Examining YouTube’s Hottest Videos and Top Short Films of 2022 list and YouTube Ads Leaderboard: 2022 year end wrap-up can teach content marketers, content creators, and digital advertisers some important lessons to apply in 2023 be able .
But it helps if you have a secret decoder ring to decipher why there are three lists – and why each uses a different method to rank.
YouTube published its first list of the 10 most viewed YouTube videos back in December 2010. Unfortunately, this list taught many marketers that “view count” was the only metric that mattered.
But I got my secret decoder ring back in October 2012, when YouTube began adjusting how videos were ranked in YouTube search results to reward engaging videos that kept viewers hooked.
In other words, YouTube has replaced “view count” with “watch time.”
This was a significant change as “watch time” gives you a sense of what content viewers are actually watching as opposed to videos that they click and then leave.
In December 2012, YouTube switched from revealing its 10 “Most Viewed” videos of the year to revealing its “Top Trending Videos” based on time spent watching, sharing, commenting, liking, and other factors would.
In other words, watch time and engagements were now the metrics that mattered.
Today, YouTube’s algorithm rewards “viewer satisfaction.”
In other words, YouTube doesn’t pay attention to videos; it draws attention to the viewers.
So instead of trying to make videos that make an algorithm happy, focus on making videos that make your viewers happy.
This brings us to the YouTube lists of “trending videos” and “top shorts” for 2022.
To learn important lessons that can be applied in 2023, we need to be aware that YouTube’s discovery system uses both absolute and relative watch time as signals when deciding audience engagement.
Ultimately, YouTube wants both short and long videos to be successful, so relative watch time is more important for short videos and absolute watch time is more important for longer videos.
Top 7 trending videos of 2022
1. Technoblade’s “So Long Nerds” (6:32 long, 88.3 million views, 10.2 million engagements)
In this moving tribute, the father of beloved Minecraft creator Technoblade reads a suicide note from his son.
The gamer lost his battle with cancer in June, but his legacy remains on YouTube.
2. “Watch the uncensored moment when Will Smith slams Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars and drops an F-Bomb” by Guardian News (1:24 long, 104 million views and 1.8 million engagements)
It was the slap that heard the world over when Oscar winner Will Smith went off script and slapped Chris Rock in the face live on stage at the motion picture industry’s most prestigious event.
3. “Hi, I’m Dream” by Dream (5:42 long, 48.5 million views and 4.7 million interactions)
Dream’s ingenuity in Minecraft has made him a top creator with a devoted fan base.
But until now nobody knew what he looked like in real life.
4. NFL’s “Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent Full Pepsi Sb Lvi Halftime Show” (14:41 long, 146 million views and 3.5 million engagements)
Lose yourself in this epic Super Bowl halftime show featuring some of hip-hop’s greatest artists: Dr. Dre, Snoop, Eminem, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lama and 50 Cent.
5. “I built Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!” By Mrbeast (17:01 long, 132 million views and 5.1 million interactions)
Set in a Willy Wonka-inspired warehouse, MrBeast challenges participants to cross a chocolate river, scale a candy wall, participate in candy games and indulge in their sweetest fantasies.
6. “Pranks Destroy Scam Callers – Glitterbomb Payback” by Mark Rober (26:41 long, 55.9 million views and 2.2 million engagements).
Engineer Mark Rober exacts blinding revenge on a fraudulent call center in the latest installment of his glitter bomb series.
7. “Being Not Straight” by Jaiden Animations (15:22 long, 17.8 million views and 1.7 million interactions)
In this coming out video, Jaiden Animations follows a personal journey from adolescence to adulthood and how they discovered their sexual identity along the way.
Top 7 shorts of 2022
1. “Diver Cracks Egg At 45 Ft Deep #Shorts” by Shangerdanger (0:56 long, 251 million views and 12.3 million engagements)
The seabed is a mysterious place. It’s full of unfamiliar sea creatures, strange plants and…chicken eggs?!
Join Shangerdanger as he breaks the internet and dives egg first into the blue depths.
2. “Sarah Trust Challenges” by Hingaflips (0:31 long, 142 million views and 6.5 million interactions)
Better than parkour? This is Trampwall: an epic sport where acrobats defy gravity, jumping off a wall onto a trampoline to perform mind-blowing stunts in the air.
3. “Come and shave my fluffy dog! #Doggrooming #Grooming #Goldendoodle” by Brodie That Dood (0:52 long, 108 million views and 6.8 million interactions)
Brodie’s long, fluffy coat has made him one of the most iconic dogs on YouTube for years. So the heartbreak was real when it was decided he needed a tight cut.
4. “Dave and Busters Bet Me 1000 Tickets I Couldn’t Do This…” by Chris Ivan (0:59 long, 83.6 million views and 6.3 million engagements).
Nobody does trick shots like creator Chris Ivan. In this short film he tries to land a butt on a Dave & Buster shield.
The price? 1,000 tickets… if he can make it.
5. “That Gap Between Your Car Seat and Center Console” by Jay & Sharon (0:58 long, 182 million views and 6.4 million interactions)
We’ve all lost something in the dreaded gap between the car seat and the center console.
In this comedic skit, creators Jay & Sharon show us what’s really going on down there.
6. “Welcome To The Stomach #Shorts” by Adrian Bliss (0:34 long, 118 million views and 7.0 million interactions)
In this bite-sized skit, witty creator Adrian Bliss brings to life all the characters trying to find their way into – and party into – his space-constrained stomach.
7. “This Magic Trick Explained (America’s Got Talent)” by Zack D. Films (0:34 long, 97.4 million views and 5.6 million interactions).
how did he do it America’s Got Talent judges were stunned by this magic trick.
Not so the Internet sleuth Zack D., who reveals his clever secret.
Top 7 YouTube Ads of 2022
Meanwhile, YouTube uses a completely different method to determine the best YouTube promotion for the year-end 2022 year-end leaderboard. That makes sense.
The top ads are generally the ones with the largest budgets, increasing views but not always engagement.
1. “Amazon’s Big Game Commercial: Mind Reader” by Amazon (1:31 long, 69.7 million views and 25,700 engagements)
The creative agency for this ad was Lucky Generals and the media agency was IPG – Rufus.
The ad’s description asks, “Is Alexa mind reading a good idea?” no No it is not.”
2. “Welcome to the Clan Capital! Clash Of Clans New Update!” By Clash Of Clans (1:20 long, 52.9 million views and 212,000 engagements)
The creative agency was Psyop, the media agency was in-house.
The description of the ad says,
“Welcome to the Ultimate Clan Destination! A place where you and your Clan can BUILD and FIGHT together! A place called CLAN CAPITAL!”
3. “Gate of the Century X BTS | Yet To Come (Hyundai Ver.) Official Music Video” by Hyundaiworldwide (4:08 long, 40.5 million views and 886,000 engagements)
The description of the ad says,
“Our ‘goal of the century’ cannot be achieved by one individual alone, but we can achieve it if we all join forces and come together.
Just as football players come together as a team to score goals, we want to use the power of football to achieve the greatest goal together – ‘One World United for Sustainability’.”
4. “20. Anniversary of Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts | Official Trailer | HBO Max” by HBO Max (1:58 long, 27.3 million views and 739,000 engagements)
The creative agency was in-house, the media agency Hearts & Science.
The description of the ad says,
“Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts invites fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, as it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and other esteemed cast and filmmakers All eight Harry Potter films reunited for the first time to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
5. “Introducing the iPhone 14 Pro | Apple” by Apple (4:20 long, 23.8 million views and 571,000 interactions)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3ODSg1GFE
The description of the ad asks: “What lies behind a traditional smartphone? let’s find out This is the iPhone 14 Pro.”
6. We are all dead | Official Trailer | Netflix” by Netflix (2:35 long, 22.6 million views and 518,000 engagements)
Creative agency was The Refinery, media agency in-house. The description of the ad says,
“We’re all going to die. There is no hope.” The school became a bloody battlefield and our friends their worst enemies. Who will make it out alive?”
7. Sally’s Shells (extended) | Big Game Commercial 2022” by Squarespace (1:07 long, 21.6 million views and 67,600 engagements)
The media agency was in-house. The description of the ad says,
“See everything Sally sells in this expanded version of our 2022 Big Game commercial. Starring Zendaya as Sally and narrated by André 3000.”
The most important lesson marketers can apply in 2023
As we look back at YouTube’s Hottest Videos, Top Shorts, and Top Ads lists for 2022, there’s one meta lesson marketers can learn: one-size-fits-all Not fit all.
Different metrics matter when measuring different video types, and different types of ads are better suited to different marketing goals.
Or as the British say: “There are horses for courses.”
This is a lesson we can all apply in 2023 and beyond.
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