You’ve got your new video produced and posted. You are caught in a strange place of pride and doubt. Are you doing this right?
Video analytic terms you need to know are impressions, reach, views, traffic source, click-through rate, retention, and watch time. Once you understand the video marketing analytics you will have everything you need for your video marketing troubleshooting.
Then you will be ready to make a game plan for your next video! Video marketing analytics help you to know what works with your audience and what does not. So let us break it down, with one video analytic term at a time. You will be a pro in ten minutes.
Impressions
Impressions is the number of times your video was put in front of someone. This is not how many times someone viewed the video. This is how many times someone was given the opportunity to click and watch it if they choose to. It is like when you present someone with a good dessert option. They may not want to eat it, but it was presented to them, so you get a 1 for impressions.
Reach
Reach is how many individuals had the opportunity to click on your video. This means if I saw your video ten times on the side of my Facebook feed, it will only count as 1 for reach. You have reached one person. Reach is the amount of unique people who have seen your content.
Views
Views are more straightforward. The number of times your video has been viewed. This is probably the number you have spent the most time thinking about. On YouTube, you get a view counted if someone has watched the video for 30 seconds or more. This is always changing, but just know you must hold someone past the initial click for it to count as a view.
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have a lower threshold of what counts as a view. About 3 seconds, so generally you will see higher view counts on there.
Some platforms give you the option to break this down into unique views. That way you know if people are watching your video multiple times.
Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate is the percentage you get when you divide the number of people who clicked on the link by the number of impressions (how many opportunities someone could have clicked on it). Don’t get lost in math here. It is the success rate. If you were a salesperson knocking on doors, it is the chance of someone opening the door.
Your video was presented 10,000 times and 400 people clicked on it. You will have a click-through rate of 4 %. Click-through rates usually hover anywhere from 2% - 10%. A good click-through rate for YouTube is anything over 5%.
Retention Rate
The average percentage of video someone watches. This lets you know how much of your video is being watched. Retention rate can usually be broken down into a graph for the video, showing where people drop off. You know that spot where a video becomes repetitive or someone starts showing too much of their dog.
Watch Time
The total time someone watches your video. Watch time can actually be longer than the total length of the video, if someone ends up rewinding the video. The higher the watch time the better, and more chance that YouTube will recommend the video to someone.
Traffic Source
Your last video analytic term is traffic source. This is where your views are coming from. This can be from advertising, suggested videos, social media, the homepage, a website, or external sources.
A good social media presence gives people community and the social proof that they need to back your company and make a purchase. Having this community drives traffic to your videos. Investing in social media marketing gives you a sustainable traffic source.
4 Signs For Organic Video Marketing Success
You are now an expert on video analytic terms. You can use them to know how your videos are doing. Here are some good indicators that your video will be successful:
- Your click-through rate stays above 5% after posting.
- A high amount of your traffic is coming from suggested videos or search. This means you are set for long term sustained views.
- A good retention rate with a slow gradual decline.
- Your customers are engaging a lot.
When you do not see the signs…
Do not get discouraged, everyone started somewhere. Every business has their unique expertise, but every business needs to create content. So unless your company specializes in video production and social media content, this will be a new area for your business. Analyse what worked and what didn’t, and make plans for the next video. Soon you will look back on your first videos and may even laugh.
- The first step is to look at the content. People want to watch something that benefits them. They do not want to watch an ad for your business. You bring people to your business by helping them. Make sure you know your target audience and what will help them.
- Other reasons your video may not be doing well could be your title, description, or thumbnail. This is the first impression of your video and you need to spend time on it. Our guide here.
- People may not be able to find this video. Just because you posted your video on Facebook or YouTube does not mean people can find it. Make sure you are getting the word out. Embed it on your website, send out an email newsletter, or put it on your Instagram stories.
- Lastly, it could be quality. An unclear video or audio is a very bad impression. It can also discredit what you have to say. If you need to focus on just one, pick audio. Investing in video production is an investment in your brand’s connection with your audience.
