A successful video marketing strategy is one that meets the goals. Meanwhile, goal setting and metric selection go hand in hand.
If your team thinks of marketing goals as the north star, then metrics are the components inside your compass.
When things get awry on the way to making the goals come true, metrics are there to show you the light and get you back on track.
That means a well-defined goal starts from relevant, well-tracked metrics.
In video marketing, there’s no one-size-fits-all goal. So, every business has its own preferable metrics to track.
Some businesses want their explainer videos to get viral and seen by millions. Others just want the viewers to convert into paying customers.
If you ask, ‘What are the marketing performance metrics that matter most to my business?’
That’s something only you can define.
But, considering there’s an abundance of video marketing metrics that you can track, we’ve asked marketing professionals the question to narrow down your choices.
“What video marketing metrics do you track the most, and why do those metrics matter to you?”
The last thing we want is for you to get led off track and fall prey to a few pitfalls.
Their answers should shed some light on which metrics to look at for gauging the effectiveness of your video marketing campaigns.
Video Marketing Metrics
Natasha Rei, Community Manager at Explainerd
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-rei-4b8090208/
“Watch Time”
The average watch time is calculated by dividing the total amount of time individuals spend viewing your videos by the number of views.
The average view time of a video might vary substantially based on its content, duration, and quality. The average viewing duration for normal 30-second animated advertisements is roughly 2 seconds.
The average view duration for other videos, such as longer-form material or those with better production value, can be substantially higher.
Conversion rate is also an important metric to track. A greater conversion rate indicates how effective your video is in getting viewers to take action and contact your company.
Pro tip: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for calculating your video average watch time and conversions. It will be determined by a variety of elements unique to your video.
Ebnu Sudarso, Co-Founder of Milkwhale
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/milkwhale
“Engagement Rate”
Likes and comments show whether or not your video is performing well. It also shows how people are reacting to your content.
Views and impressions may seem important, but engagement and how the audience engages with your content is ultimately the most important metric.
Social media shares are another metric I believe is important. When the audience feels compelled enough to share your content on other platforms, it means that your content did its job in influencing them.
Pro tip: Don’t rely on one video-hosting platform. Expand your reach using different video channels.
Mile Zivkovic, Head of Content at Whatagraph
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mile-zivkovic/
“Play Rate and View Count”
For us, it's the play rate. We embed videos on our landing pages, and we want to know how many of them actually get played as the user scrolls down the page.
It's important because we want to know if videos help drive conversions or not. Our pro tip is to keep the video high up on the page for maximum click-throughs.
View count is also helpful for us to understand how many total views we get and determine what we should do more of.
Owen Baker, Content Marketing Lead at Voila Norbert
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/norbert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voilanorbert/
“User Relatability and Engagement Rate”
User relatability and engagement are important metrics for video marketing because they indicate that the audience is connecting with the content.
When viewers can relate to the video's message, subject, and representation, they are more likely to engage with it by liking, commenting, and sharing it in their circle.
Videos that receive high engagement are also more likely to be recommended by social media algorithms, increasing the video's visibility and reach.
Pro tip: One can track audience retention rates way better with these combined metrics that underlay behind the user behavior. This helps marketers better understand what type of content resonates with their audience and which elements of their videos are most effective in driving engagement.
Christian Somcio, Head of Partnerships at ContactOut
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-roy-somcio/
“Engagement Rate”
The number of comments and votes you receive tells you that your viewers do more than simply watch your video and move on to something else.
This is where you identify people who are truly interested in your content. By reciprocating their engagement, you create a real connection with them, nurturing which opens up opportunities to convert your leads from views to sales.
Another important metric is the play rate. It easily trumps view count when it comes to telling how many have actually seen and played your video. This shows you how well your thumbnail and content actually invite people to watch.
Pro tip: Encourage interactions, reply to comments, and appreciate likes can build engagement over time.
Maria Shelaieva, CMO at SpdLoad
“Traffic Source and Engagement Rate”
When we do a video marketing campaign we aim to find new clients and raise our authority, so we usually ask people how they know about us, and if the answer is about a video, then we reach the goal.
Also, if people interact with a piece, we count it as a success as well, especially if it's redirecting to the website.
We follow our growth strategy, and anything that leads to it, we consider an important metric to track.
Also, we look at the number of likes, sharings, and comments as it gains original traffic to publications, which can lead to new clients or raise our authority by making us more recognizable in our niche.
Shannon Steinberg, SEO Manager of Allied Van Lines
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonsteinberg/
“View Count”
The number of views is the most important metric to track in our video marketing because it is the most reliable indicator of reach and engagement of our content.
Viewers are the people who have taken the time to watch the video, and the more views a video gets, the more likely it is that more people are being exposed to the message and taking action.
Tracking view numbers helps us to measure the success of our campaigns, determine where we need to make improvements, and determine the best ways to target our audience.
We also pay attention to these other metrics:
Engagement Rate: It helps to gauge how much our audience enjoyed the video and how effective it was at engaging them.
Audience Retention: It helps to determine if viewers are finding our content valuable enough to watch it till the end.
Time Spent Viewing: It helps to understand how much of our video content viewers are consuming and how engaged they are with it.
Click-Through-Rate (CTR): It helps to track how many viewers were interested enough to take action after watching your video.
Gaurav Sharma, Founder & Digital Marketing Consultant at Attrock
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravsharma11
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attrockofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gaurav_Sharma11
“Engagement Rate”
A higher engagement level indicates that a video is effective, which is exactly what you want from video marketing.
Pro tip: Focus on the story and not on conversions. The best videos connect with your viewers, provide them value, and good storytelling can help you form meaningful connections.
Conversion Rate and Click Through Rate (CTR) are other metrics that I believe are important to keep track of.
Measuring your Conversion Rate tells you whether or not your videos persuaded your viewers to convert into leads or customers. When you spend time and resources on a video marketing campaign, it is important to measure how it affects your bottom line.
CTR helps you understand whether your videos encourage viewers to take a desired action. I would recommend testing different CTAs to identify the ones that best encourage people to click on your videos.
Mushon Heinisch, Chief Media Office at StoreYa
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mushon-heinisch
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoreYacom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoreYaCom
“Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)”
If you're an online store, like all of StoreYa's clients, then your marketing goal should be sales, and your KPI should be ROAS.
Yes, micro-conversions like video views, full-video views, engagement, clicks, and so on - are important - but ROAS is a much better indicator of performance overall.
Pro tip: To improve ROAS, we recommend that before producing any video, first think about how they are going to encourage their potential target audience to convert from your video content.
This will ensure the final video is much more accurate to their needs, ensuring better results.
I always recommend that video marketers look for the specific video frame that results in the highest number of view drops.
This points to the specific place where most users skipped or stopped watching a specific piece of video content.
By understanding what made video viewers leave, brands can better optimize it in future videos. More optimization means better conversion rates and better ROAS overall.
Tasia Duske, CEO of Museum Hack
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasia-duske/
“Device Type and Number”
One thing in video marketing that may often be overlooked is analyzing which devices viewers are watching your content on.
The device type is a crucial metric for us as it reveals different viewing habits across different devices, giving you useful insights you can use in future marketing efforts.
For example, if most of your audience watches on mobile, make videos device-friendly by making text large and easy to read on small screens and including text on videos in case viewers are watching in public without audio.
Khoshant Lande, Content Marketing Manager at StoryXpress
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/khoshant-lande-03809ab9
“Audience Retention”
Audience retention is an important metric to track in video marketing because it measures the level of engagement and interest that viewers have in the video content.
High retention rates suggest that viewers are finding the content valuable and are likely to continue watching, while low retention rates may indicate that the video is not resonating with the audience or that there are technical issues that are causing viewers to drop off.
My pro tips for improving audience retention:
- Creating high-quality, engaging content
- Using captivating thumbnails and titles
- Optimizing videos for different devices
- Using annotations and call-to-action
- Tracking and analyzing retention data over time
Sam Meenasian, Marketing Expert and Operations Director at Business Insurance USA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-meenasian-55245ab0
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BusinessInsUSA
“Qualitative Feedback”
Numbers don’t tell everything. It's essential to pay attention to qualitative feedback. This metric requires communication with your customers and prospects and helps you better understand all possible gaps in your trending patterns and scenarios.
To measure this metric, you need to analyze your video's comments, engage with people in comments, ask questions, and say "thank you" for sharing your videos.
Total views, social sharing, CTR, and conversions are also important metrics that I always pay attention to when my video performance.
Pro tips: If you want to get a deeper insight and better understand your target audience, you can use polls and surveys to ask your customers to share their opinions.
Ilija Sekulov, Marketing & SEO at Mailbutler
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilija-sekulov/
“Watch Time”
This metric can be important because it shows how engaged viewers are with the video content and how well they are keeping the information being presented.
This metric can also determine which sections of a video are the most engaging and which sections may need to be tweaked or re-edited to improve engagement.
Pro tips for increasing watch time include:
- Creating a powerful hook in the first few seconds of the video to grab the viewer's attention and keep them engaged.
- Using storytelling techniques to build a narrative that keeps viewers interested.
- Making the video visually appealing and easy to follow, with a logical structure and consistent formatting.
Nikola Roza, Owner of Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-roza-a29787162
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikola.roza/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikolaRoza
“Engagement Rate (Number of Comments)”
My YouTube channel is secondary to me, while my blog is primary. I monitor the number of comments because I know that only deep passion compels people to type in the YouTube comment section below a certain video.
When I see that passion, I know I need to cover that topic in my blog. And I post my video within the blog post for a double benefit.
I also track the number of likes, dislikes, and subscribers. These are metrics that, when tracked over time, show me whether I'm doing the right things or not.
Pro tip: Video marketing success comes slowly. Keep an eye on the metrics and overall analytics. If you see your number swell up month over month, it's encouraging for you to keep pushing.
Logan Nguyen, Co-Founder of MIDSS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-nguyen-93a65b1b8/
“Cost Per View (CPV)”
Cost per View is a relatively new metric in assessing video marketing. However, we don't use it as a standalone measure. It is part of a broader spectrum of indicators we use to gauge our video marketing campaigns.
To put it simply, Cost Per View refers to the money you spend to get at least a 30-second view of the video. A more detailed variant of this metric will be cost per average view time or cost per total view time.
For example, if a video has received 1 hour in total view time and we have spent $400 marketing it, we can calculate how much we are spending for total view time as $400/hour.
This metric simply gives you a rough idea of the return you are getting for your investment and whether you need to ramp up marketing spending or optimize further for better results.
Taavi Rebane, Head of Marketing at Messente Communication
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taavirebane/
“Watch Time and Engagement Rate”
The most important metric for us is engagement. It starts with the average length of the video watched on s our main distribution channel, Linkedin. We pay attention to likes, comments, and shares.
From a demand generation perspective, these metrics are important because we want to see how the video resonates with our audience and how we can make some adjustments based on the number we have.
Another important data we track is who the people who engage with our content are. Is it our ICP, or are they random people? You have to look behind the numbers so that you can make more informed decisions for the next campaign.
Bobby Klinck, Founder of BobbyKlinck
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertklinck/
“View Count and Engagement Rate”
It mostly depends on my video goals campaign. Sometimes, I create videos to build brand awareness, so views are likely the most important metric to track.
On the other hand, if I focus on keeping my sales funnel full, then I pay attention to the engagement rate and conversion rate.
Ultimately, each business has to define the correct KPI for video marketing based on its particular strategy.
Sam Molony, Head of Content & SEO at Community Phone
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammolony/
“Engagement Rate”
Viewer engagement is incredibly important for video marketing campaigns, as it helps marketers understand how successful the video content was in terms of reaching its goals.
It’s an indicator of how well viewers are responding to the content, how interested they are in the subject matter, and how long they stay tuned.
By tracking viewer engagement metrics, marketers can determine which video content resonated with viewers and should be used to create future campaigns.
The next important metric to track in a video marketing campaign is viewer retention. Retention measures how many viewers were retained after watching the video content and how long they stayed engaged with it.
Pro tip: Video marketers should also keep track of where their video views are coming from (e.g., search engine results pages, social media platforms), as this will help them understand which channels are driving more traffic/engagement to their videos.
James McMinn, Senior Digital Strategist at Matchbox Design Group
“Engagement Rate and Watch Time”
Engagement indicates your audience's interest. If there is a high interest, you will see increased reach.
This creates a positive perception of your brand, helping to generate leads. These can all be used for video SEO as well. (likes, comments, shares, and watch time will help improve rankings). You gain insight into what your users like for future videos.
Being more relevant and popular will get you featured. The other factors listed will send signals to YouTube, letting them know your video is popular and engaging and to keep serving it to wider audiences.
Pro tip: Keep track of overall views, views in the first 24 hours, click-through rate, audience retention, and the relevance of the video to your audience. The first 24 hours indicate the popularity and engagement of the video.
Tory Gray, CEO & Founder of The Gray Dot Company
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torygray/
“View Completion”
We use Instagram Stories as our main platform. So, it's all about measuring the completion rate—you should know who's seeing your story and scrolling past or watching the clip to completion.
If too many users drop off before they finish watching a clip, we know it's time to step up our game and switch up the type of content and videos we’re sharing.
Pro tip: If you aren't sure what your audience wants to see from you, ask them. Use the handy polling feature so users can vote on the content they'd love to see more.
Jeff Joyce, Social Media Manager at Content at Scale
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-joyce/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ContentAtScale
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ContentAtScale
“Watch Time”
YouTube rewards time on the platform. The longer that you can keep a viewer on the platform consuming content, the more YouTube rewards you for that content.
I also like to keep track of the end screen and suggested video metrics. Viewers that watch multiple videos of yours and go on a binge is a healthy metric to be aware of. It all comes back to the time on the platform.
Suggested videos give you some useful insights into how YouTube recommends your content. Making it easier to plan out relevant videos that tackle different creators that you might want to share an audience with.
Pro tip: No hard-selling videos. Creates videos that tell a story throughout for a longer watch time.
Daniel Sand, Co-founder & CEO of Wedio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-v-sand/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.v.sand/
“View Count, CTR, and Engagement Rate”
When using video in video marketing (e.g. Facebook ads), it's important to track: View count, Click-through rate (CTR), and Engagement rate.
These metrics give insight into the reach and effectiveness of your ad, how well it drives engagement and conversions, and how well it resonates with your target audience. You can also see your quality score in Facebook Business Manager.
Pro tip: Create a 90-second brand video for your company, and then use that footage to create shorter 5-15 second videos that each highlight one of your unique selling points (USPs).
Lito James, Founder of MassivePeak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/litojames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/litojames_
“Watch Time”
Pay close attention to watch time as it is an integral KPI to measure if your videos are connecting with the audience.
If people are staying on your video for an extended period, it means they enjoy the content and find it engaging. However, if the watch time is relatively short, you may need to go back and reconsider how you approach the video.
Pro tip: Breaking down your videos into Chapters is a fantastic way to enhance viewer experience and engagement. Not only that, but the ability to select a timestamp and jump right into a section is incredible. Plus, with creative storytelling.
Evan McCarthy, President & CEO of SportingSmiles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-mccarthy-5a24473b
“View Count”
We have a lot of YouTube videos on our channel that matches up with all our blog posts. The main metric that we always watch is view count. It's the simplest metric of all, but it gives the best overview of how the videos are doing.
Looking at the other metrics can give misleading information that can affect how you do other videos. You don't even have to be logged in to your account to see how many people are watching your videos.
All the other metrics are great if you want to do a technical audit of your videos, but for standard day-to-day monitoring of how the videos are doing, I prefer just to get the view count.
Konstantin Sadekov, CMO at MindTitan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konstantin-sadekov/
“Impressions”
Linkedin has become a vital platform for B2B businesses. We post 1 video per week and check how viral it becomes among the business audience. Impressions help us to evaluate the best time for posting such content and whether it resonates with our audience.
I also check video engagements and profile views. If we speak about company profiles, then the number of new followers. If a video is viral, people engage with the content and share it with their peers.
Pro tip: Be active when promoting your content. Share it with your contacts in direct messages and ask your colleagues to like it. It will help with virality.
Toby Dao, Marketing Specialist at Tigren
“View Count”
For us, the goal is to increase brand awareness, so the view count is the most important thing to track.
However, it's not possible to identify a single "best" metric to track when it comes to video marketing, as the most important metric will depend on your specific goals and objectives.
We also track two other metrics:
Engagement: This can include metrics such as likes, comments, and shares, which can give you an idea of how well your video is resonating with your audience.
Conversion rate: If you are using your video to drive a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter, you will want to track your conversion rate to see how effective your video is at driving these desired outcomes.
Kartik Ahuja, CEO & Founder of GrowthScribe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekartikahuja/
“Click-Through Rate (CTR)”
The number of clicks on a video ad or link can provide insight into how many people are interested in the video's content, and how well the video resonates with the target audience.
CTR refers to the ratio of clicks to views or impressions. It tells you how many people who saw the video ad actually clicked on it.
These metrics can measure the return on investment (ROI) of video marketing campaigns by comparing the number of clicks and CTR to the cost of the campaign.
This allows marketers to understand the effectiveness of their video marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions on how to allocate resources in the future.
Minuca Elena, Expert Roundup Creator at MinucaElena
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minuca-elena-498460131/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Minuca.Elena
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MinucaElena
“View Count”
The first metric that you should track for your videos is the view count. This means the number of times your video was seen. Keep in mind that each platform has a different minimum required time that the video must be played.
For example, YouTube counts a video as being seen after 30 seconds, whereas, for Facebook and Instagram, you only need 3 seconds. Also, video engagement is very important.
Also, especially for me, another important metric is ROI. It helps me to make the calculations and find out how much revenue did I earn from the campaign.
Pro tip: Take into consideration all the expenses that you've done for this campaign. If the result is satisfying, the campaign is a success.
Ryan Turner, Founder of EcommerceIntelligence
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klaviyo-expert/
“Average View Duration”
The video platforms we're using for our brands weigh this metric heavily, and they have an enormous influence on how much organic reach a particular video will get. Those platforms are YouTube and TikTok.
We've found that on YouTube, average view duration correlates well with video performance. You want to be well over 50% wherever possible—that's where the magic seems to happen. Of course, for Shorts, you'd want to be close to 100%.
On TikTok, if you're able to create videos with over 100% average view duration, you'll do very well and have a good chance of going viral. This basically means people are re-watching your videos and letting them loop through to get all the info.
This works great for the e-commerce brands we work on. Those same video styles can then be used on YouTube Shorts with success, too.
Adam Shlomi, Founder of SoFlo Tutors
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlomi/
“Engagement Rate (Number of Comments)”
Views are good, but they don't necessarily tell you how long people watched your video or if they are likely to watch it again.
Then again, conversions could be a great way to actually see how effective your videos are in getting sales. But still, conversion is not everything, as increasing awareness of your product and keeping it in consumers' consideration sets is still very important.
Pro tip: Looking at comments not only gives a vast wealth of data about how your viewers feel about the video, but it's also a good metric to see how many people are actively engaging with your content.
Dennis Consorte, Digital Marketing & Leadership Consultant for Startups at Snackable Solutions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisconsorte/
“Depends on the Customer Journey KPIs”
There are many key performance indicators (KPIs) related to video marketing, and those you focus on depend on the stage you're at in the customer journey.
Think of your video marketing as a funnel, where you fill the top with lots of leads, and a fraction of them turn into customers who come out the other end.
There are many ways to label the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel, such as the Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion stages.
If your goal is Awareness, then views and impressions matter a lot. For consideration, view-through rates on ads or watch-time matter. For conversion, clicks, registrations, sales, and other actions matter most.
You can track a variety of KPIs and focus on those that matter most for the stage at which your lead or prospect is.
Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder & CEO of OSDB Sports
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-rottman-7a271417b/
“Subscriber Count”
Subscriptions from our audience are an important metric to track in our video marketing strategy because they directly show how engaged viewers are with our content.
Subscribers are more likely to watch and share our videos, which can help increase our videos' reach and grow your audience.
Moreover, our subscribers are more likely to be loyal viewers who will come back for more content, which can help to build a solid and engaged community around our brand.
Pro tip: Take your video creation more seriously. Upload on a regular basis and always provide value.
Tracking subscriptions can also help us identify which types of content resonate with our audience and which topics they are most interested in, allowing us to tailor future content to their interests.
Tory Jon, Owner & CEO of CamperFAQs
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tory-jon
“Social Shares”
While you can't ignore metrics like views or watch time, we've chosen to prioritize sharing as a North Star metric for our video marketing.
This is really the most reliable indicator of word-of-mouth marketing because sharing shows that the content was interesting or helpful enough to share with someone else.
By serving our current audience meaningfully, they do the marketing for us by sharing our content with their networks. It's a metric everyone should at least track, if not prioritize.
Joey Daoud, CEO of New Territory Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/c47
“Average View Duration and Click-Through Rate (CTR)”
The algorithms like people sticking around and spending time on their platform, and if your videos keep people watching and staying longer they're going to promote it more.
So we spend a lot of time looking at retention graphs to figure out where interest drops so the next videos we make can address those issues and keep people watching longer.
The second most important metric is CTR. If people don't get to the video in the first place, then watch time is irrelevant. CTR is a bit easier to test because you can keep swapping titles and thumbnails.
Liza Kirsh, Chief Marketing Officer at DYMAPAK
“Traffic Source”
We track the video’s traffic sources. For example, if we see we’re getting more traffic on Facebook than on YouTube, we put most of our efforts toward Facebook.
Once we understand where our viewers come from and find our videos, we decide to optimize our visibility on the platform there.
Pro tip: Find where your audiences hang out. It’s best to go where they are and keep replicating your successes on platforms that work best for you.
Brett Wharton, Agency Owner of NexusMKTG
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmwharton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brett.m.wharton
“Audience Retention”
If you use YouTube as your main channel, I believe that the most important metric to track initially is audience retention – how long people watch your video, plus where they’re rewatching or sharing.
A YouTube video with higher retention will get recommended to more people. You’ll get more subscribers.
You’ll also learn how to hook people, and you can use that skill (plus your new subscriber base) to get conversions on your lead magnets or the products and services you promote in your videos.
Pro tip: Keep making videos on a regular schedule. Keep checking your retention. Keep watching where your retention dips – or spikes.
Carly Hill, Operations Manager at VirtualHolidayParty
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-hill-03105122/
“Engagement Rate (Number of Comments)”
Marketers could add comment funnels in their videos—these leverage viewer comments on previous videos, which helps create relationships among viewers and build sustainable viewership for future content.
Comment funnels allow viewers to create relationships, while their engagement gives marketers insights they can use to plan future content.
An uncommon example of this technique is when a marketer asks viewers to comment with specific words or phrases, such as song lyrics or quotes by famous people.
This encourages users to actively engage with the content—by connecting it with something familiar—and engage with other commenters, building sustainable viewership for future videos.
Kenneth Lin, CEO of BOOP Bakery
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-lin-371527/
“Viewer Demographics”
It's imperative to track your viewer demographics. Check to be sure your target personas are actually watching your videos. Are you reaching those with the right interests or in the appropriate age group?
If you discover you aren't, changing your tactics should be next on your to-do list. If your videos aren't reaching your target audience, your marketing team's time and budget are being wasted.
Ralf Llanasas, Co-Founder and Head of SEO at EthicalSEO
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralf-llanasas/
“Watch Time and Engagement Rate”
We track how many people view videos longer than 10 seconds. This metric gives us an overall idea of how well the intro of the videos and how engaging they are.
Tracking what percentage of people stay till the end can improve your video scenarios.
We also track how many likes and social media shares. Besides our forms, we have a possibility to describe how customers hear about us, and videos are definitely one of the channels.
Pro tip: Be consistent and proactive. Send invitations to your friends, colleagues, and customers to watch the video. It is very important.
Jane Hart, a Digital Marketing Head at SelectedFirms
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-hart-629579192/
“Bounce Rate”
Bounce rate is a crucial metric to track in video marketing because it indicates how engaged your audience is with your content.
Bounce rate is the percentage of viewers who leave your video without engaging with it further. A high bounce rate can indicate that your video is not relevant, engaging, or interesting enough to capture the viewer's attention.
By tracking bounce rates, you can identify which videos are underperforming and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. Additionally, a high bounce rate can negatively impact your video's search engine rankings, making it less visible to potential viewers.
Therefore, keeping an eye on bounce rates is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of your video marketing campaigns.
Helen Belskaya, Brand Communications Team Lead, CMW Lab
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alena-bel/
“View Count, Audience Retention”
In CMW Lab, we connect all the marketing activities to our BPM platform, to have full analytics and reports on every channel, as well as on processes that accompany it.
Regarding video marketing, there is no more standard metric than view count, at the same time it is a gold standard to evaluate your outreach. View Count shows the total number of audience contacts with the video. It can be divided into unique and repeat ones. To boost this metric use a multichannel approach - share video on social media, via newsletter or influencers. Check how each ads channel counts this metric. In one channel the view can be counted starting from a 3d sec, while on another - from the 15th.
The second important index for performance measuring is retention. Audience retention shows the average depth of the views the audience has when contacting with your video. It helps to understand how relevant is the content you are providing to your TA. Remember, that on average people concentrate on media for 5-7 sec. It means that your video should be catchy from the very beginning. Use teasers, try to announce the unique values at the start and test different formats to find the perfect match.
Isabelle Romualdez, Marketing Content Manager at Hire Digital
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelle-romualdez-81ba5a147
For an outsourcing platform such as ours, the most important video marketing metric to track may be the conversion rate. By keeping a close eye on your conversion rate, you can assess the effectiveness of your video marketing strategy in driving talent/client engagement and spurring them to take action.
Next to conversions, we also look at the following
- View count: A high view count indicates that the video is being seen by a large number of potential clients, which can increase brand awareness and reach the right enterprise leaders.
- Engagement rate: A high engagement rate can indicate that the video is resonating with our target audience and generating interest in the platform.
- Retention rate: A good retention rate shows that our video is engaging and holding the attention of our potential clients, which may then lead to our main goal -- conversion.
Sheila Mae VIllaflores, Outreach Specialist at Veed.io
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-mae-villaflores-13749917a/
Video marketing transcends mere advertising; it's a journey into the hearts and minds of your audience. Through the lens of a well-crafted video, brands can forge authentic connections, evoke powerful emotions, and spark meaningful conversations. In today's digital landscape, where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, video stands out as a beacon of engagement, offering a compelling medium through which to convey messages with impact.
Beyond mere promotion, video marketing is a vehicle for storytelling—a means to weave narratives that resonate deeply with viewers. Whether it's a heartfelt testimonial, a behind-the-scenes glimpse, or a creative showcase of product features, videos have the ability to transport audiences into the world of your brand, fostering empathy, understanding, and loyalty. With the rise of social media and the proliferation of video-sharing platforms, the reach of video marketing knows no bounds, allowing brands to connect with audiences across diverse demographics and geographies.
In essence, video marketing is not just about selling a product or service; it's about building relationships, fostering trust, and inspiring action. By harnessing the power of visual storytelling, brands can elevate their marketing efforts, leaving a lasting impression that transcends the digital realm and resonates in the hearts and minds of consumers.
Marissa Sabrina, Creative Director at LeadLearnLeap
LinkedIn: https://id.linkedin.com/in/marissa-sabrina-8a2613a3
Since I create animated book summary videos, I pay attention to the Watch Time metric the most. YouTube's algorithm heavily favors videos with higher watch time. When viewers spend more time watching the videos, it signals to YouTube that the content is engaging and valuable.
My goal is to establish my channel as a go-to destination for insightful and entertaining business book summaries. So, ranking higher in search results, suggested videos, and potentially being featured on the platform's homepage helped me with increasing visibility and exposure to a wider audience.
Ruth Jessica, Sales Marketing Manager at Voissee
LinkedIn: https://id.linkedin.com/in/ruthjessica
As a voice-over marketplace, I use video marketing strategies mostly to drive more traffic to my website, which means attracting more clients as well as growing our talent pool. That’s why CTR is a must-track video metric for us. I basically use videos to invite more people to my website.
CTR shows us whether the video that we create resonates well with our target audience or not. It indicates that they actually find the content valuable and are interested in taking the next step– it can be simply exploring our website or even joining us as a client or talent.
Arum Karunianti, Digital Marketing Manager at VideosID
LinkedIn: https://id.linkedin.com/in/arumkarunianti
As I create animated explainer videos, I consider many metrics necessary. However, to pinpoint the crucial ones, Play Rate and Watch Time are indeed two metrics I focus on. They provide insights into whether or not my videos resonate with audiences.
Play Rate shows how enticing my video thumbnails and titles are to attract clicks. Meanwhile, Watch Time lets me know if my viewers stay engaged throughout the duration. These two metrics indicate that both getting clicks and retaining audience interest are crucial, especially for content like explainer videos.
Fabrianne Sudono, Marketing Specialist at Avery Smart Books
Facebook: https://id-id.facebook.com/public/Fabrianne-Setiawati-Sudono
Engagement Rate is one of the most important metrics that I always emphasize. It shows how audiences interact with my content. As I create animated stories, it's necessary to know if viewers really enjoy the storylines, conflicts, and visuals.
In addition, engagement rates also measure likes, comments, and shares. I can dive into audience feedback for further improvement in the future. Knowing the level of audience involvement and interest in my content allows me to create and optimize content better.
Yogesh Bhagwani, Digital Marketing at Tagshop Shoppable Video
One of the most important video marketing metrics to track is engagement rate. This metric encompasses likes, comments, shares, and the total amount of time viewers spend watching your video.
Engagement rate is crucial because it reflects how well your content resonates with your audience. For example, shoppable videos take video marketing a step further. They allow viewers to discover products directly within the video and purchase them on the spot, blurring the lines between entertainment and instant shopping.
High engagement indicates that viewers find your video interesting and relevant, which can lead to higher brand awareness, loyalty, and ultimately, conversions.
Ali Entice, Link Builder at Headshots
As a professional portraits company, the most important video marketing metric to track is conversion rate because our primary goal is to drive bookings for our studio-quality headshot services offered without the need for a photographer.
Conversion rate reveals how effective our services are at turning interested viewers into actual clients. It directly impacts our business growth by measuring the success of our messaging and call-to-action.
Choosing Your Right Video Marketing Metrics: Key Factors to Consider
All those metrics mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg of measuring your video marketing efforts. Thus, choosing the right marketing metrics is a unique process for every brand.
Here are some key factors you should pay attention to before choosing the right metrics for your campaign:
Business Goals
There are plenty of metrics floating around that you could focus on if you wanted. But the ones that matter most are typically linked to a specific goal.
Identify the specific goals you want to achieve with your video marketing campaign.
Make it crystal clear, so you can define what metrics you can prioritize to measure.
Common video marketing goals are:
Increasing brand awareness
Driving website traffic
Generating leads or conversions
Improving customer engagement
Video Content Type
The type of video content you are creating will also impact the metrics you should track.
For example, if you are creating explainer videos or short-form social videos, you may want to focus on metrics such as video completion rate and engagement.
Meanwhile, if you are creating a product demo, you may want to track conversions and click-through rates (CTR).
Video Platform
Most online video platforms offer their own video analytics module. Some platforms, such as YouTube, offer quite robust analytics tools. Others may be more limited.
Make sure you use a video hosting platform that provides the metrics you need to measure the success of your video marketing campaign.
Industry Benchmarks
Look at industry benchmarks to see what metrics are commonly used in your industry and what level of performance is considered good.
This can help you set realistic goals for your video marketing campaign and track your progress over time.
Start Tracking the Right Video Marketing Metrics
Different metrics give you different insights.
After all, effective video marketing is a science, not intuition — and that means monitoring numbers, analyzing data, and measuring results.
We’ve learned that the most important metrics aren’t written in stone.
The keys are to map your metrics to your objectives from the get-go, identify your best practices, and continuously re-evaluate your strategy to keep up with the times.
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