The internet has become synonymous with entertainment. What’s the first thing you do when you’re bored and can’t think of what to do? Pull out your smartphone or open your laptop and browse the web, probably. But not all online entertainment is equal in terms of popularity, and in recent years the kind of entertainment that is most common on the web has changed. Although written content will always be the main entrée on any website, here’s a detailed look at the top 4 kinds of visual entertainment ranked in order of the most to least popular online:
1. Memes, GIFs, and Short Comics
Anyone who has a social networking profile is subject to a wide variety of memes, GIFs, and short comics on a daily basis. The other kinds of entertainment on this list are somewhat voluntary – as in you know that you’re going to be watching a video, playing a game, or digesting some news – but with this uber popular form of entertainment you often don’t see it coming. You’re scrolling down your feed on Facebook and suddenly there it is. Now you’re staring at it, laughing at it, sharing it, etc. All that engagement and entertainment in such a tiny, unexpected package. Plus, it’s now easier than ever for anyone to make their own meme or short comic using tools like Rage Maker.
2. Streaming Video
In at a close second place comes sites like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu with their streaming video services. Video is the easiest kind of content to experience, as there’s no reading, interpretation, or any other effort involved other than just observing and listening. In terms of the volume of data consumed by video, this form of entertainment takes the cake in that regard, as a single movie can easily be 3 GB+. Streaming video also wins in terms of bandwidth consumption at any given time, accounting for about 70% of all online traffic.
3. Interactive Games
Games are another insanely popular form of online entertainment for obvious reasons – they’re fun and easy for everyone to enjoy. Aside from the arcade-like sites that let you play free games, the most popular platforms for playing games online include Facebook, Green Man Gaming, Steam, Origin, and Humble Bundle. Of course, many gamers also use the internet to play online versions of console and PC based games in order to facilitate massive multiplayer gaming experiences.
4. News and Infographics
There was a time when trending news stories got the most traffic, and sometimes this still happens, but with the advent of social media, status updates, and memes, this kind of deliberate news browsing has become less common than the more relaxed “News Feed” and notifications based approach.
Using the Popularity of Entertainment to Enhance Promotional Efforts
The main takeaway from all of this is that there are many different kinds of online entertainment, and all of these engagement methods are opportunities for individuals and entrepreneurs to promote whatever cause or company they’re trying to create awareness for. Participating in the creation and distribution of the above kinds of content not only enriches the internet by contributing more information and entertainment, it also helps you advertise or market yourself or your business by drawing in the attention of web users that occupy a targeted audience or demographic.