You’ve heard it before: reach audiences and your business will grow. But new research shows it is the mindset they’re in that, crucially, unlocks growth.
When audiences are in a state of flow on a platform, they’re mindfully absorbed and they feel good about their time spent. Not surprisingly, they’re more likely to have higher purchase confidence.1
So to truly connect with audiences and drive business growth, you’ll need to find audiences in the flow state.
And in India, the top place where viewers find themselves in the flow mindset overall is YouTube.2 Tellingly, YouTube reached 4 in 5 internet users in India aged 18-plus, in March alone. 3
How the flow mindset fuels growth
Knowing the mindset of audiences on a platform is important.
On the outside, those in the zoned out state can seem like those in a flow state — engaged. But audiences in the zoned out state are mindlessly lost in content. They don’t remember what they see and feel bad about their experience afterwards.
Audiences in the flow state, however, are looking for something that has piqued their curiosity. They might be skimming, exploring in-depth, or listening to content. But they keep finding more content that holds their interest and they eventually leave feeling that their time was well spent.
In fact, India’s viewers say YouTube is the top place where they feel their time is well spent.4
Crucially, the two mindsets lead to starkly different outcomes for an advertiser.
Viewers in a zoned out-state are more than 1.2X more likely to cancel or return a product or service.5 Conversely, viewers in a flow state are more than 1.2X more likely to report higher purchase confidence.6
Why YouTube is the top spot for flow
YouTube brings everything — content, creators, experiences — together for audiences in a way that is unrivalled.
Expansive worlds of content
Viewers say YouTube is No. 1 in providing access to content they can’t find anywhere else.7 And its ever expanding worlds of content keeps them mindfully absorbed.
Reaction videos of the latest cricket match let fans relive major moments. Music videos of songs from anticipated movies deepen public curiosity. And behind-the-scenes takes on the Olympics let audiences further explore their interests.
In fact, a Kantar survey found that viewers in India choose YouTube 1.8X more than the closest competitor when they want to satisfy their curiosity8 or deepen their understanding of a topic.9
And if Gen Z viewers in India could watch only one service for an entire year, YouTube is the No. 1 platform they would choose.10
Creators are shaping culture
YouTube’s vibrant creator ecosystem draws tastemakers and trusted voices. As they push creative boundaries and bring audiences along on the journey, they shape culture and build fandoms. And that connection and trust help people stay in the flow.
Shreemani Tripathi, for one, broke from the norm by creating tech content that is fun and accessible to everyone. That has won her 7 million YouTube subscribers and made her an influential voice from India in the world of tech content creators.
As for Tanmay Bhat, he tapped into YouTube’s multiformat abilities and multigenre appeal to build a fandom in the millions. His innovative approach to storytelling spans livestreams, Shorts, podcasts, and video-on-demand. And fans follow him across those formats for content in genres like gaming, comedy, and vlogs.
Unrivalled choice of devices and formats
YouTube is the only place that lets audiences enjoy content in any format and device, so it’s easy for them to stay endlessly inspired on the platform.
They can listen to music and podcasts, or watch hours-long films and Shorts via their mobile phones. Even more, they can savour all that on connected TV (CTV).
In fact, YouTube was No. 1 in reach and watch time among ad-supported online video platforms in March.11 And on CTV, its views have more than quadrupled from 2020 to 2023,12 with YouTube on CTV being the most-watched streaming service in India for the past year.13
How to get in the flow and grow with YouTube
Here are three ways you can tap into the power of YouTube to drive higher purchase confidence among audiences and achieve business growth:
1. Partner with creators to connect with customers
Collaborating with creators lets you better connect with viewers. This is especially so since YouTube is the top platform where they go to find creators they trust for product or service reviews, even if they know it's sponsored.14
The furniture company Ikea, for instance, promoted its home makeover ideas by partnering with creators such as Jasleen Royal and Varsha Kaveri to furnish spaces in their homes. That process was filmed as a YouTube video series and it reached over 12 million people who make up 80% of India’s audience for home furnishings.
An easy way to collaborate with creators is through partnership ads powered by BrandConnect. It lets you use existing authentic creator videos about your product or service in your ad campaign to drive performance.
2. Reach viewers on any format and device
One way to reach viewers wherever they are without interrupting their flow is through First Position on Shorts. It lets you place your ad first in a Shorts feed, so you reach users in their peak moments of engagement on Shorts.
Or, you can use Branded QR codes on CTV to connect with audiences who’re used to being on dual devices or screens. When they scan the code on TV with their phones, they can open the click-through URL and learn more about your product or make a purchase.
3. Maximise business outcomes with Google AI
To maximise results across the funnel among YouTube’s mindfully absorbed audiences, you can also put Google’s AI-powered advertising to work for you.
Video view campaigns, for example, get you the most views across all video formats by delivering your best-performing creatives to audiences who’re receptive to your brand. And Video reach campaigns lets your ad show up in-feed, in-stream, and in Shorts to maximise your reach and engagement with relevant audiences.
As for Demand Gen, it drives consideration and conversions on Google and YouTube’s more immersive surfaces. It taps into Google AI to let you generate visually-rich creatives in just a few steps and deliver them in the best combination to your most relevant audience. The latter includes those who’ve visited your website or watched videos on your YouTube channel.
By tapping into the power of YouTube and how it brings everything together in an unrivalled way, you’ll be able to grow your business. Because ultimately, you want to reach viewers in the flow mindset; they’re more likely to have higher purchase confidence. And the top place they find their flow is YouTube.
