Because of the COVID pandemic, the previous year was an eventful one for all of us. We were compelled to stay at home owing to the limitations, and we had to follow the government's policies and restrictions in order to keep our loved ones and ourselves safe.
At the time, the Internet was a true gift, as it assisted everyone who was stranded at home. People were running internet businesses, and many of them made money during the COVID pandemic because there were so many fresh ideas in the market. People who had nothing to do with the situation discovered a passion and spent the majority of their time on streaming platforms, thanks to the internet.
Because of the streaming tendency, internet usage has increased significantly throughout the COVID pandemic. Thanks to internet service providers such as Cox, who offered economical and high-speed internet plans to their customers. If you are concerned about your bill rising, look into Cox internet plans. To ensure that your internet is working properly while you stream your favorite movie, make sure you choose a plan that suits best for your needs.
Everyone has a smartphone these days and now even those people who have internet who were not in the support of this new technology are using it. Streaming platforms gave great competition to the cable service provider but now it’s a one-sided game. The usage of streaming platforms is increasing every day and many people are switching to streaming services due to multiple reasons.
If we see the current streaming statistics, we’ll find out that around 82% of internet traffic is streaming videos. Video accessibility also plays a great role and is one of the major reasons for the increased popularity of streaming. The improvement in video quality will also increase the popularity of streaming not just among normal users but also in businesses.
Video content plays a great role when it comes to marketing and helps a lot in the growth of the business and its role is increasing in the corporate world. To give you an idea of how you can use streaming to grow your business, we have done our research and compiled some latest streaming trends.
Latest streaming trends
Some people think that streaming is only limited to videos but that’s not true. We can see a great rise in the traffic on music streaming platforms like SoundCloud and Spotify during the pandemic. We can also see a clear growth in on-demand music streaming. It's all happening due to the accessibility.
Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, and another noticeable thing is the increase in the usage of smartphones. Most people do streaming on their smartphones because it offers flexibility. The traffic is going towards streaming platforms and an average American spends most of their free time on YouTube. Users have a strong connection with their smartphones and it's not a luxury anymore.
- COVID's role in in-home media consumption
The COVID pandemic has changed our lifestyles. There were around 4.5 billion people who were using the internet in early 2020 and the numbers increased really fast, and we can also see a clear growth in the usage of streaming platforms not just in America but across the world.
If we specifically talk about the people of America, most people have already switched from cable TV to streaming platforms and businesses are investing in these streaming platforms.
Many businesses took COVID as an opportunity and made a lot of money out of it. Companies that used to make ads are now collaborating with videographers and Vloggers because they know that their audience has evolved and spend most of their time on YouTube than on cable TV.
An average American has access to 3, 4 streaming platforms and spends around $9.00 a month on the streaming platforms. Some people use streaming services to get access to live content, and movies. While some use streaming services to watch the news or listen to music.
- Live streaming on social media
In the past, people were not actually into live streaming but social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have made a significant change. Now the audience can interact with their favorite celebrities and influencers with live streaming. People watch live sports on social media. Many social media pages offer their audience live streaming of concerts, events, and news.
The social media applications, which were meant to be messaging apps, are now used for multiple purposes and businesses are investing millions of dollars in social media marketing and video marketing. This interactive experience is one of the major reasons for streaming popularity not just among consumers but also among different businesses.
In the lockdown situation, live streaming was a platform for many people to interact with their audience. Live streaming helped many businesses and now works as a marketing channel.
You can do a live showcase of your products and services and only those people will watch it who are interested and this way you get an idea of your audience. YouTube took over Facebook and now most people spend their time on YouTube. So in terms of businesses, YouTube is a great medium to promote their products and services.
- Extended businesses applications
In 2022, most companies are using video streaming as a medium for the marketing of products and services. Video streaming is not just for the marketing of products or services.
It has found its way through different processes such as virtual doctor visits and many businesses use this medium for customer support. Video streaming helps a lot in troubleshooting product or service issues and is a critical element of customer support now. It contributes greatly to the customer experience of today.
- Music streaming
Music streaming platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud have taken over the radio. Now people use music streaming platforms to listen to the music they like. Most of the audience of these music-streaming platforms is young people and they have their reasons.
There are multiple reasons why these streaming platforms are growing. As there are no lengthy advertisements or no DJs and you don’t need to request a song and wait for it. You can listen to the music, whenever you want to, and you will be getting access to all genres of music.
The number of these users has been going up in the past year and people are paying every month to get access to these music streaming platforms. Many businesses are working on podcasts, as it’s also a great medium of marketing and it all depends on you, and how you play with it.
Summing it up
What we've discovered so far is that the changes brought on by the COVID pandemic have been ingrained in our lives, and streaming will be the technology of choice for people in the twenty-first century for a variety of purposes.
Businesses can use social media platforms, as well as other video and music streaming platforms, to sell their products and services. Those in the business world must ensure that they are ready to speed up on all market developments.
