View Count vs Watch Rate

Do you know the difference between your video’s view count and watch rate?

…Are you sure?

Yes, they are two key performance benchmarks used to measure your video’s success, BUT they’re also two of the most commonly confused video performance statistics.

View Count

Everyone knows your video view count shows how many individual views a video has. What a lot of people don’t know is that does not mean all of those “views” have actually watched the entire video.

YouTube only requires 30 seconds of viewing to be counted as a view. On Facebook, a view is counted after a very minimal 3 seconds of watching. That may not be long enough for even your logo to cross the screen! It’s great knowing the overall popularity of your video, but it doesn’t necessarily mean your audience is getting all of the information you want them to. Basing your video marketing strategy on view count alone could cause some serious dips in your conversion rates.

_{Views don’t necessarily mean your audience is getting all of the information you want them to.}

Watch Rate

The watch rate measures how much of your video people actually watch. It allows you to see if your video has a frequent drop-off point and when it occurs. If the majority of your audience stops watching before you’ve gotten your main message across, you wouldn’t consider it a successful video, regardless of the view count. When you notice a drop-off is happening, it might mean you need a better attention grabber or need to integrate curiosity gaps– something that will pull them in and keep their attention. If you see a trend where people skip forward, you probably have a boring lull that you should avoid in the future.

_{You may also see watch rate referred to as audience retention or view duration.}

Watch rates are also great to show what length of videos your audience responds to best. Typically, shorter videos are more likely to be watched till the end, but you may find a different sweet spot with your particular audience.

Use Them Together!

These two methods can show you a drastic difference in your video’s reach vs your video’s overall effectiveness- both of which are equally important! If your video has a great watch rate but a low view count, try a different platform! If you have a high view count but a low watch rate, try switching up your content or formatting your information in a different, stylish way that resonates better with your audience.

These analytics will work hand-in-hand to show you how effective your material is and if where you’re putting it is just as effective.