Conventional wisdom might tell you that video views are a vanity metric, but I think they’re actually a good indicator of how well your video, especially its hook, performed.
I also think that view count, as a metric, has its drawbacks, such as not being able to tell you who your audience is or whether your video resonates with them.
That’s why I made this list of important ones video marketing Metrics to track, according to data from a video marketing survey I recently conducted. Let’s dive in.
What metrics are brands tracking?
According to video marketers, these are the most important video engagement metrics to track to measure the performance of your video content:
- engagement (43%)
- viewing time (39%)
- Number of Views (32%)
- Audience retention (27%)
- Follower/subscriber growth (25%)
- Average review time (22%)
1. Engagement
Engagement (likes, comments, etc.) is the most tracked video marketing metric and the most important video marketing metric to track.
This makes sense to me: it’s one of the most important factors in increasing the organic reach of your video. If a video resonates well with one part of your audience, it’s likely to resonate with the rest.
Adriana GrunenbergHubSpot Automation & Digital Analytics Expert, says engagement rate is the most important metric because “high [engagement rate] indicates that your content is relevant and engaging, which can lead to increased organic reach as viewers are more likely to share and discuss the video.”
I’ve found that engagement also provides marketers with valuable quantitative data. Comments can show you the emotional effect your video has on your viewers. Do they seem inspired? Or are they angry that you covered a controversial topic? This data can help you decide which video topics to focus on in the future.
Social sharing can give a clearer picture of your audience’s brand affinity and loyalty. This metric measures how much your audience values your content and brand. It also builds your brand credibility.
Because people share content that confirms their ideal personalitypeople who share your video are willing to show their community that they trust and support your brand.
Social sharing is also one of the best forms of word of mouth marketing.
2. Viewing time
Watch time is the second most important metric and clearly explains how much time people actually spend watching your videos.
For example, if the average watch time of your 3-minute video is 2 minutes, the average viewer will watch almost the entire video, probably because they are interested in its content.
On the other hand, if the average watch time is 30 seconds, your video will not successfully attract people or keep them interested. That’s exactly what it is Michelle Taborsolution engineer at Lynton, told me, “View time is the main indicator of whether or not my content is boring.”
3. Number of views
It seems logical that your view count would increase every time your video is viewed on any device, right?
This is usually not the case, and different platforms also have different ways of measuring views.
For example, YouTube counts a view as a video being played by one person on one device. If that person refreshes the page, their viewing time is still counted under that one original view.
On TikTok, however, views increase every time a video starts playing.
So what is a good measure of the amount of views your marketing videos should get? The majority of marketers (45%) who responded to a recent video marketing survey I conducted say their average views are under 10,000 views, while 16% say their videos average less than 1,000 views.
I also found that 82% average less than 100,000 views per video.
5. Growth of followers/subscribers
Follower/subscriber growth can be a great measure of video performance as it shows that your video is reaching a new audience and attracting people to your brand.
You can also see what kind of audience your video is attracting, which can help you create buyer personas and create higher quality content tailored to your audience.
6. Average review duration
Average watch time is the total time your video was watched divided by the total number of times the video was played, including replays. It measures how long viewers watch your video on average.
Average view duration is a powerful metric that reveals your audience’s preferred video length. For example, if your 45-second videos still have an average view duration of 30 seconds, you might want to cut those videos by 15 seconds.
Benchmarks for video marketing
Different types of videos have different metrics. Here are a few video types and the benchmarks we found associated with them:
1. Short videos
Short video is the most popular format among respondents – 83% use it. It has the highest ROI, generates the most engagement and drives the most leads. This doesn’t surprise me, given the rise of short-form video tools and platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok.
82% of marketers say the optimal length of a short marketing video is under 60 seconds. Most say the optimal length is between 21-30 seconds.
2. Long videos
Any video longer than three minutes is considered a long-form video. This format ranks second in terms of usage, ROI, lead generation and engagement.
I found that the optimal length of a long marketing video is three to six minutes (36%). 31% of respondents say it should last longer than 10 minutes.
Pro guy: Regardless of the video format you are using, HubSpot’s Clip Creator is an AI-powered video maker that will help you streamline your process.
Simply answer a few basic questions about your video to give the tool a sense of what you want to create, choose a video template, then sit back while it uses AI to generate the clip you’re looking for.
To you
As video sharing platforms continue to grow, video marketing will only become more important to your brand’s success. Now that you know the metrics that most marketers – including your competition – measure, you can make smart decisions for your next video marketing campaign.
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-metrics-your-boss-actually-cares-about