Investigating the Impact of Content and Style on Consumer Responses in YouTube Review Videos with a Data-Driven Approach

As digital media platforms grow, consumers increasingly rely on platforms like YouTube to gather information and compare alternatives before purchasing. This study investigates the effects of content and style features in product review videos on four types of consumer responses?number of views, likes, comments, and comment valence. We analyzed data from the top 100 YouTube cosmetic product review videos to identify these effects. The results reveal that content with comparative product reviews significantly influences the number of comments and the valence of comments, reflecting deeper viewer engagement. Among stylistic elements, short subtitles positively impact all four consumer responses by enhancing accessibility and viewer immersion. Zoom-in effects, however, only influence the valence of comments, fostering emotional connections. Background music increases the number of views, likes, and comments but does not affect comment valence, indicating its role in driving surface-level engagement. This study underscores the significance of content and stylistic features in influencing consumer responses, offering strategic insights for content creators and marketers to enhance customer engagement on digital media platforms.