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Views, watch time, click-through rates—there are so many metrics to watch when you publish a video today
If you're using video to support your marketing campaigns, it's important that you understand what these metrics mean.
Let’s look at some essential video metrics and how to use them to set benchmarks for your video marketing efforts.
How to measure your video's performance?
Like most marketing efforts, video performance can be measured by setting some KPIs. 'KPI' stands for key performance indicator. Simply, this is a set of metrics you can track to help decide if your video is working or not.
When setting KPIs for video metrics, the measurements will depend on the type of video you’re creating and where it sits in your marketing funnel. If it's for awareness, an example KPI could be "To achieve 1000 video views in 7 days". You could also focus on the total video watch time. If it's for increased brand engagement, a KPI could be "To receive 100 video comments in 30 days". If you don't achieve a video KPI, the content strategy can be revisited or reworked for next time.
Setting suitable KPIs means you can track your campaign’s performance and find ways to improve it. Video metrics can also accurately measure the video portion of your ROAS (return on ad spend) to maximize your returns.
Feel free to assign more than one video metric to each marketing video. If you’re looking to track multiple purposes, track numerous video metrics.
7 Video metrics worth watching
Let’s take a closer look at the different types of video metrics and how you can use them as powerful marketing tools to take your video marketing to the next level.
1. View count
View count video metrics measure the total number of people who have viewed your video. They give you a good indication of the type of content your audience likes and engages with.
Different platforms measure a ‘view’ in different ways:
YouTube: Viewer intentionally watches your video for 30 seconds
Facebook: Viewer watches your video for 3 seconds (same for live videos)
Instagram: Video views count after 3 seconds, and live video views count as soon as someone joins the broadcast
Twitter: Viewer watches your video for 2 seconds with at least 50% of the video player on their screen
LinkedIn: 2 seconds with at least half the video in view
TikTok: As soon as your video starts playing in someone’s feed
2. Click-through rate
The click-through rate measures a percentage of viewers that have clicked on the CTA (call to action) you’ve assigned to your video. They help you understand how effective your videos are at getting your audience to take action.
If you're looking to improve your CTR, try using a CTA that best resonates with your target audience, like an irresistible special offer. Make sure to improve your average engagement first, significantly if your viewers drop off before reaching your CTA. The more your video viewers watch, the more likely they click through.
A good CTR is any percentage that beats your channel average. So, if 5% of people click your content, you should set a realistic goal to reach 6%, 7%, 8%, and beyond. According to YouTube’s help section, 50% of channels have a 2-10% CTR. Another benchmark you can reference when setting your own KPIs.
3. Play rate
The play rate shows how many people clicked the play button. It’s mostly used for video content like landing pages with embedded videos without auto-play.
To calculate play rates, divide the number of plays by the number of visitors who access the video landing page. If you want to improve your play rate, try creating a more engaging thumbnail or editing the title to be more compelling to viewers.
4. Watch time
Watch time is a video metric that records the average time spent watching videos, including replays. This metric can help you understand your audience's favorite content and engage them the most. The more your video appeals to someone’s wants, needs, and interests, the longer they are likely to watch it.
It’s easy to find out the average watch time of your video content. Just divide the total watch time by the total number of video plays, including replays.
5. Social shares
Social shares determine how often your social media audience shares your video. Having your audience share your video content on their social media channels can expand your video’s reach and lead to increased click-through rates and view counts.
But the quality and relevance of your video content will determine the shareability. You can research what content your target audience enjoys watching through YouTube competitors' analytics. You can also encourage users to share the content by adding reminders at the beginning and end of the video.
6. Conversion rate
Conversion rate is a critical KPI for any video marketing campaign designed to increase sales. It shows the most important action a viewer can take from our content—making a purchase and becoming a customer.
7. Comments
The comments and feedback video metric measure the engagement your video receives in the comments section.
Hearing your viewer's thoughts and opinions through the comment section can be extremely helpful. Always prioritize comments from your target audience though. By tracking how viewers react to your video content, you’ll be able to understand first-hand how your videos are performing and if your messages are received.
Learn more about your viewers with video metrics
Video metrics are beneficial to any business. Actively track video metrics after creating an engaging marketing video with online video editor Clipchamp.
