Learning Content is Steamrolling Search

Social networks have long ceased to be just places for scrolling. They’re rather a springboard for finding answers – from guides and DIY projects to tips and product reviews. This shift in behaviour is no longer just a Generation Z trend. It applies to a wide spectrum of users who want to see how a product works, how it’s used and whether it’s recommended by someone like them.

This article is based on data from the ‘Social Is the New Search’ reports by Tubular Labs. The analysis relies on the performance of so-called learning content – videos that explain, show or teach users something (e.g., tutorials, tips, DIY, product demonstrations). Tubular compared this type of content with the average across platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook) from Q1 2023 to Q4 2024. Only videos that reached at least 25,000 views (or 10,000 interactions on Instagram) were included in the analysis to account for content that actually works.

Learning Content Outperforms Average Content Across Platforms

Videos that explain something to people, teach them, or show them something are achieving above-average performance today.

• On YouTube, learning videos in 2024 had 15-25% more views per video than average content, jumping to +28.5% in Q4.
• Engagement with learning content grew by 47% year-on-year – meaning active interaction, not just passive viewing.

This trend applies across segments – from food, beauty, to household and family topics. Audiences want content that gives them something valuable.

Searching Starts on Social Media – Optimise Your Content

Customers aren’t just searching on Google – they enter phrases like “how to…” or “best for…” directly on TikTok and Instagram. If brands want to succeed on social media, they should learn to work with the platforms’ language code – from selecting titles through hashtags to the way they talk about products. Without that, they simply won’t appear in search results.

Media Outlets Beat Influencers, Despite Creating Less Content

The established notion that influencers dominate social networks is only partially true. In many categories, the opposite applies: media outlets and brands achieve higher numbers per video than influencers, despite producing significantly less content.

In the Beauty category on TikTok in 2024, influencers published up to 187 times more videos than media companies. Nevertheless, media achieved on average 11% more views per video. This contrast shows that although influencers dominate in the volume of content produced, media often surpass them in quality. And algorithms take these facts into account in many cases.

A similar situation emerged on Instagram. While influencers published more than 21,000 beauty tutorials, brands published only 1,500 and media companies just 377 videos. Despite this significant difference in the number of posts, it was the media that achieved the highest average engagement – up to 74,200 interactions per video, representing more than a 40% lead over influencers.

This means that the quality and credibility of content from media outlets (and often brands) still carries strong weight. And algorithms reward it.

This disparity is not only an exception in the beauty segment. In the Home, Craft & DIY category on Facebook, media uploaded significantly fewer videos than influencers but still achieved a higher average number of views per video (609K vs. 518K).

What does this mean for brands?

You don’t need to keep pace with influencers in volume. It’s enough if you create thoughtful, valuable content with a clear purpose that fits with what people are actually searching for. Platforms push such content further, and audiences respond to it.

 

DIY and FAQ-Based Content is a Gold Mine

In every category monitored, “Do It Yourself” content was among the most watched. However, it rarely ranked among the most frequently published types of content. Companies like Samsung and LG turned FAQs and guides into series — and increased average views on both TikTok and YouTube.

Start simply: take customer questions and turn them into a “how-to” series.

Recycle Content – Wisely

BuzzFeed’s top learning videos in the food category weren’t new. They were older pieces that were republished in their season. One recipe originally had 1.7 million views, but after being reposted in autumn, it jumped to 6.5 million.

In e-commerce, brands can utilise this feature by creating guides. For example, phrases like “how to properly clean trainers” or “how to use a summer product set” have the potential to repeatedly achieve strong performance.

What Works on Individual Platforms?

• TikTok sets the pace for virality. Learning content combined with humour and trends can work wonders with numbers if it has a product connection.
• Instagram is a place for communities. Especially in the beauty and parenting segments. The keyword “community support” achieved an average of one million interactions per video.
• YouTube remains the largest platform for visual guides – structured, story-based videos work exceptionally well.

Content marketers have long recommended sharing guides and practical tips. Today, however, it’s an even stronger way to showcase your expertise and get closer to your customer. What was once just a supplement now often determines whether a customer chooses your product.

If a customer is looking for an answer and you’re not on social media, you lose the chance to reach them.

Here are some starting tips:

• Look at your FAQs and turn them into video content.
• Try adding a “how-to” element to descriptions for top products.
• Older content often has a second life – just dust it off when its time comes.

Content that teaches something or helps solve a specific problem is increasingly valuable on social networks. Today’s customers appreciate brands that can show them something or explain it clearly.