Getting customers to notice your brand is a lot harder today than it used to be. Consumers are inundated with options as they scroll through endless feeds. Breaking through that noise is hard enough. For brands, the ultimate challenge isn’t just being seen. It’s being chosen. Moving shoppers from awareness to action requires trust, depth, and genuine connection — especially when the potential purchase is planned.
This is how YouTube sets itself apart. It’s where shoppers turn to learn, compare, and take action at incredible scale and across surfaces. In the last year, people watched over 35 billion hours of shopping-related video content on YouTube,1 and YouTube ads viewed on connected TV screens alone drove over 1 billion conversions.2
This active engagement makes YouTube a powerful discovery and decision-making engine that creates opportunities for brands. Its effectiveness comes from the two unique ways in which it serves modern shoppers: by providing the crucial information they need to research and validate purchases, and by providing a home to trusted creators who accelerate decision-making.
This piece explores these elements and how they create opportunities for brands to more quickly move shoppers from discovery to purchase. But first, it’s helpful to get to know today’s online shoppers.
There’s no one way to shop online. New research decodes multifaceted shopping journeys
To propel people from awareness to action, you need to understand the new ways they shop. We partnered with Material, which conducted qualitative and quantitative research through a large-scale diary study, in-depth interviews, and a 20-minute survey of 2,000 people in the U.S. who shopped online in the three months leading up to the study.3 The results allowed us to explore modern online shopping behavior and revealed seven journeys based on distinct motivations and needs.
- Impulse: Sparked by a trigger, these journeys are often short, curiosity-led, and inspired by something that caught the shopper’s eye on social or in-store. While they rarely end in purchases, they often plant seeds for future intent.
- Passion pursuit: These shoppers browse to explore an online passion. They know the category well, stay aware of new options, and are happy to wait for the right product at the right price.
- Vision to reality: Some shoppers are highly visual. They start with a look they want to achieve and use video to explore products. Their journeys are driven by style and self-expression as much as practical need.
- Rookie: New to a category and unsure where to begin, these shoppers turn to ideas, advice, and recommendations to guide their decisions.
- Quest for the best: These shoppers dive deep into research to feel confident in their decisions, poring over product and category information to feel sure about their purchases.
- Buy and try: Some shoppers are looking to test for themselves. They start with a short list, compare with a clear purpose, and often buy multiple options, knowing returns may be part of the process.
- Quick-fire: These shoppers are looking for low-cost replacements, reorders of household staples, or urgent needs that drive rapid purchase. They know what they want, and as a result, this journey has the highest rate of purchase.
While brands long for the impulse shopper who sees a new product and purchases it in the same session, that’s just one of many ways shoppers buy, and it’s often limited to low-consideration products. Most journeys are more intentional, thoughtful, and can even evolve over time. By showing up in these journeys with the information that people are seeking, brands can convert curious shoppers into customers.
In-depth information gives consumers confidence
Here’s a personal example: Last week, while browsing on my phone, I was reading an article about New York City’s tap water and it reminded me that I’m on the hunt for a new water filter. I had never bought a water filter, and I felt like a rookie. What were the latest options? Was a pitcher enough? Was an expensive filter worth it? I had no idea.
Soon, I found myself on YouTube learning about the difference between water filters and purifiers, getting helpful advice from Good Mythical Morning, and trying to decide whether a countertop filter was the right choice. Safe to say, my journey had quickly evolved into a quest for the best. Ultimately, I landed on a countertop model that goes well with my kitchen design.
My experience isn’t unique. Especially for intentional purchases that require more thought and research — think health trackers, home appliances, cars, or a big family vacation — people are hungry for detailed reviews, comparisons, tutorials, and trusted insight. Quest for the best, passion pursuit, and vision to reality shoppers want to validate their discoveries and feel confident in their decisions. Research shows that shoppers turn to YouTube more than social platforms to get this validation and confidence. According to a recent Traackr survey, YouTube is the No. 1 choice for product reviews and product information by all consumers, including Gen Z, outperforming platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.4
YouTube is the No. 1 choice for product reviews and product information by all consumers, including Gen Z.
YouTube’s strength in reliable, in-depth information spans across formats and content genres. While long-form videos are traditionally associated with detailed information, Shorts now play an equally important role in highlighting key product features and giving creators the flexibility to share quick product comparisons.
Trust in creators drives faster purchase decisions
Increasingly, people are drawn to content creators who offer relatable perspectives and trusted recommendations. But not all creators are the same. A Kantar survey found 78% of viewers in the U.S. agree that YouTube has the most trusted creators for product recommendations while shopping, outperforming the social media average.5
People come to YouTube to dive deeper into a category or validate their research because YouTube creators have cultivated deep, loyal communities — sometimes spanning decades — built on genuine connection. Across beauty, fashion, home, tech, and other categories, creators are experts at repeatable franchises that are relevant to shoppers on any journey. In fact, Material’s U.S.-based survey found that YouTube’s influence cuts down the average online video shopper’s journey by six days.6
For instance, I’m really passionate about interior design. My home decor needs may not be as immediate or as functional as needing a water filter, but I’m a vision to reality shopper who’s constantly on the lookout for inspiration and ideas. Last month, a YouTube search for “living room stools” led me to a creator’s top 5 living room essentials. I was looking for items that have a clean aesthetic and don’t take up too much space. This Short helped me decide on the stackable stools, which were perfect for the kind of look I was envisioning.
YouTube’s influence cuts down the average online video shopper’s journey by six days.
While my stools were simple to assemble, many shoppers still turn to YouTube creators after purchase for videos demonstrating product performance, which translates to better shopping experiences. In a survey conducted by Ipsos, shoppers ranked their most recent purchases higher on quality, brand trust, and reputation when they used YouTube to research those purchases than they did when they used TikTok.7
Throughout 2025 and beyond, as you strategize how to connect with consumers, think about going beyond reach. Think about the factors that drive real influence. Think about fostering confident decision-making. Ultimately, YouTube is where inspiration evolves into intent, and where research solidifies into revenue. It’s where people come to find reliable and in-depth information, hear from voices they trust, and most importantly, decide what they want to buy.
