s more important than ever to listen to their conversations rather than predict what they want or value.
This is why platforms need to adapt. Brands now have to take a stronger stance on social and political issues than ever before.
Per the announcement, Dubsmash as a “welcoming platform for creators and users who are under-represented in social media.” Roughly 25 percent of all Black teens in the U.S and females represent 70 percent of Dubsmash users. This seems to align nicely with Reddit’s mission of fostering a sense of community and belonging via thousands of topics and passion points.
“In our years of building Dubsmash, we’ve learned how video can spark creativity, unlock interactions, and deepen connections within communities,” added Dubsmash’s co-founder and president, Suchit Dash. “Our focus is showing a different side of the internet.”
The transition to video — it’s only beginning
“The transition to video will be bigger than the transition to mobile,” explained Reddit Chief Executive and co-founder Steve Huffman in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. “We’re still only at the beginning.”
Video streaming apps saw a 40% YoY rise with games (35%), finance and shopping apps (25%), followed closely by social and communication apps (20%). Overall, it’s safe to say mobile adoption was accelerated by the global pandemic in ways that simply cannot and will not be reversed. App Annie predicts we’re ahead by roughly 2 to 3 years.
Looking ahead, we see that video will account to 78 percent of mobile traffic in 2021, up from 60% today. TikTok may be the king for now, but that won’t stop others from making their mark.
Video will be a central format in how we find and share content. Experiences should be the primary focus for brands — and these have to be easy-to-navigate, immensely creative, and match the space and flow of communication. Video is an area worth considering when developing your content strategy.
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