Video Analytics Unveiled: Mastering Performance Metrics for Video Content Strategy

Data is currency.  In the world where companies sell your data to buyers for profit, there are so  many ways to track data.  

How can this work for you?

At Creative Haven, we had a client that hired us as a video production company to create a recipe series for their food product.  We asked them about their past video content and the metrics they had available for their past campaigns.  We determined that a certain type of product video got the most engagement.  When we finished the videos and a month passed after they posted the content, we gathered data and found that our videos got 6 million impressions.  From there, the company realized that the content we created together was successful with their target audience, so we are now creating a similar series of videos for their newest campaign.  Rather than spinning our wheels and trying to figure out what type of content would be successful, we already know what type of content resonates with their audience. 

Here are some tips and important key performance metrics that you should be aware of when reviewing your analytics that you can apply to your video content strategy. 

1. Views are Vanity, Engagement is Sanity:

Views aren’t what they used to be and can be easily bought through ad spend.  What is hard to obtain with money alone is organic engagement, which should be a better measurement of success.. Dig deeper into engagement metrics like likes, shares, comments, and watch time. According to Wistia's research, videos under two minutes get more engagement, but as videos get longer, the engagement decreases.  Engage your audience with interesting  topics that will keep them watching and keep the run time short so they stay till the end of the video. 

2. Bounce Rate:

Bounce rate isn't just a term for emails, it also applied to video content. It measures the number of viewers who click away from your video within the first few seconds.  Imagine a website that you click on Google that doesn’t have the information you wanted, so you close the tab - it’s the same with videos.  Keep your intros snappy and your content engaging. Research by HubSpot suggests that a bounce rate between 60-80% is considered healthy for videos.  The first 5 seconds count so hook them with a pattern-interrupting statement, an intriguing question, or a captivating visual. 

3. Completion Rate:

The completion rate reveals the percentage of viewers who watch your video to the very end.  It helps you see what type of videos are resonating with your audience all the way through, as well as the type of audience that is watching all of your videos. Keep your videos concise, but don't skimp on substance. According to a study by Wyzowl, the average viewer retention for videos drops to 37% after the first 30 seconds. So, grab attention early and keep them hooked till the end.

4. Power of Click-Through Rate (CTR):

Did you click on a news article just because the headline spoke to you?  Like a seductive picture on a magazine cover, the thumbnail and title of your video determine whether viewers take the click-worthy plunge. The CTR measures how many viewers were intrigued enough to click on your video. The golden rule? Make your thumbnail enticing and your title irresistible. A study by Brightcove found that personalized thumbnails improve CTR by 35%.

5. Social Shares:

Shares are the engagement metric for social media. They signify that your content resonated enough to be showcased on others' profiles. Have you ever seen a meme that was so funny, you had to share it with your friends?  The same can be done with your content.   Research by Animoto suggests that videos are shared 1200% more than text and image content combined. So, craft shareable content that your target audience would love to share with their friends. 

6. The Return on Investment  (ROI):

ROI measures the efficiency or profitability of your investment in a video campaign.  Did you get people to buy your product with your video?  Was there more qualified leads that were added to your CRM?  Calculating video ROI involves measuring not only the financial gains but also the brand exposure, engagement boost, and any KPI that you wanted to achieve from the campaign. Research by Renderforest shows that 89% of video marketers report a good ROI from their video campaigns.

7.  Audience Retention:

Audience retention helps you determine how long your viewers watch your content before clicking away. It maps out the points where viewers drop off, giving you insight as to what part of your video influenced people to stop watching. Analyzing this data helps you tweak your content to keep viewers glued. According to YouTube, videos that consistently lose viewers after the first 15 seconds may not be showing the value upfront.  Start your videos with a summary of what you’re going to talk about in the rest of the video so people are watching and waiting for the information that interests them. 

8. Power of Smartphones:

Everyone watches videos on their smartphones so you have to make your content mobile-friendly.  Make sure visuals can be seen on a small device and the aspect ratio fits the social media platform. You can determine if users are watching your content on desktops, tablets, or smartphones on your analytics, which is helpful when determining how you edit your videos.  Research by Cisco predicts that in 2022, 82% of all consumer internet traffic was video content. 

9. Hashtags for SEO and Beyond:

Hashtags and keywords are crucial in your content being discovered.  Did you know that Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world? People search of keywords on social media so make sure your tags are on your content so it can be found. They enhance discoverability and categorization. But don't go overboard since some platforms penalize the overuse of keywords. Research by Buffer found that tweets with one or two hashtags have 21% higher engagement than those with three or more. So, be selective and make your hashtags count.

10. Future-Proofing with AI:

AI-powered video analytics can predict user behavior, analyze sentiments, and even suggest optimal posting times. According to Statista, the global AI market for video analytics is projected to reach $4.16 billion by 2023. From Lately to Sprout Social, there are plenty of AI tools out there to help you analyize your content and help you make informed decisions. 

Analytics are a powerful tool for your video content strategy.  These are just a few of the many data points that you can find on your analytics dashboards.  You don’t have to stick to these as your measurements of success.  Look at your analytics and find other metrics that interest you and use that data to help you determine how to make your content.  Just don’t get to stuck in the numbers, or else you’ll start chasing metrics rather than providing meaningful value to your audience.