po polsku
illustration: DALL-EYouTube has introduced a major update to its analytics system, shifting away from the long-used “returning viewers” metric. Instead, the platform now categorizes audiences into three distinct types, providing creators and brands with a more nuanced understanding of their community. The change, rolled out in YouTube Studio, aims to spotlight viewer loyalty and long-term engagement over fleeting success or raw view counts.
According to YouTube’s new model, viewers now fall into three categories:
- New viewers: Those visiting a channel for the first time during a selected period.
- Casual viewers: People who have watched content from a channel irregularly over the past year - between one and five months.
- Regular viewers: The most valuable group, made up of those who have watched content from the channel for at least six of the past 12 months.
This reclassification marks a strategic pivot toward understanding not just how many people a video reaches, but who keeps coming back. Brands, advertisers, and creators can now assess a channel’s true community impact, instead of relying on subscription numbers or one-off viral spikes.
Loyalty, not virality
In the words of Borys Marushchak, Performance Manager at Harbingers, the change allows marketers to “precisely assess audience loyalty” and differentiate between genuine community-building and short-term reach. For companies looking to partner with creators, the share of regular viewers may now matter more than subscriber counts.
See video: 7 facts about news on social media
To support creators in building viewer loyalty, YouTube has updated its platform recommendations. The new suggestions include:
- Maintaining a consistent upload schedule
- Using the Community tab for informal posts and polls
- Actively engaging with comments
- Hosting livestreams and video premieres
These practices aim to turn casual or new viewers into regulars. A signal not just of creator success, but also of sustainable channel growth. Example: A cooking channel with 100,000 subscribers but only 3% regular viewers may be less attractive to brands than a niche channel with 20,000 subscribers and 25% regular engagement. The latter suggests a tightly-knit audience that values the creator’s content long-term.
| Viewer Type | Frequency of Visits (12 months) | Engagement Value |
|---|---|---|
| New viewers | First-time visits | Discovery |
| Casual viewers | 1-5 months | Moderate |
| Regular viewers | 6+ months | High |
This detailed breakdown enables more informed content strategy decisions. Creators can now track whether their videos fail to convert first-time viewers into loyal followers - and adjust accordingly.
Before the update, the single "returning viewers" metric grouped casual and loyal users together. Now, the distinction reveals whether a channel’s success relies on novelty or lasting impact.
Social video dominates news and trust
The move also reflects broader industry shifts. According to the Reuters Digital News Report 2025, 30% of internet users identify YouTube as their primary news source. Social video consumption has soared, growing from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025.
- 52% → 65%: global increase in social video news consumption
- 55% → 72%: Americans watching news videos weekly
- 61%: viewers prefer platforms like YouTube over traditional news sites
- 67% → 75%: global growth in any kind of video news viewing
These numbers show why platforms like YouTube want better tools to measure true influence. Brands investing in creator partnerships care less about viral hits and more about stable audiences.
After all, according to a trust study by IBRiS, YouTube is also the most trusted social platform in Poland. Nearly 25% of respondents declared trust in the platform, and only 3% said they didn’t know it. Meanwhile, 41.6% of global users still judge content credibility by popularity - likes and views - a concerning insight from UNESCO`s Influencer 2024 Report.
This behavior emphasizes why metrics like regular viewer share are so important. They reflect real relationships between creator and audience, not just algorithm-fueled attention.
In the new YouTube ecosystem, engagement is currency. Viewers who return month after month now speak louder than subscriber milestones or trending appearances.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Most medical influencer posts on TikTok are FALSE
KFi
Researchers from East Carolina University Health Medical Center analysed 120 TikTok videos tagged with hashtags such as #naturalparenting, #antivaccine, and #holistichealth. The results of their study leave no doubt.
Dead internet theory is a fact. Bots now outnumber people online
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Already 51% of global internet traffic is generated by bots, not people. As many as two-thirds of accounts on X are likely bots, and on review platforms, three out of ten reviews weren't written by a human. Do you feel something is off online? It's not paranoia. In 2025, it's a reality.
The most valuable female personal brands in Polish fashion. IMM report
KFi
The ten most popular people in Poland in the "fashion" category generate over 1.5 billion contacts across all types of media in a year. Their value is nearly 400 million zlotys. The ranking was prepared by the Institute of Media Monitoring for "Forbes Women" magazine.
See articles on a similar topic:
Who Reads the Press? Studies on Credibility, Reach, and Effectiveness
Sylwia Markowska
Press for advertising clients is an effective medium for building brand trust, fame, and popularity. According to global studies, it is one of the media with the highest return on advertising. Data collected by Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa (Polish Readership Research) indicates that the press also has exceptionally high ad visibility rates, as reading requires full concentration on content.
Fake News in Poland. Challenges in Assessing Information Credibility
RINF
One in four information consumers relies on sources where verifying credibility is a significant challenge. Fake news remains a major issue, as indicated by 77% of respondents, with 51% admitting they struggle to discern truth from falsehood, according to Deloitte's *Digital Consumer Trends 2021* report.
First Trillion Dollars. Advertising Market 2024 and Forecasts for 2025
DUG
GroupM, in its cyclical report "This Year Next Year," summarizing the past year and predicting trends for the next, has published the latest forecasts for global advertising markets. The estimated advertising market growth rate in 2024 is as high as 9.5%, bringing its value globally to over 1 trillion dollars.
Social Media and Relationships. Interesting Research from Palestine
KFi
What does love look like in the digital age? Does technology bring people closer or push them apart? In an era where Facebook and Instagram replace dinner table conversations, social media has become a new space for marital relationships. Researchers from An-Najah National University examined how technology can build bonds but also sow uncertainty.
