Posting a video is the newest and most effective way to market yourself in the digital age. Videos alter the way you advertise. It influences your audience and lets you share engaging information with them.

Video sharing platforms such as YouTube provide you data analytics to track the viewers, engagement, and geographical metrics. By harnessing the power of video marketing analytics, you can understand who your prospects are, how to optimize your video content for more conversions, and what aspects of your video marketing campaign work the best.

In this piece, I’ll reveal how each of the video marketing analytics techniques can be a smart measuring tool to discover secrets about your target audience. So, let’s get started.

#1 Number of Views

Image Credits – Pixabay.com

What the Metric Measures

This tool counts the how many times a viewer watched your video. The more views your video has, the higher the number is. The YouTube Views and Sources Report relates this metric after you upload a video.

Also, when it comes to YouTube views, here’s what they have to say –

• We want to make sure that videos are being viewed by actual humans and not computer programs. During the first couple of hours after a video has been published, we’ll only show views that our systems believe to be valid. This might not yet show all legitimate views at the time.

• After quality views are counted, view count updates more frequently. The process of including all quality views can take some time depending on a video’s popularity and viewership. Afterward, the view count updates more frequently, but keep in mind that we’re constantly validating views, so view count can always be adjusted.

• On some videos, the view count might seem frozen or not show all the views that you expect. Video views are algorithmically validated to maintain fair and positive experience for content creators, advertisers, and users. To verify that views are real and accurate, YouTube may temporarily slow down, freeze, or adjust the view count, as well as discard low-quality playbacks.

However, when it comes to Facebook, a view is counted after a mere 3-seconds which takes advantage of both short videos and the short attention spans of people scrolling through the Facebook feed. No wonder, a Facebook video racks up more views than a YouTube video.

Why It Is Critical

This metric calculates how successful your videos are on YouTube. New viewers are more likely to watch and subscribe to your YouTube channel if you have a high number of views and positive comments. Your views and subscribers build your YouTube status and persona.

For example, imagine that you have a real estate business. And, you can have a series of videos that can outline probably the buying process, selling process, rentals and lease process, showcasing your listings etc.

However, make sure to remain consistent which will eventually help build your credibility in the online space. Another way is to customize the videos as per your audience. Make videos that relate to your clients and address their pain points. Don’t try too many things at once. Follow the KISS principle.

Social media is all about appealing visuals. Incorporate pictures and soothing music in your videos. But make sure not to over do it. Keep the videos short, to the point and have a call to action at the end  – it can be subscribing your channel, visiting your website, leaving your details anything.

However, as mentioned earlier, be consistent. You don’t want to be uploading 10 videos in 1 week and then uploading nothing for the next 3 weeks. Plan out the strategy properly.

How to Use It to Grow Your Audience

The number of views help modify your content. If a specific video gained more views than others, you know this topic is trendier and you can produce more videos similar to it.

If your video has low views, assess other causes such as the title, tag, or keywords used. For more views, adjust the tags to make it simpler for people to find it.

Leave a video comment on YouTube videos that are similar to yours. This method directs people to your video and channel.

#2 Retention and Engagement Levels

Image Credits – FlyWayTech.com

What the Metric Measures

This measures how engaging your videos are to your audience. This reveals if your viewers actually finished watching your videos. The YouTube Audience Retention graph pinpoints when they lose interest in your videos and stop watching altogether.

Why It Is Critical

This report expertly calculates how effective your videos are and the quality of them. With YouTube’s Audience Retention graph, you can identify the ineffective and weak parts of your video. The report also evaluates your video against other videos on YouTube with the same length.

If your graph shows that your audience is only watching the first thirty seconds of your video, this could be due to your content, quality, or length of your video.

How to Use It to Grow Your Audience

After viewing and analyzing your YouTube Audience Retention report, make adjustments to your video’s structure appropriately.

If you’re losing viewers at the beginning of your videos, make them engaging and interesting from the start.  

If you notice viewers stop watching after a couple minutes, then produce shorter videos.

Take the extra step, to plan thoughtfully your video projects, perfect your video quality and sound recording, and improve your video editing proficiency.

At the end of your video, add a relevant call to action to grow and engage your audience.

#3 Demographics

Image Credits – TownofWendell.com

What the Metric Measures

This analytic gives you a profile of who is watching your videos. You can know which gender and age groups view your videos in addition to the number of viewers.

YouTube’s Demographics Report gives an extensive summary of location, gender, playback setting, and traffic origins.

Why It Is Critical

This report indicates if you’re successfully sharing your videos with your intended audience.

It would be a problem if your intended audience is women navigating life after university, but reports reveal teenagers are viewing your videos.

How to Use It to Grow Your Audience

Analyze if your target audience can relate to the content and topics covered in your videos. If not, you need to produce videos that are relevant to attract the audience you want.

Other things to keep in mind as you improve your videos is the design and speed of your video. For example, younger audiences have a shorter attention-span so they prefer videos that move quickly.

YouTube’s Demographic report also tells you where people watched your video and how they discovered it. This can help you identify which platforms get the most viewers and you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

The last part of the report identifies your videos’ playback location. You can use this to know whether your viewers prefer to watch your videos on your website or YouTube channel.

#4 Devices Your Audience Uses

Image Credits – Pixabay.com

What the Metric Measures

This YouTube tool shows you which devices your viewers watch your videos on the most.

Why It Is Critical

This is vital to content maximization and optimization. If you make your videos with the quality of desktop or laptops, it won’t be the same when it’s viewed on a mobile device. This could turn into a problem if most of your subscribers view your videos on their phones or tablets.

How to Use It to Grow Your Audience

After viewing the report, adjust your video content and quality. More people use their phone to view videos so adjust it for mobile devices.

For example, this could mean producing shorter videos that would load faster on a tablet.

#5 Google Marketing Analytics

Image Credits – Pixabay.com

What the Metric Measures

Google Marketing Analytics tool connects all the sites you use for video marketing in one place. It reveals how many viewers came to your YouTube channel through your website, how many new visitors you have, and the time spent on your channel. It also tracks all customer activities to help grow your audience and increase your profit.

Why It Is critical

It helps you evaluate how effective your call to action is in your videos. It also determines how relevant your video content is to your target audience.

How to Use It to Grow Your Audience

You can pick and choose between Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Optimize, and Google Data Studio to help grow your audience depending on your needs.

Google Analytics gives you a comprehensive profile of your current viewers. If those viewers aren’t your target audience, then identify why your content isn’t engaging them and make the right adjustments.

Google Tag Manager revises the tags on your website to attract new visitors. You may be able to use the same or similar tags on your YouTube videos and channel.

Google Optimize gives you the opportunity to experiment and give a more personable experience on your website. Like the previous Google tool, you may be able to use the changes on your website also on your YouTube Videos and channel.

Google Data Studio teaches you how to communicate your stories and make informed decisions using marketing and data analytics.

Start Growing Your Audience Using Video Marketing Analytics

Producing an interesting and engaging video takes time, planning, and discipline to edit it.

Instead of producing video after video hoping one of them will attract your target audience, look at your video marketing analytics. Learning from the performance of your old videos will help you produce a successful video that people will want to watch and share!

By: Sameer Panjwani

Sameer Panjwani is the Founder & CEO of Mondovo, an online marketing toolset that helps you track your rankings, monitor your site stats, and research your competitors. A man of many talents, Sameer is currently on a mission to help 1 million businesses grow organically through his products and services.