The Role of Long-Form Content in the Election
In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election, political candidates increasingly turned to Twitch, YouTube, and video podcasts to connect with voters. These platforms, traditionally dominated by gamers and content creators, became key tools for political outreach. Now that the election is behind us, it’s clear that livestreaming and long-form video podcasts played a significant role in shaping how voters engaged with the candidates.
The Rise of Long-Form Content in Politics:
During the 2024 election cycle, political figures like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris appeared on numerous video podcasts and livestreams, many of which were hosted on YouTube and Twitch. According to data analyzed by Colin and Samir, Trump’s appearances on podcasts like Joe Rogan’s and Theo Von’s garnered over 124 million views on YouTube, while Harris’s appearances on shows like Call Her Daddy reached a more modest 4 million views.
On Election Day itself, livestreaming platforms saw unprecedented engagement. According to Streams Charts, live streams covering the election generated nearly 84 million hours of watch time, with peak viewership reaching over 9.14 million viewers. The majority of this viewership came from YouTube, which accounted for more than 80% of total watch time across all election-related broadcasts. Platforms like Rumble also saw a significant spike, with 13.1% of the total watch time.
Why Long-Form Content Works:
One of the key reasons long-form video podcasts and livestreams were so effective is that they allow for authentic, unfiltered conversations. Platforms like Joe Rogan’s podcast are known for their casual, conversational format, where guests can speak for hours without the constraints of traditional media interviews.
For many voters, this format helped candidates seem more relatable and authentic, allowing them to build a deeper connection with their audience. This is something that resonates with streamers and content creators as well—the longer people spend with you, the more they feel like they know you.
What Creators Can Learn:
So, what can content creators take away from the 2024 election’s use of new media?
- Authenticity Matters: Long-form, unedited content builds trust. Allowing your audience to spend extended time with you helps build familiarity and loyalty.
- Diversify Your Platforms: Just as political figures spread their appearances across multiple platforms (Twitch, YouTube, podcasts), creators can benefit from reaching audiences in different spaces. Multi-streaming is becoming more common, and creators who diversify their content distribution are more likely to grow.
- Engage in Real-Time: Livestreaming offers a unique opportunity to engage with your audience in real time, creating a sense of community and immediacy that pre-recorded content can’t match.
For streamers and content creators, the lessons from this election cycle are clear: authenticity, engagement, and platform diversity are key to building a loyal audience in today’s media landscape.
🔥 Pete’s Content Corner
Delve into my weekly selection of content creation highlights—handpicked videos, podcasts, and tweets that promise to captivate, educate, and entertain.
- Steam has launched a new game recording feature, allowing you to record, replay, and create clips of your gameplay directly within the platform using minimal CPU resources.
- Twitch’s mobile update reintroduces the following tab, letting you swipe right from the live feed to see thumbnails and titles from streamers you follow.
- YouTube Shorts creators with 4K+ subscribers will soon be able to prompt brands for sponsorships, opening new monetization opportunities for short-form content.
